To select the catalog to be searched or chosen for an entry, use the CATALOG parameter. You can use the CATALOG parameter with several commands such as ALTER, BLDINDEX, DEFINE, DELETE, EXPORT, and LISTCAT. If you use an alias name, the catalog associated with the name is searched or selected.

The multilevel alias facility enhances catalog selection that is based on high-level qualifiers of the data set name. It employs a right to left search of the multiple levels of qualifiers of the data set name for a matching alias name or user catalog name. The alias name or user catalog name with the greatest number of matching qualifiers is selected. For additional information on the multilevel alias facility, see z/OS DFSMS Managing Catalogs.

Throughout the following “catalog search” and “catalog selection” sections, the catalog name cannot be specified for SMS-managed data sets unless you have authority from the RACF® STGADMIN.IGG.DIRCAT FACILITY class. With this authorization, a data set can be directed to a specific catalog. For more information about this FACILITY class, see z/OS DFSMSdfp Storage Administration.