Secure Data Erasure for Tape Storage

Abstract

In one technique, a processor determines that an inactive data area exists at an end of tape (EOT) of a tape. In response to determining that the inactive data area exists at the EOT, the processor securely erases the inactive data area existing at the EOT by overwriting data located in the inactive data area with different data.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of tape storage management, and more particularly to securely erasing inactive areas of a tape at an end-of-tape (EOT) location before determining that the entire tape should be securely erased. [Background technology]

[0002] Hierarchical storage management (HSM) is a data storage technique that automatically moves data between high-cost and low-cost storage media. Faster storage devices, such as solid-state drive arrays, cost more (per byte stored) than slower devices, such as hard disk drives, optical drives, or magnetic tape.

[0003] Magnetic tape data storage is a system for storing digital information on magnetic tape using digital recording. Tape data storage is more frequently used for system backup, data archiving, and data interchange. The low cost of tape makes long-term storage and data archiving feasible. Tape storage media can be append-only, where new data is constantly added to the end of the tape, and updated or deleted data areas are managed as inactive areas. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computer-implemented method, a computer program product, and a computer system are provided, in which a processor determines that an inactive data area exists at an end of tape (EOT) of a tape. In response to determining that the inactive data area exists at the EOT, the processor securely erases the inactive data area existing at the EOT by overwriting data located in the inactive data area with different data. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0005] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a computing environment according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operational steps of a secure erase program executed within the computer environment of FIG. 1 for securely erasing inactive areas of a tape, according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates an example tape containing inactive and active files according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the client computing device, tape library, and virtual tape library components of FIG. 1 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Embodiments of the present invention recognize that with the increasing capacity of tape storage, it can take several hours to overwrite a tape from beginning to end with randomized data to prevent inappropriate or erroneous access to data occupying the inactive area of ​​the tape. Embodiments recognize that such delays in data randomization can result in undesirable long wait times before the tape can be reused. Embodiments recognize that while some techniques use encrypted tapes and prevent access to data by removing the decryption key from the server managing such keys, such techniques rely on specific software / hardware managing tape encryption and cannot be applied to unencrypted tape media. Embodiments of the present invention describe techniques for reducing the time required to securely erase a tape (e.g., overwriting a tape with randomized data) by adding randomized data to the inactive area located at the end of tape (EOT) before the tape is empty (e.g., while the active area of ​​the tape still exists). Embodiments of the present invention are operable with unencrypted tapes.

[0007] The present invention is now described in detail with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating a computing environment, generally designated 100, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is intended to be merely an illustration of one implementation and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications to the depicted environment may be made without departing from the scope of the embodiments of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0008] In the depicted embodiment, computing environment 100 includes tape library 120, virtual tape library 130, and client computing device 150, interconnected by network 110. Network 110 may be a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), any combination thereof, or any combination of connections and protocols supporting communication between client computing device 150, virtual tape library 130, or tape library 120, or any combination thereof, according to embodiments of the present invention. Computing environment 100 may also include additional servers, computing devices, or other devices (not shown).

[0009] Virtual tape library 130 may be a server computer system, such as a database management server, management server, database server, web server, structured query language server, or any other electronic device in a computing system capable of sending and receiving data. In one embodiment, virtual tape library 130 may be a mainframe virtual tape solution. In one embodiment, virtual tape library 130 may write data to physical tape storage using high-performance tape drives installed in a tape library, such as tape library 120. In one embodiment, virtual tape library 130 may provide a tiered storage hierarchy of disk and tape storage. In some embodiments, virtual tape library 130 may be a data center consisting of a collection of networks and servers that provides information technology (IT) services, such as virtual servers and applications deployed on the virtual servers, to external parties. In some embodiments, virtual tape library 130 may be a database server running on a legacy system, such as a mainframe system. In other embodiments, virtual tape library 130 represents a cloud of computing devices interconnected by one or more networks, where virtual tape library 130 is a computing system using clustered computers and components that function as a single pool of seamless resources when accessed over network 110. In some embodiments, virtual tape library 130 includes secure erase program 140. Virtual tape library 130 may include components illustrated and described in further detail with respect to FIG.

[0010] Tape library 120 is a tape storage library interconnected to a virtual tape library, such as virtual tape library 130. Generally, tape library 120 provides the ability to store data through the use of an integrated tape drive and one or more physical tapes. In one embodiment, tape library 120 represents multiple interconnected physical tape libraries.

[0011] The secure erase program 140 operates to securely erase data located in inactive areas at the end-of-tape (EOT) location of the tape media. Typically, the secure erase program erases data by overwriting it with randomized data, preventing accidental or improper reading of data previously located in such locations. The secure erase program 140 marks the inactive areas at the EOT location as securely erased so that fewer portions of the tape need to be securely erased when the secure erase program 140 determines that the entire tape should be erased. In one embodiment, the secure erase program 140 resides in the virtual tape library 130. In other embodiments, the secure erase program 140 may reside on a separate server or separate computing device, as long as the secure erase program 140 is able to communicate with the tape library 120 and the virtual tape library 130.

[0012] Client computing device 150 may be, for example, a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, or any other electronic device or computing system capable of communicating with virtual tape library 130 over network 110. In some embodiments, client computing device 150 may be any suitable type of client device capable of sending one or more read or write requests to a data tape management server, such as virtual tape library 130. In some embodiments, client computing device 150 includes a user interface (not shown) for sending data requests to a data tape management server, such as virtual tape library 130. In one embodiment, the user interface may be a graphical user interface (GUI). A GUI is a type of user interface that allows a user to interact with electronic devices, such as a keyboard and mouse, through visual indicators, such as graphical icons and secondary notation, as opposed to a text-based interface, typed command labels, or text navigation.

[0013] Figure 2 is a flowchart 200 of the steps of the secure erase program 140, which executes within the computing environment 100 of Figure 1. This is executed to facilitate the secure erasure of data on a tape by securely erasing data residing at the EOT of the tape during idle time, and upon determining that the amount of active data on the tape is below a threshold, moving the active data to another tape, and subsequently securely erasing the remainder of the tape (e.g., areas of the tape not previously erased as a result of inactive areas residing at the EOT).

[0014] In one embodiment, a host of a client computing device 150 may initially interact with the virtual tape library 130 to store data on tapes in the tape library 120. Typically, the virtual tape library 130 may include primary storage, such as a disk, and archive or backup data to the primary storage may be stored on tapes in the tape library 120. The tape library 120 may be an append-only storage medium, where new data is always added to the end of the tape, and areas corresponding to deleted or updated data are managed as inactive areas. However, because the inactive areas typically still contain data, they may be read incorrectly or improperly. When data or files are updated, the original data location is marked as inactive, and the newly updated data or files are added to the end of the tape. Thus, a tape may include active areas corresponding to currently active data or files and inactive areas corresponding to deleted or updated data or files. The host may specify a capacity threshold. The capacity threshold may correspond to the percentage of the tape's total capacity that is inactive. In other words, as the tape is written over time from BOT to EOT, active data can be deleted or updated to create inactive area. When the percentage of inactive area exceeds a capacity threshold, the secure erase program 140 determines that the active data remaining on the tape should be moved and that the tape should be erased so that it can be reused.

[0015] In general, the secure erase program 140 may be run periodically on each tape in the tape library 120. In some embodiments, a timed schedule may be used that specifies how often the secure erase program should be run. In other embodiments, the secure erase program 140 is initiated in response to one or more tape media in the tape library 120 being in an idle state. In such embodiments, the secure erase program 140 may be run without interrupting requests to read or write data.

[0016] In decision 210, the secure erase program 140 determines whether the inactive area exceeds a capacity threshold. As previously described, the capacity threshold may be specified by the host. In some embodiments, the capacity threshold is specified by an administrative user of the tape library 120 or virtual tape library 130. The virtual tape library 130 may maintain a tape directory that provides a physical tape location for a given data block number. The tape directory may also identify areas of the tape that are active and areas of the tape that are inactive. In such an embodiment, the secure erase program 140 accesses the tape directory to determine the percentage of inactive area compared to the total storage capacity of the tape and determines whether the percentage exceeds the capacity threshold.

[0017] If the secure erase program 140 determines that the inactive area exceeds the capacity threshold (decision 210, "yes" branch), the secure erase program 140 proceeds to step 240, described below.

[0018] If the secure erase program 140 determines that the inactive area does not exceed the capacity threshold (decision 210, "No" branch), the secure erase program 140 determines whether any of the inactive area is located at the EOT (decision 215). Again, the secure erase program 140 can consult the tape directory to identify the EOT location on the tape and the data corresponding to the EOT. Generally, the secure erase program 140 consults to identify a contiguous portion of the inactive area beginning at the EOT.

[0019] If the secure erase program 140 determines that the data located at the EOT is active (decision 215, "No" branch), the program terminates.

[0020] If the secure erase program 140 determines that the area of ​​the tape located at the EOT is inactive (decision 215, "yes" branch), the secure erase program 140 identifies all of the contiguous inactive areas beginning at the EOT (e.g., from the EOT to the next portion of active data on the tape) and determines whether data from the inactive areas has already been securely erased (decision 220).

[0021] In decision 220, the secure erase program 140 determines whether data from an inactive area has already been securely erased. In some embodiments, the secure erase program 140 marks an area as securely erased when a secure data erase has been performed on that area (see step 230). Thus, if the secure erase program 140 is run multiple iterations, the secure erase program 140 may have already previously performed a secure data erase. The secure erase program 140 may access the tape directory to determine whether the inactive area of ​​the EOT has already been securely erased.

[0022] If the secure erase program 140 determines that the data from the inactive area has already been securely erased (decision 220, "Yes" branch), the program terminates.

[0023] If the secure erase program 140 determines that data from the inactive area has not yet been securely erased (decision 220, "No" branch), the secure erase program 140 performs a secure data erase on the inactive area that is contiguous between the EOT and the active area of ​​the tape (step 225).

[0024] In step 225, the secure erase program 140 performs a secure data erase on the inactive area that exists contiguous between the EOT and the active area of ​​the tape. As broadly described above, the inactive data is not actually deleted but may be read erroneously or impermissibly. As described herein, "erasing" data refers to actually overwriting the data with, for example, randomized data and / or generally different data, so that the original data no longer exists and is inaccessible. Thus, the secure erase program 140 overwrites the data existing in the inactive area of ​​the EOT, making the data that originally existed unreadable. Due to the nature of tape, the inactive area in the middle of the tape cannot be overwritten without rendering the next active area of ​​the tape inaccessible. Therefore, in step 225, the secure erase program 140 overwrites only the data in the inactive area from the beginning to the EOT.

[0025] In step 230, the secure erase program 140 marks the identified inactive area located at the EOT as securely erased. The secure erase program 140 may record this information, for example, in a tape directory. In other embodiments, the secure erase program 140 may record this information in another location accessible by the secure erase program 140. After marking the inactive area, the program terminates.

[0026] In step 235, after the secure erase program 140 determines that the inactive area of ​​the tape exceeds the tape's capacity threshold, the secure erase program 140 copies the active data located in the active area of ​​the tape to a second tape medium. As previously described, the virtual tape library 130 can maintain a tape directory, and the secure erase program 140 can access the tape directory to determine the physical tape location of the active files / data and copy the active files / data to the second tape.

[0027] In step 240, the secure erase program 140 performs a secure data erasure on unmarked areas of the tape. As previously described, the secure erase program 140 has marked previously erased inactive areas that are contiguous to the EOT, and therefore does not need to perform a secure data erasure on those areas. Therefore, the secure erase program 140 may save time when a determination is made to erase all of the data on the tape because portions of the tape may have previously been erased and therefore may not require erasure. This allows the tape to be erased more quickly than possible with conventional processes, allowing it to be efficiently reused as a new tape. Generally, the secure erase program 140 must perform a secure data erasure from the beginning of tape (BOT) to the marked areas on the tape. The secure erase program 140 may access a tape directory or other location where the secure erase program 140 has recorded information indicating inactive areas that have already been securely erased to determine areas of the tape that require a secure data erasure.

[0028] In step 245, the secure erase program 140 either marks all areas of the tape as not being securely erased, or simply removes any marks indicating that inactive areas have been securely erased, depending on the embodiment. After the secure data erasure is performed in step 240, the tape is considered to be a blank tape ready for reuse, and the secure erase program 140 removes any such marks. Having removed the marks and designated the tape as a blank tape ready for reuse, the program terminates.

[0029] 3 shows an example tape 300 containing an inactive file 310 and an active file 320. Note that while the files in tape 300 are shown as the same size, this is for ease of illustration only and may actually be different sizes. As shown, secure erase program 140 can securely erase only inactive files 310-3, 310-4, and 310-5 because these are the only inactive data residing in the inactive area, located contiguously at the EOT of the tape. Inactive file 310-1 is located at the BOT, and inactive file 310-2 is located between active files 320-1 and 320-2.

[0030] Therefore, in an embodiment of the present invention, if secure erase program 140 determines that the inactive areas have not exceeded the capacity threshold, secure erase program 140 performs a secure data erasure of the areas of tape corresponding to inactive files 310-3, 310-4, and 310-5 and records that these inactive areas have been securely erased. If the capacity threshold is exceeded, secure erase program 140 copies active file 320 to another tape and performs a secure data erasure of the areas of tape corresponding to files 310-1, 320-1, 310-2, and 320-2. However, because the areas of tape corresponding to inactive files 310-3, 310-4, and 310-5 have already been securely erased, secure erase program 140 does not need to perform a second secure data erasure of the areas of tape corresponding to inactive files 310-3, 310-4, and 310-5.

[0031] 4 is a block diagram of components of tape library 120, virtual tape library 130, and client computing device 150 in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that FIG. 4 is illustrative of only one implementation and is not intended to limit the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environments may be made.

[0032] Tape library 120, virtual tape library 130, and client computing device 150 can each include a communications fabric 402 that provides communication between cache 416, memory 406, persistent storage 408, communications unit 410, and input / output (I / O) interface 412. Communications fabric 402 may be implemented by any architecture designed to pass data and / or control information between processors (such as microprocessors, communications and network processors), system memory, peripheral devices, and any other hardware components in the system. For example, communications fabric 402 may be implemented by one or more buses or crossbar switches.

[0033] Memory 406 and persistent storage 408 are computer-readable storage media. In this embodiment, memory 406 includes random access memory (RAM). In general, memory 406 may include any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer-readable storage medium. Cache 416 is high-speed memory that improves performance of computer processor 404 by holding recently accessed data and data near recently accessed data from memory 406.

[0034] The secure erase program 140 may be stored in persistent storage 408 and memory 406 for execution by one or more of the respective computer processors 404 via cache 416. In an embodiment, persistent storage 408 includes a magnetic hard disk drive. Alternatively, or in addition to a magnetic hard disk drive, persistent storage 408 may include a solid-state hard drive, a semiconductor storage device, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), a flash memory, or any other computer-readable storage medium capable of storing program instructions or digital information.

[0035] The media used by persistent storage 408 may be removable. For example, a removable hard drive may be used for persistent storage 408. Other examples include optical and magnetic disks, thumb drives, and smart cards that are inserted into a drive for transfer to another computer-readable storage medium that is also part of persistent storage 408.

[0036] In these examples, the communications unit 410 provides for communication with other data processing systems or devices. In these examples, the communications unit 410 includes one or more network interface cards. The communications unit 410 may provide communication using either or both physical and wireless communications links. The secure erase program 140 may be downloaded to the persistent storage 408 through the communications unit 410.

[0037] The I / O interface 412 allows for the input and output of data by other devices that may be connected to the tape library 120, the virtual tape library 130, or the client computing device 150, or a combination thereof. For example, the I / O interface 412 may provide a connection to an external device 418, such as a keyboard, a keypad, a touch screen, or some other suitable input device, or a combination thereof. The external device 418 may also include portable computer-readable storage media, such as thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data used to implement embodiments of the present invention, such as the secure erase program 140, may be stored on such portable computer-readable storage media and loaded into the persistent storage 408 via the I / O interface 412. The I / O interface 412 also connects to a display 420.

[0038] Display 420 provides a mechanism for displaying data to a user and may be, for example, a computer monitor.

[0039] The programs described herein are identified based on the application in which they are implemented in particular embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood that the nomenclature of any particular program herein is used merely as a matter of convenience, and thus the invention should not be limited to use in only any particular application identified and / or implied by such nomenclature.

[0040] The present invention may be a system, method, or computer program product, or a combination thereof, at any possible level of technical detail of integration. The computer program product may include one or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable program instructions for causing a processor to perform aspects of the present invention.

[0041] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of retaining and storing instructions for use by an instruction execution device. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of computer-readable storage media includes the following: portable computer diskettes, hard disks, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), static random access memory (SRAM), portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD), memory sticks, floppy disks, mechanically encoded devices such as punch cards or ridge structures in grooves on which instructions are recorded, and any suitable combination thereof. As used herein, computer-readable storage media should not be construed as being ephemeral signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., light pulses passing through fiber optic cable), or electrical signals transmitted over electrical wires.

[0042] The computer-readable program instructions described herein can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to each computing / processing device, or can be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device over a network, such as the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, or a wireless network, or a combination thereof. The network can include copper transmission cables, fiber optic transmission cables, wireless transmissions, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in each computing / processing device receives the computer-readable program instructions from the network and forwards the computer-readable program instructions for storage in a computer-readable storage medium within the respective computing / processing device.

[0043] Computer-readable program instructions for carrying out the operations of the present invention may be source or object code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembler instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine-dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, integrated circuit configuration data, or procedural programming languages, such as object-oriented programming languages ​​like Smalltalk®, C++, and the "C" programming language or similar programming languages. The computer-readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the latter case, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example, a programmable logic circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or a programmable logic array (PLA) may execute computer-readable program instructions by utilizing state information of the computer-readable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry to carry out aspects of the present invention.

[0044] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0045] These computer-readable program instructions may be provided to a processor of a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to create a machine, such that the instructions, when executed by the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create means for performing the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. These computer-readable program instructions may be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, capable of directing a computer, programmable data processing apparatus, or other device, or combination thereof, to function in a particular manner, such that the computer-readable storage medium on which the instructions are stored comprises an article of manufacture containing instructions for performing aspects of the functions / acts specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0046] The computer-readable program instructions may be loaded into a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to cause the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device to perform a series of operational steps to create a computer-implemented process, such that the instructions, which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or other device, perform the functions / operations specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams.

[0047] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in a flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of instructions, including one or more executable instructions for implementing specified logical functions. In some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may actually be realized as a single step, may be executed concurrently in a partially or fully overlapping manner, may be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and / or flowchart diagrams, may be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified functions or operations or executes a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0048] The description of various embodiments of the present disclosure is presented for illustrative purposes, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many changes and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. The terms used herein are selected to best explain the principles of the embodiments, their practical applications or technical improvements over technologies found in the market, or to enable those skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining, by one or more processors, that an area of ​​inactive data exists at an end of tape (EOT) of the tape; and in response to determining that the inactive data area resides at EOT, securely erasing, by one or more processors, the inactive data area residing at EOT by overwriting data located in the inactive data area with different data. Including, determining, by one or more processors, that an inactive data area of ​​the tape is less than a capacity threshold; determining that the inactive data area is at an EOT of the tape is in response to determining that the inactive data area of ​​the tape is less than the capacity threshold. The computer-implemented method.

2. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining, by one or more processors, that an area of ​​inactive data exists at an end of tape (EOT) of the tape; and in response to determining that the inactive data area resides at EOT, securely erasing, by one or more processors, the inactive data area residing at EOT by overwriting data located in the inactive data area with different data. Including, and marking, by one or more processors, the inactive data area present in the EOT as securely erased. The computer-implemented method.

3. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining, by one or more processors, that an area of ​​inactive data exists at an end of tape (EOT) of the tape; and in response to determining that the inactive data area resides at EOT, securely erasing, by one or more processors, the inactive data area residing at EOT by overwriting data located in the inactive data area with different data. Including, determining, by one or more processors, that the inactive data area is not marked as securely erased; and securely erasing the inactive data area present in the EOT is further responsive to determining that the inactive data area is not marked as securely erased. The computer-implemented method.

4. A computer-implemented method comprising: determining, by one or more processors, that an area of ​​inactive data exists at an end of tape (EOT) of the tape; and in response to determining that the inactive data area resides at EOT, securely erasing, by one or more processors, the inactive data area residing at EOT by overwriting data located in the inactive data area with different data. Including, determining, by one or more processors, that the tape is idle; determining that the inactive data area is at an EOT of the tape is in response to determining that the tape is in the idle state; The computer-implemented method.

5. determining, by one or more processors, that an inactive data area of ​​the tape exceeds a capacity threshold; In response to determining that the inactive data area of ​​the tape exceeds a capacity threshold, copying, by one or more processors, data from one or more active areas of said tape to a second tape; securely erasing, by one or more processors, areas of said tape that have not been marked as securely erased; further comprising: The computer-implemented method of claim 2 .

6. in response to securely erasing the area of ​​the tape that is not marked as securely erased; removing, by one or more processors, the securely erased recordings from the tape; identifying, by one or more processors, the tape as an empty tape; The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprising:

7. A program for causing a processor to execute the computer-implemented method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. 7. A tape drive including a processor that performs the computer-implemented method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

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