IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) promises new services and delivery mechanisms but it also requires that service providers equip middleware to deal with distribution and heterogeneity and develop and provide services in a consistent and methodical manner. This paper describes a methodological approach to life cycle management, publication and discovery of middleware components supporting IMS-based services. It addresses the need for a common understanding of the heterogeneous service execution platforms in form of artefacts such as interfaces specifications, UML models, and meta-models, representing the components and services. The interfaces are defined in metadata, and published using technology-neutral mechanisms. This enables the user to invoke component operations seamlessly.