Pools are constructs that help organize your process project. You can create pools that represent different organizations, or different parts of a single organization, such as departments.

A Designer process can have one internal pool and unlimited external pools. The process editor's is, by default, an internal pool. If you choose to create a new internal pool, the canvas pool becomes an external pool. Only steps in internal pools are generated and executed.

Each pool, whether internal or external, can have unlimited swimlanes, which further subdivide the organizational structure you employ.

You can choose to create horizontal or vertical pools, and you can change the orientation of an existing pool. You can set the default pool orientation in Window > Preferences > Software AG  >  Process Development  > Appearance, and the default pool label color in Window > Preferences > Software AG  >  Process Development  > Appearance > Colors And Fonts. You can right-click a pool and then select Choose Pool Label Color to change its pool label color.

Message flow lines indicate that the process needs to send or receive information from outside the pool. Control flow lines (transitions between steps in the same pool) indicate the flow of control throughout the process.