trust-systems-meta-model

TSMM Lifecycle Model

1. Purpose

This document defines how TSMM treats lifecycle state, because trust systems do not live in a magical present tense.

2. Lifecycle stages

Stage Description
Issuance or onboarding Authority, artifact, or profile enters valid circulation
Delegation Authority is granted or propagated within defined bounds
Activation A previously staged object becomes usable
Suspension Temporary restriction is applied pending review or remediation
Revocation Validity is withdrawn
Expiry Validity ends due to time bounds
Remediation Defects are corrected and posture is re-evaluated
Archival Object is retained for record, audit, or evidence purposes

3. Lifecycle targets

Lifecycle events may apply to:

4. Governance implications

4.1 Delegation

Delegation should not be treated as permanent inheritance. It should remain bounded by scope, purpose, policy, and revocation conditions.

4.2 Suspension and review

Suspension is useful when a system has reason to doubt current posture but lacks enough information for permanent revocation.

4.3 Revocation and downstream effect

Revocation should change what effects the system allows. A revoked authority that still produces live effects is a zombie credential problem.

4.4 Remediation

Remediation should be modeled explicitly because many trust failures are corrected rather than terminal.

5. Example lifecycle sequence

Issue artifact -> delegate authority -> verify state -> allow effect
        |                |
        |                v
        |            suspend authority
        v                |
   detect defect -> remediate -> reassess -> restore bounded effect

6. Machine-readable artifact