Defining life cycle models

Life cycles are defined by identifying a set of stages that describe the evolution of an entity. A life cycle is a structural construct. A life cycle model, on the other hand, is a behavioral construct that describes the execution of a life cycle, specifically the order of execution of the stages.

In terms of visualizing the various life cycle models, as the emphasis is on the order of the execution of the stages that comprise the life cycle, a SysML sequence diagram will be used. This is good for the consistency of the overall model but can lead to diagrams that differ in appearance compared to some of the traditional visualizations of life cycle models. This is because most life cycle models are visualized using non-standard, ad hoc notations, which leads to a set of very different-looking and difficult-to-compare diagrams. This illustrates one of the benefits of using a standard notation, such as SysML, as all of the different life cycle models may...