<Storage> Several recordS written aS a contiguouS block on magnetic tapeSo that they may be acceSSed in a Single I/O operation. Blocking increaSeS the amount of data that may be Stored on a tape becauSe there are fewer inter-block gapS. It requireS that the tape drive or proceSSor have a Sufficiently large buffer to Store the whole block. (1995-04-13)