# 3.6.4 Life history, 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 · 3.6.4 # Life history The order of the actual phases an entity passes through in its lifetime. Actual phases can be grouped into actual stages, and these typically overlap. There is one past history and there can be several possible future histories. - definition - Term - ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024 - Last updated: 2026-10-21 ## What this term settles The life history is the record of what actually happened, not the plan. That makes it the auditor artefact among the life cycle terms: the plan says what was intended, the life history says what occurred. The point about multiple future histories is equally useful, because it legitimises scenario work. ## What to do in your practice Keep a life history record per entity: the actual phases, their dates, the stage they rolled up to and the decisions taken. Use it for post implementation review and for scenario planning, where several future histories are compared. ## 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 history record with actual dates and phases. An auditor asks what happened, as distinct from what was planned. - The decisions attached to each phase. Shows the record connects action to choice. - A scenario record for future histories. Shows planning considered more than one path. - The retention of the record after retirement. Keeps the history available for later enquiry. Ask your teamWhat actually happened to this entity, as distinct from what the plan said would happen? ## Common gaps this page catches - Only the plan is retained, so the actual history is reconstructed from memory. - Scenarios are treated as speculation and not recorded. - The record is lost at retirement. ## What to prepare before publication Start the life history record for one live entity from the evidence that exists. Mark the gaps. Add the record to the retirement checklist so it survives. ## Common questions What does Life history mean in ISO 42024? The order of the actual phases an entity passes through in its lifetime. Actual phases can be grouped into actual stages, and these typically overlap. There is one past history and there can be several possible future histories. What evidence should we keep for 3.6.4? The life history record with actual dates and phases. The decisions attached to each phase. A scenario record for future histories. ## Related units - 3.6.1 - 3.6.2 - 3.6.3 Source. ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024, Clause 3.6.4, 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-history/