A size comparison unit reports, to an access control unit, the size of a piece of compressed data having the smallest size from among pieces of compressed data generated via compression processing units compressing blocks, an algorithm name representing a compression processing unit that has generated the piece of compressed data having the smallest size; the access control unit selects a piece of compressed data to be written in a tape medium and reports, to a statistical information processing unit, an algorithm name representing a compression processing unit that has generated this selected piece of compressed data; the statistical information processing unit extracts, from the reported algorithm name, a regularity present in a result of the selection of compressed data and, in accordance with this extracted regularity, specifies and stops a compression processing unit to be stopped.