EIA-IS-106

Description / Abstract: The current CDIF Integrated Meta-model standards provide a set of definitions for some of the objects that occur within the SDLC. When transferring information that is described by this meta-model, the builders of tools can rely on conformance to this standard meta-model by others to guarantee that the information that they transfer will be compatible.

When, however, the information that must be transferred during a CDIF transfer falls outside the scope of the CDIF Integrated Meta-model, the CDIF extensibility mechanism must be utilized. The two tool builders must explicitly agree upon a CDIF-compatible meta-model definition for the information that they wish to transfer.

While the first approach, above, is preferable, the task of defining a single, unified, complete (and industry-agreed-upon) mew-model for all the information in the SDLC is so large that it must be done incrementally. The CDIF Integrated Meta-model does not now, nor, perhaps, will it ever, define all of the information for the entire SDLC. It is expected. however, that the CDIF Integrated Meta-model component of the CDIF Family of Standards will be amended and expanded in the future as additional subject area standards are defined.

For an exact description of the parts of the SDLC that are currently pre-defined by CDIF, see Section 4, CDIF Family of Standards Overview.