ISO 42024 Revision Checker
ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024 · Enterprise, systems and software, Architecture fundamentals Stage 40.99 Planning date 15 Sep 2027, an estimate 35 terms · 20 clause areas · 9 annex sections

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Architecture description concepts · 3.5.7

Reference model

A model that offers a standard or shared way with a problem or circumstance that recurs. A reference architecture can rely on a reference model that has already set out the architecture features that matter.

  • definition
  • Term
  • ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024
  • Last updated: 2026-10-21

What this term settles

A reference model is narrower than a reference architecture: it models a recurring problem, while a reference architecture is an architecture for a field. Keeping the two apart prevents a firm from claiming a reference architecture when it has only adopted a data model or a process model.

What to do in your practice

List the reference models the practice relies on, the recurring problem each addresses, the version and the owner. Trace each reference architecture to the reference models it uses. Review when the model changes.

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

  • A reference model register with problem, version and owner.
    An auditor asks what common approach the firm adopted and whether it is current.
  • The trace from reference architecture to reference model.
    Shows the dependency and its direction.
  • A change note when a reference model is revised.
    Shows the impact was assessed.
  • The local extensions to the model.
    Shows the firm knows where it departed from the common approach.
Ask your teamWhich recurring problem does this reference model solve, and is that still the problem we have?

Common gaps this page catches

  • Reference models are adopted by tooling default and never registered.
  • The reference architecture claims a model it does not actually use.
  • Model changes are not assessed for impact on live architectures.

What to prepare before publication

Register the reference models in use and the problem each solves. Trace one reference architecture to its models. Add the trace to the architecture description template.

Common questions

What does Reference model mean in ISO 42024?
A model that offers a standard or shared way with a problem or circumstance that recurs. A reference architecture can rely on a reference model that has already set out the architecture features that matter.
What evidence should we keep for 3.5.7?
A reference model register with problem, version and owner. The trace from reference architecture to reference model. A change note when a reference model is revised.

Related units

Source. ISO/IEC/IEEE DIS 42024, Clause 3.5.7, 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