Tape library with multiple generation drives

A method comprising:

• providing a tape library system that includes:
• a data bus that links a host computer system to a first tape drive address, the first tape drive address points to a first switch system which is linked to a first tape drive adapted to cooperate with a first type of tape cartridge and a second tape drive adapted to cooperate with second type of tape cartridge;
• presenting to the host computer system that the first tape drive address belongs to a first target tape drive;
• receiving an instruction from the host computer system to load a first target tape cartridge which is from the second type of tape cartridge into the first target tape drive;
• in response to the instructing step, loading the first target tape cartridge into the second tape drive, the host computer system is blind to the first tape drive and the second tape drive.

A method performed in a tape library, the method comprising:

• communicatively linking the tape library with a host computer system;
• receiving a request from the host computer system to identify available tape drives in the tape library;
• transmitting a first tape drive address associated with a first target tape drive and a second tape drive address associated with a second target tape drive to the host computer system in response to the request, the first tape drive address attached to both a first tape drive and a second tape drive and the second tape drive address attached to a third tape drive, the host computer cannot see the first tape drive, the second tape drive or the third tape drive;
• receiving a mount request from the host computer system to mount a first target tape cartridge to the first target tape drive, the first target tape cartridge is not compatible with the first tape drive or the third tape drive;
• mounting the first target tape cartridge to the second tape drive;
• and following the mount request,
• responding to the host computer that the mount request is completed.