Comparison between MVS data sets and the z/OS UNIX file system

In Figure 1, you see that:

The MVS™ master catalog is analogous to the root directory in a z/OS UNIX file system.
The user prefix assigned to MVS data sets is an organizer analogous to a user directory (/u/smitha) in the file system. Typically, one user owns all the data sets whose names begin with his user prefix. For example, the data sets belonging to the TSO/E user ID SMITHA all begin with the prefix SMITHA. There could be data sets named SMITHA.TEST1.C, SMITHA.TEST2.C, SMITHA.TEST1.LIST, and SMITHA.TEST2.LIST.
In the file system, SMITHA would have a user directory named /u/smitha; under that directory there could be subdirectories named /u/smitha/test1 and /u/smitha/test2.
Of the various types of MVS data sets, a partitioned data set (PDS) is most akin to a user directory in the file system. In a partitioned data set such as SMITHA.TEST1.C, you could have members PGMA, PGMB, and so on—for example, SMITHA.TEST1.C(PGMA) and SMITHA.TEST1.C(PGMB). Likewise, a subdirectory such as /u/smitha/test1 can hold many files, such as pgma.c, pgmb.c, and so on.

Figure 1. Comparison of MVS data sets and the z/OS UNIX file system The structure of MVS data sets and the z/OS UNIX file system are analogous. For example, the MVS master catalog is equivalent to the root directory in the z/OS UNIX file system.

The structure of MVS data sets and the z/OS UNIX file system are analogous. For example, the MVS master catalog is equivalent to the root directory in the z/OS UNIX file system.