VMS Help System Services, $ERAPAT  *Conan The Librarian (sorry for the slow response - running on an old VAX)

    Generates a security erase pattern.

    Format

      SYS$ERAPAT  [type] ,[count] ,[patadr]

    C Prototype

      int sys$erapat  (int type, unsigned int count, unsigned int

                      *patadr);

1 - Arguments

 type

    OpenVMS usage:longword_unsigned
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by value
    Type of storage to be written over with the erase pattern. The
    type argument is a longword containing the type of storage.

    The three storage types, together with their symbolic names,
    are defined by the $ERADEF macro and are listed in the following
    table:

    Storage Type   Symbolic Name

    Main memory    ERA$K_MEMORY
    Disk           ERA$K_DISK
    Tape           ERA$K_TAPE

 count

    OpenVMS usage:longword_unsigned
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       read only
    mechanism:    by value
    Number of times that $ERAPAT has been called in a single security
    erase operation. The count argument is a longword containing the
    iteration count.

    You should call the $ERAPAT service initially with the count
    argument set to 1, the second time with the count argument set to
    2, and so on, until the status code SS$_NOTRAN is returned.

 patadr

    OpenVMS usage:longword_unsigned
    type:         longword (unsigned)
    access:       write only
    mechanism:    by reference
    Security erase pattern to be written. The patadr argument is the
    address of a longword into which the security erase pattern is to
    be written.