# 4.7 Architecture frameworks and architecture, 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 · 4.7 # Architecture frameworks and architecture description languages The subclause addresses architecture frameworks and architecture description languages. It builds on architecture framework (3.2.6) and the description concepts in 3.5. A framework supplies conventions, principles and practices for a domain or community; a description language supplies the means to express a description. - concept, not an obligation - Clause area - ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024 - Last updated: 2026-10-21 ## What this unit settles The two are often conflated in procurement. A framework is a way of working; a language is a notation. The document places both in the surrounding practice rather than inside the definition of architecture, which is a useful boundary for a firm deciding what to buy and what to build. ## What to do in your practice Keep a register with two sections, frameworks and languages. For each, record the source, version, the part in use, the tailoring and the owner. Record the mapping between the language and the metamodel, and the precedence rule when two frameworks disagree. Test the language against three concepts the firm cares about but rarely models, for example a regulatory obligation or an operational mode. If the language cannot express them, the framework will silently exclude them from every review that relies on the tool. That is a governance finding, not a tool preference. ## 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 framework and language register. An auditor asks which conventions and notations the descriptions follow. - The tailoring record per framework. Shows what was changed and who approved it. - The language to metamodel mapping. Shows the notation can express the concepts. - The precedence rule. Prevents contradictory conventions. Ask your teamWhich framework and which language does this description use, and who owns the tailoring of each? ## Common gaps this page catches - The tool language is assumed to be the framework. - Tailoring is undocumented. - Two frameworks are in use with no precedence rule. ## What to prepare before publication Build the two section register. For the main description, record the framework, the language, the tailoring and the owner. Test the language against the concepts the firm needs. ## Common questions What does Architecture frameworks and architecture description languages mean in ISO 42024? The subclause addresses architecture frameworks and architecture description languages. It builds on architecture framework (3.2.6) and the description concepts in 3.5. A framework supplies conventions, principles and practices for a domain or community; a description language supplies the means to express a description. What evidence should we keep for 4.7? The framework and language register. The tailoring record per framework. The language to metamodel mapping. ## Related units - 3.2.6 - 3.5.1 - 3.5.4 - 3.5.6 Source. ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024, Clause 4.7. 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-frameworks-and-architecture-description-languages/