Abstract: A communication-path management system includes a path-detection component for identifying all communications paths between a host computer, through a controller, to a data storage device. Once identified, the communication paths are incorporated into a logical-path mask. The path-detection component recognizes each path as either preferred or non-preferred based on latency, bandwidth, availability, or other user-defined criteria and divides the logical-path mask into a preferred path subset and a non-preferred path subset. If a valid path exists in the preferred path subset, all communications from the host computer to the data storage device transit paths belonging to this subset. Otherwise, active control is given to the non-preferred path subset. A channel subsystem manages actual communication based on resource allocation and contention using the currently active subset.