Automated physical disk storage and management

An automated storage system, comprising:

• a plurality of storage elements positioned in storage slots of the storage system, at least some of the storage slots being connected to a network by access cables and some storage slots not being so connected;
• a robot capable of disconnecting the access cables from a first storage slot and reconnecting the access cables to a second storage slot;
• wherein under predetermined circumstances, the robot disconnects the access cable from the first storage slot and attaches the access cable to the second storage slot.

A data storage system, comprising:

• a storage library having a plurality of storage slots capable of receiving storage elements;
• an access cable which, when connected to a storage slot of the plurality of storage slots, provides data transfer access to a storage element of the storage slot to which the access cable is connected;
• an access device capable of disconnecting the access cable from storage slots of the storage system and connecting the access cable to storage slots of the storage system.

A method of data management in a storage library system, comprising the steps of:

• when a first storage element in a first slot in the storage library system fails, removing the first storage element from the first slot in the library;
• operably connecting access and power apparatus such that a second storage element can communicate with the library system;
• wherein the steps of removing and connecting are accomplished by a control system of the storage library system without human intervention.