Catalogs
Discover which master catalog you can use to IPL the new target z/OS.
Overview
When you deploy z/OS, you must consider which master catalog to use to IPL the new target z/OS. You can either IPL by using your existing driving system master catalog, or you can IPL using a new target system master catalog that is created from scratch. Or you may not IPL the new target system as is at all.
The Deployment operation gives you this choice on the Select Deployment Objective page.
Existing master catalog with unique data set names
If you do not want to IPL the target z/OS, then select the Existing master catalog option on the Select Deployment Objectives page. When you use this option, you must specify unique names for the target data sets to avoid conflicts with existing data set names in your existing catalogs.
You might choose this option if you want to create the target data sets as a build or distribution environment. The build or distribution environment can be deployed elsewhere for IPL instead of IPL with the new target data sets directly. On the Data Sets page in the Deployment Configuration step, be sure to use the Modify action to add or modify data set prefixes. This ensures that the target data sets have a unique name in the existing master catalog. For more information, see Modify Data Sets page.
By selecting the "Existing master catalog" option, z/OSMF creates and catalogs target data sets in the existing master catalog. When the deployment is complete, the SMP/E DDDEF entries specify the unique data set names, but do not specify the volumes on which the data sets reside.
Existing master catalog with indirect cataloging
If you want to IPL the new target z/OS using your existing driving system catalog when data sets are indirectly cataloged, select the Existing master catalog option on the Select Deployment Objectives page. When you use this option with indirect cataloging, z/OSMF and SMP/E reference target data sets by a volume reference, not through a catalog.
In the Deployment Configuration, you must explicitly indicate that the target data sets are indirectly cataloged:
- On the Catalogs page in the Deployment Configuration step, ensure that data sets for all data set prefixes are cataloged. This is the default state, so do not Modify any prefix to indicate that data sets are uncatalogued. For more information, see Catalogs page.
- On the Volumes page in the Deployment Configuration step, modify each volume and click the option to indicate that data sets on this volume are indirectly cataloged. Then, specify the system symbol that represents this volume. For example, "******" or "&SYSR1" or whatever system symbol is defined when the new target system is IPL'd. Do this for each volume, which contains data sets that are indirectly cataloged. For more information, see Modify Volume page.
By selecting the "Existing master catalog" option z/OSMF creates and catalogs target data sets in the existing master catalog. When the deployment is complete, the SMP/E DDDEF entries specify the true data set names and the volume on which the data sets reside.
This allows z/OSMF and SMP/E to reference the correct data sets no matter on which system SMP/E is running, the driving system or the new IPL'd target system. This is because the target data sets are referenced by their true names and the volume on which they reside, not through a catalog.
New target system master catalog
If you want to IPL the new target z/OS by using a new master catalog, select the "New target system master catalog" option on the Select Deployment Objectives page. When you use this option, z/OSMF creates and catalogs target data sets in a new z/OS target system master catalog, or new user catalogs connected to the new master catalog. To accomplish this while performing deployment actions on the driving system, z/OSMF creates and uses temporary catalog aliases (also known as SSAs, or System Specific Aliases) in the driving system master catalog. This allows z/OSMF and SMP/E to reference the correct data sets through the catalog on either the driving system or the new IPL'd target system.
When the deployment is complete, for data sets that can be referenced by their volume, the SMP/E DDDEF entries specify the true data set names and the volumes on which the data sets reside. For data sets that must be referenced through the catalog, such as SMS-managed data sets, the DDDEF entries specify the temporary catalog alias prefixed data set names and do not specify the volumes on which the data sets reside. The temporary catalog alias prefixed data set names are also preserved for other data sets that must be referenced through the catalog and not by their volume, such as the VSAM data sets.
