A second level of profile pool, the system profile pool (ISPSPROF), is always active. The dialog manager owns the dialog variables within the system profile pool, and the variables cannot be modified by an application. They can be read, however, because the system profile pool is included in the standard search sequence after the profile pool. All system variable names begin with "Z", such as ZTERM, and supply information such as terminal type and list and log defaults.

If a system profile pool variable is used on a selection panel, a corresponding field is created in the profile pool (ISPPROF). Subsequently, when that variable is referred to by the dialog, the profile pool value is used rather than the system profile pool value. The dialog can use the VERASE service to delete variables from the profile (ISPPROF) pool.