Patent ID: 7289885

Claim:
A data storage library apparatus for managing a plurality of portable data storage media items, comprising: a robotic media transport device responsive to media transport commands to transport the media items among media locations comprising media storage bins and media drives; one or more multi-purpose media drives, each comprising: a media access mechanism configured to removably receive media items and exchange data therewith; at least one host port; at least one robotic device port coupled to the robotic media transport device; a controller coupled to the media access mechanism, host port, and robotic device port and programmed to perform operations comprising: responsive to receiving host commands upon the host port, distinguishing between (1) data exchange commands directing the media access mechanism to exchange data with a media item, and (2) media transport commands; processing received data exchange commands by performing operations comprising at least one of the following: directing the media access mechanism to exchange data between the host port and a media item received by the media access mechanism in accordance with the data exchange command, returning status information concerning the media drive upon the host port; processing received media transport commands by forwarding such commands to the robotic media transport device via the robotic device port; wherein at least one of the robotic media transport device and the drives is programmed to restrict host access to components of the library according to predefined logical partitions, each partition defining a different group of one or more of the following library components: one or more media items, one or more media drives, one or more media storage locations.