Patent ID: 8799569

Claim:
A method for sharing a plurality of catalogs of different data sets in a multiprocessor system, the multiprocessor system including a plurality of host systems that support an enhanced catalog sharing (ECS) function, a plurality of direct access storage device (DASD) subsystems and a coupling facility having cache structures reserved for ECS, the method comprising the steps of: (a) connecting the ECS function in the host systems to a plurality of ECS cache structures in the coupling facility; (b) assigning at least one catalog to each said ECS cache structure and storing a copy of an entire data volume record of said at least one catalog in the ECS cache structure, wherein the catalog is shared by the plurality of host systems, wherein the data volume record includes catalog updates, wherein the data volume record in the coupling facility is updated with the catalog updates responsive to a shared catalog request from a first host system if the shared catalog request involves a catalog update; (c) reading the catalog updates directly from the data volume record in the coupling facility to a first host system of the plurality of host systems when the first host system needs access to the catalog; and (d) to perform maintenance on a particular catalog, disconnecting the ECS functions for the host systems from only the ECS cache structure that stores the data volume record of the particular catalog, and, after maintenance is performed on the particular catalog, reconnecting the ECS functions to rebuild the ECS cache structure.