5. Proceed to the production environment

Picture: The Proceed to the production environment phase

Show larger picture

Connecting to the production environment takes place largely in the same way as connecting to the test environment. Proceeding to the production environment consists of submitting a user permit application, completing a technical deployment process, and describing your organisation and services in the API Catalogue.

You can proceed to the production environment when:

1. your organisation has successfully joined the Data Exchange Layer test environment, and 
2. the technical person has tested that your services work in the test environment without issues, and
3. you have submitted a user permit application to the production environment.

At this stage, make sure that the agreements required for deployment in the production environment are in force (for example, agreements concerning server hosting, installation, configuration services and maintenance services).

This section briefly describes steps 2 and 10 of the process for joining the production environment, which are the responsibility of the administrative contact person.

• Steps 1 and 3–9 are the responsibility of the technical contact person and are described in more detail as part of the technical deployment process.

1. Prepare to deploy the security server.
2. Submit a user permit application for the production environment.
3. Open firewalls according to the instructions that you previously received. 
4. Install the security server software. The instructions for installing the security server depend on your server’s operating system. After this, the platform server will become the security server, which you can use to connect your information system to the Data Exchange Layer.
5. Configure the security server. The security server can be configured programmatically or manually.
6. Add a subsystem to the security server. The subsystem will function as an interface to the Data Exchange Layer for retrieving and sharing information.
7. Connect the information system to the security server. In this way the information is transferred from your information systems to the Data Exchange Layer and vice versa.
8. If you intend to provide services to other organisations on the Data Exchange Layer, add your services to the security server. The services will be added to one of the previously added subsystems.
9. Deploy the adapter service if necessary: You will need an adapter service if you provide SOAP services through the Data Exchange Layer that are not tailored to the requirements of the Data Exchange Layer.
10. Describe your organisation and possible services in the API Catalogue.

2. Submit a user permit application for the production environment 

Using the Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer requires a separate user permit application. Separate user permit applications must be submitted for the test environment and the production environment.

Before submitting the application, make sure that the required technical information is available.

• Read further instructions on the required information and completing the user permit application.

Once your user permit application has been approved, your organisation's technical contact person will receive installation instructions for joining the production environment by email.

10. Describe your organisation and possible services in the API Catalogue

Finally, describe your organisation and service information in the API Catalogue in at least Finnish and Swedish. Ensure that your subsystem is displayed correctly in the API Catalogue. By carefully describing your services in the API Catalogue, you make it easier for others to find and use them.

See the following instructions:

• Describing your organisation in the API Catalogue - Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer - Suomi.fi for Service Developers
• Describing the subsystem and services in the API Catalogue - Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer - Suomi.fi for Service Developers
• instructions of the API Catalogue

See also an example of the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations service descriptionOpens in a new window..

You can now start the production use of the Data Exchange Layer. 

• Also remember to take care of technical and administrative maintenance, such as keeping your organisation's information and security server up to date. 

Reminder about the certificate process

Using the Data Exchange Layer requires certificates. Detailed instructions can be found in the article Applying for Certificates for the Data Exchange Layer (from 1 May 2026) - Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer - Suomi.fi for Service Developers.