When TAPEVOL is active, users with ALTER authority to a tape volume have full control over the volume profile, including the volume's access list. ALTER authority gives the user the ability to create and delete data sets on the volume and to rewrite the tape volume label.

To open a tape data set on a RACF-protected tape volume for input (for reading), the user must have at least READ authority to the tape volume. When a data set on a RACF-protected tape volume is opened for input and the user does not have the authority necessary to write to the data set, a message might be issued to the system operator to remove the write-enable ring (file protect ring). (The authority necessary to open a tape data set on a RACF-protected volume for output is described below.) For more information, see IEC.TAPERING profile in the FACILITY class.

To open a tape data set on a RACF-protected tape volume for output (for writing), the user must have at least UPDATE authority to the volume.