Getting Started
Key features, intended audience, and system prerequisites for Clear.
This chapter introduces Clear and provides an overview of its capabilities, intended users, and system requirements.
Key features
Secure Data Sanitization
Supports approved sanitization techniques including Clear, Purge, and other compliant overwrite methods.
Industry-Standard Wiping Methods
Aligned with IEEE 2883-2022 and NIST Special Publication 800-88 Rev.1.
Multi-Device Parallel Wiping
Wipe multiple drives simultaneously to optimize throughput.
Job-Based Wiping & Operational Control
Organizes large batches into structured jobs for controlled execution and consolidated reporting.
SMART Monitoring & Health Analytics
Performs pre-wipe SMART diagnostics to identify failing drives before time is wasted processing them.
Historical Search & Traceability
Indexes all processed devices in a searchable database for serial-based status tracking and audit retrieval.
Reports and Certificates
Generates detailed erasure reports and tamper-resistant certificates for compliance and audit purposes.
Intended audience
Clear is primarily designed for organizations and professionals in the IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) industry who need reliable, auditable, and compliant data sanitization for retired or redeployed IT equipment, including:
- ITAD technicians
- System operators
- IT administrators
- Compliance or audit personnel
System prerequisites
Hardware requirements
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Processor | Quad-Core CPU with concurrency and processing load |
| RAM | 8 GB or more recommended for environments running 10+ simultaneous wipe operations |
| Storage | 50 GB or more. SSD recommended for improved logging and reporting performance |
Systems handling large batches of devices, or high levels of concurrent wiping, may require additional resources.
Supported operating systems
Clear is optimized for Linux, specifically Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) or newer.
Kernel version 5.4 or higher is required to ensure full NVMe Sanitize command support.
Software dependencies
Administrator privileges are required on the system to install and operate Clear.
Next: Installation and Setup