Definition
The recurring process for building, evaluating, deploying, observing, improving, and governing an agent system over its operational life. LangChain names six phases: build, test, deploy, monitor, iterate, and govern. The process is cyclical because production traces and user feedback become evidence for the next evaluated change.
Distinguish it from nearby terms
The software development lifecycle covers software delivery generally. An agent development lifecycle adds explicit treatment of nondeterministic behavior, trajectory evaluation, prompt and context versioning, tool authority, production feedback, and the continuing interaction between a model and its harness.
Check your understanding
Deploying an agent is not the end of the lifecycle. A production agent needs trace collection, feedback, regression evaluation, cost controls, and a governed path for changing its harness.