> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.ins-pi.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.ins-pi.com/command/features/lifecycle.md). # Lifecycle Lifecycle tracks how an element moves through its stages over time. It answers a simple question on every record: where is this today, and where is it planned to go next. An element carries dated phases (for example an application moving from Evaluate to Operate to Retire). Command reads those dates to work out the current phase, count the days in production, warn when an end-of-life is approaching, and place the element on a timeline next to the rest of the portfolio. ## What a lifecycle tracks * **Phases and stages.** Each lifecycle is a set of phases grouped into stages, such as Initialization, Productive, Expiration, and Non-Productive. An element sits in one phase at a time, and moves on when the next phase is dated. * **Milestones.** Dated events on an element, each with a status, such as a vendor end-of-life or a planned review. * **Several lifecycles at once.** An element can carry more than one lifecycle side by side, for example internal, standards, and manufacturer, so you can compare them on a single record. * **Org-scoped timelines.** The same element can follow a different timeline per business unit or region, which matters for matrix organizations. ## Setting lifecycle dates on a record The Lifecycles tab on a record is where you enter the dates that drive everything else. You set the date a phase begins, and the element moves into that phase on that date. Stages group the phases, so the dates you enter under Initialization, Productive, Expiration, and Non-Productive read as one clear progression. Leave a phase undated and the element simply never enters it. Because a record can hold more than one lifecycle, you can keep an internal timeline and a manufacturer timeline side by side and compare them without leaving the record. ## Reading a portfolio on the roadmap The Lifecycle Roadmap places many elements on one timeline, so you can see phases and milestones across a whole portfolio at a glance. Each row is an element, its phases are drawn across time and coloured by stage, and a marker shows today against every element. You can choose which lifecycle drives the bars, group and filter the rows by class, set the time range, and edit dates in place. ## Lifecycle in scenarios Lifecycle also works inside scenarios. A scenario can carry a different set of phase dates and milestones that you can review, compare, and revert without touching the live record. This lets you plan a retirement or a migration as a proposal, and only commit it when you decide to. Administrators define the lifecycles, their stages and phases, and who is allowed to move an element from one phase to the next. > Screenshots and step-by-step guides for authoring lifecycles and using the roadmap will follow in this section. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.ins-pi.com/command/features/lifecycle.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.