Catalog Files

MSS uses a catalog file to hold information about the data sets needed for the JCL jobs that run in an enterprise server. You specify the name and location of the catalog file when you configure an enterprise server for JCL. If the catalog file does not exist, MSS creates it when the enterprise server starts.

The location and name of the catalog file is shown in the System Catalog field on the Server > Properties > MSS > JES page in ES Admin. You can change this field to use a different catalog file.

If the catalog file becomes corrupt, you can rebuild it using the fixcat utility.

To maintain a connection with the mainframe environment, you can continue to use MVS data set names in JCL statements and TSO commands. However, these names have no meaning in a non-mainframe environment, so MSS also requires the name of the local file that represents the data set. Both names are included in the catalog entry.

Tip: Although you can share a catalog between servers if access to it is controlled by Fileshare, we recommend you do not do so.
Parent topic: Files and Data Sets