Abstract: Method and apparatus for providing a timely, automated re-assignment of resources, such as peripheral devices, memory, and/or processing capacity, among a number of host data processing systems. In a preferred embodiment, the present invention allows peripheral devices, such as tape drives, to be configured as shareable units, and accessed by any participating host data processing system as the need arises. The invention preferably includes a central coordinating facility, which evaluates the device status information gathered, from each participating host data processing system. The device status information is used to determine which host data processing systems have free devices available for use. Within these constraints, the invention automatically orchestrates the re-assignment of selected peripheral devices from where they are not currently needed to where they are needed, with little or no operator interaction.