# 3.6.1 Life cycle, 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 / Glossary Entity life cycle concepts · 3.6.1 # Life cycle The phases or stages an entity passes through between conception and the point where it no longer exists. It begins when a need is identified and ends when the entity is no longer needed. - definition - Term - ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024 - Last updated: 2026-10-21 ## What this term settles The life cycle starts before the entity exists and ends after it stops being useful, not when it is switched off. That wider frame brings the need, the business case, the retirement and the disposal into architecture scope. Firms that start the clock at delivery miss the decisions that cost the most. ## What to do in your practice Draw the life cycle for each entity type, with phases and stages named. Record which decisions are made at which stage and who owns them. Include the retirement decision and the disposal obligations. ## Who it binds The role that owns the practice area the term governs. A definition binds nobody on its own; it binds the reader who adopts the term in a method, a description or a contract. ## Evidence an auditor or regulator asks for - The life cycle model per entity type, with decision points. An auditor asks whether the firm governs the whole life, not only the build. - The retirement and disposal plan for each live entity. Shows the end of life was considered. - A decision owner per stage. Makes the life cycle operable. - The review date of the model. Keeps the model aligned to the firm process. Ask your teamWhere in the life cycle does this entity currently sit, and who owns the decision to retire it? ## Common gaps this page catches - The life cycle starts at delivery and ends at go live. - Retirement is an infrastructure event with no architecture decision. - No one owns the stage transitions. ## What to prepare before publication Draw the life cycle for the entity type and mark where the current estate sits. Add the retirement decision and its owner. Use the model in the next portfolio review. ## Common questions What does Life cycle mean in ISO 42024? The phases or stages an entity passes through between conception and the point where it no longer exists. It begins when a need is identified and ends when the entity is no longer needed. What evidence should we keep for 3.6.1? The life cycle model per entity type, with decision points. The retirement and disposal plan for each live entity. A decision owner per stage. ## Related units - 3.6.2 - 3.6.3 - 3.6.4 Source. ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024, Clause 3.6.1, Terms and definitions. 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: definition. The definition is in the public preview. This page states it in our own words and does not reproduce the text. Last updated: 2026-10-21 · Markdown version · Check your practice Source: https://iso-42024-revision-checker.theartofservice.com/glossary/life-cycle/