A method and apparatus for facilitating control interface failover in a media storage device is described. In one embodiment, the method couples a media changer device to a plurality of removable media storage drives, where each removable media storage drive comprises a first port having a first port name and assigns a second port name to either the first port or to a second port of a first removable media storage drive in the plurality of removable media storage drives, where the second port name comprises at least a portion of portable identity data. The method preserves the portable identity data to be utilized during a control interface failover process to transfer the second port name from the first removable media storage drive to a second removable media storage drive in the plurality of removable media storage drives.