# 3.5.7 Reference model, 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

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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

- 3.5.5

- 3.2.7

- 3.5.1

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

Source: https://iso-42024-revision-checker.theartofservice.com/glossary/reference-model/