# 4.8 Architecture descriptions and, ISO 42024 ## Published contents Contents1 Scope2 Normative references3 Terms and definitions4 Architecture concepts4.1 Overview4.2 Architecture and architecting4.3 Architecture design and solution design4.4 Architecture definition and communication4.5 Stakeholder concerns and architectural aspects4.6 Architecture viewpoints and architecture views4.7 Architecture frameworks and architecture description languages4.8 Architecture descriptions and architecture models4.9 Reference architectures and reference models4.10 Life cycle and life history4.11 Architecting precepts5 Architecting principles5.1 Introduction to the principles5.2 Principles about the purpose of an architecture5.3 Principles about the focus of an architecture5.4 Principles about architecting outcomesTerms 3.2 Architecting concepts 3.2.1 Architecture3.2.2 Architecture feature3.2.3 Architecting3.2.4 Architecting principle3.2.5 Architecture principle3.2.6 Architecture framework3.2.7 Reference architecture3.3 Entity related concepts 3.3.1 Entity of interest3.3.2 Solution entity3.3.3 Environment3.3.4 Context3.3.5 Enterprise3.3.6 System3.3.7 Aspect3.3.8 Dimension3.4 Architecture design concepts 3.4.1 Design (noun)3.4.2 Architecture design3.4.3 Architecture information package3.4.4 Engineering effort3.4.5 Solution design3.4.6 Solution information package3.4.7 Stakeholder3.4.8 Stakeholder perspective3.4.9 Concern3.5 Architecture description concepts 3.5.1 Architecture description3.5.2 Solution description3.5.3 Architecture view3.5.4 Architecture viewpoint3.5.5 Model3.5.6 Metamodel3.5.7 Reference model3.6 Entity life cycle concepts 3.6.1 Life cycle3.6.2 Life cycle phase3.6.3 Life cycle stage3.6.4 Life historyAnnexes A.1 Architecture design and solution related entitiesA.2 Architecture expressed as a set of modelsA.3 Life cycle and life history conceptsA.4 Enterprise and system conceptsA.5 Duality of architectural decomposition and architectural synthesisB.1 BackgroundB.2 Aligning architecture in designB.3 Duality of architectureB.4 Pursuit of opportunities Home / Concepts Architecture concepts · 4.8 # Architecture descriptions and architecture models The subclause addresses the relationship between architecture descriptions and architecture models. It builds on architecture description (3.5.1), model (3.5.5), metamodel (3.5.6) and reference model (3.5.7). - concept, not an obligation - Clause area - ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024 - Last updated: 2026-10-21 ## What this unit settles A description is the work product that expresses the architecture; a model is a representation of the entity. A description can contain models, and a model can exist without a description. The distinction matters because a firm can have a rich model repository and no description that a stakeholder can read. ## What to do in your practice Register descriptions and models separately, then record which models appear in which descriptions. Set a purpose, a reader and an owner for each description, and a condition of interest for each model. Retire models that no description uses and descriptions that no audience reads. Set a rule that a model enters the repository only with a named description and a named reader. The rule is unpopular for a quarter and then saves the practice from a repository nobody can navigate. Retire models on the same day their last description is retired, not at the next tool upgrade. ## Who it binds The organisation and the architecture practice. This unit is not a shall requirement; the claim level states what it is. ## Evidence an auditor or regulator asks for - The description register and the model register. An auditor asks what descriptions exist and what models support them. - The model to description map. Shows the evidence chain. - The purpose and reader per description. Makes completeness testable. - The retirement record. Keeps both registers current. Ask your teamWhich model in the repository supports no description and no decision? ## Common gaps this page catches - The model repository is treated as the description set. - Descriptions exist that no audience reads. - No map connects models to descriptions. ## What to prepare before publication Build both registers and the map. Retire the orphan models. For each description, name the reader and ask whether they use it. ## Common questions What does Architecture descriptions and architecture models mean in ISO 42024? The subclause addresses the relationship between architecture descriptions and architecture models. It builds on architecture description (3.5.1), model (3.5.5), metamodel (3.5.6) and reference model (3.5.7). What evidence should we keep for 4.8? The description register and the model register. The model to description map. The purpose and reader per description. ## Related units - 3.5.1 - 3.5.5 - 3.5.6 Source. ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024, Clause 4.8. Open the official record. Retrieved 21 October 2026. https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/en/#iso:std:iso-iec-ieee:42024:dis:ed-1:v1:en ISO catalogue record 87510, the status, stage and page count. Claim level: concept, not an obligation. The subclause title is in the public preview. The body text is not public. Last updated: 2026-10-21 · Markdown version · Check your practice Source: https://iso-42024-revision-checker.theartofservice.com/clauses/architecture-descriptions-and-architecture-models/