A multi-cabinet mass storage system with unified management features. The system includes a first reporting group and a second reporting group each having enclosure with processors, such as an environmental monitoring units (EMUs), for generating and transmitting environmental messages pertaining to the particular enclosures. The enclosures are positioned on shelves within cabinets. A bus or cabinet cable links each enclosure to facilitate broadcasting the environmental messages. The environmental messages identify the sending device's reporting group and its physical location within the system. Additional enclosures are included in this reporting group with enclosures of each reporting group located all in one cabinet, in two or more cabinets, and each cabinet may house one, two, or more reporting groups. A network links all of the cabinets to concurrently broadcast the environmental messages throughout the system and allows enclosures in a single reporting group to be positioned in differing cabinets.