systemvalue

System value is a globally applicable configuration parameter stored by an operating system or runtime environment that defines default behavior for the system. It applies to all users, processes, and subsystems unless overridden by more specific settings at the user, group, or application level.

System values are typically organized into categories such as time and locale, security and auditing, resource management, and startup or recovery behavior. They are maintained by the system and intended to provide a centralized mechanism for tuning performance, security, accounting, and default operational policies.

Management of system values is done through dedicated administration tools or commands. Administrators can view current values, modify them, or reset them to defaults. Some values are dynamic and take effect immediately, while others require a reboot or restart of subsystems to become active. Access to change system values is usually restricted to privileged accounts and is often logged for auditing purposes.

Examples of system values include those that govern system time and time zone, password and authentication policies, logging and auditing options, resource limits (such as maximum concurrent processes or memory usage), and startup behavior (what runs at system initialization). Because system values influence broad aspects of the system, changes can affect stability, compatibility, performance, and security.

In practice, system values provide a baseline configuration that can be further refined by per-user or per-application settings. The term is used across platforms, with platform-specific implementations such as IBM systems, Linux sysctl, and Windows registry or group policy.