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In data processing, a scratch tape is a magnetic tape that is used for temporary storage and can be reused or erased after the completion of a job or processing run. ^[1] During the early years of computing, when magnetic tape was the primary form of mass storage, many programs, notably sorting routines, required such temporary storage.

See also

• Scratch space – contemporary equivalent
• Merge sorting tape drives – paradigm application

References

2. Types of tape volumes - IBM Documentation IBM