the storage controller 200 only notifies hosts 106 that are affected by the driver update referring to fig9 a fifth scenario for distributing a driver to a connected host system 106 is illustrated this scenario utilizes the host configuration table 800 described in fig8 in this scenario it is assumed that the host system 106 is initially processing i o 600 between the host system 106 and the storage system 110 while processing i o the driver database 318 is updated 602 in the storage system 110 once the driver database 318 has been updated 602 the storage controller 200 analyzes 900 the host configuration table 800 to determine which connected hosts 106 are affected by the driver updates more specifically the storage controller 200 compares the driver id and release level identified in the driver table 320 with the driver id and release level identified in the host configuration table 800 the storage controller 200 then notifies 902 the hosts 106 that are affected by the driver update and therefore need to install a new driver the affected hosts 106 may receive 606 and analyze 606 this notification at this point a host system 106 may request 414 the latest driver the storage controller 200 then finds 416 the appropriate driver in the database 318 and transmits 418 the driver to the host system 106 the host system 106 then receives 608 the driver and suspends 610 i o with the storage controller 200 the host system 106 may then install 612 the driver and resume i o 614 with the storage controller.