https://docs.oracle.com/en/database/oracle/oracle-database/19/bradv/managing-recovery- catalog.html#GUID-A7502D0D-5840-4B13-869D-7259F2D73119 A base recovery catalog is a database schema that contains RMAN metadata for a set of target databases. A virtual private catalog is a set of security policies that restrict user access to a subset of a base recovery catalog.