5. Proceed to the production environment

Picture: The Proceed to the production environment phase

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Joining the production environment is carried out in the same as joining the test environment. Transitioning to the production environment consists of sending a user permit application and of a technical connection process, which your organisation can outsource to the technical solution provider of its choice. 

Proceed to the production environment once: 

1. 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.

Confirm at latest at this stage any agreements that might still be open, such as server rental, installation, configuration and maintenance agreements.

This section describes the steps for joining the production environment. The administrative person is responsible for the steps 2 and 10. Other steps belong to 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 service 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. If you offer services in the Data Exchange Layer, describe your services in the API Catalogue and ensure that you have the necessary licences.

2. Submit a user permit application for the production environment 

The use of Suomi.fi Data Exchange Layer requires applying a separate user permit application for both the test and production environment separately. Below you will find instructions for applying for a user permit.

1. Check with the technical administrator that the following matters are done correctly:

• The security server has been named according to instructions
• An operating system is installed on the host server of the security server

2. Make sure you have the following information for the user permit application:

• contact details of the administrative and technical contact persons in charge: name, e-mail address (please note, that this should be a general and static e-mail address for the organisation)
• Name and Business ID of the organisation using the Data Exchange Layer
• organisations role in the Data Exchange Layer (service provider/consumer)
• information about the security server from the technical administrator: type of security server (own, shared or outsourced), security servers FQDN and public IPv4-address
• the right to accept the terms and conditions of use of the Data Exchange Layer

3. Register to the Suomi.fi Service Management if you have not used the service before

• As you register you must have an authority to sign. Read more in the instructions about registration to Suomi.fi Service Management.

4. Send an electronic application to the Digital and Population Data Services AgencyOpens in a new window.. Also read the instructions on completing the user permit application. 

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

10. Describe your organisations information and the possible services in the API Catalogue

Finally, describe the details of your organisation and services in the API Catalogue at least in Finnish and Swedish. In the API Catalogue, ensure that your subsystem shows correctly and familiarise yourself with the services available. You will receive the credentials for the API Catalogue when you have finished joining the producion environment and your services will all be in the Data Exchange Layer. Read more about the environments of the API Catalogue and refer to the instructions of the API Catalogue.

Describe your organisation briefly with the following general information:

• Name of the organisation  
• Organisation's tasks

Read more about how to write the organisation's description.

If your organisation provides services, describe at least the following information about your service:

• What data can be accessed through the service  
• What kinds of prerequisites ans limitations apply to the use of the service  
• How to access the service : implementation process and required user permit applications

When describing the services, you can follow the instructions and make use of the ready list of questions. By answering the questions you can create a comprehensive service description. See also an example of the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations service descriptionOpens in a new window..

When you describe your services carefully in the API Catalogue, it is easier for others to find and use your services. Do not write your description in an overly technical fashion – focus instead on making it as understandable as possible. Write a compact description but remember to mention all the essential details.  

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. 

Notes on the certificate process in the production environment

The certificates for the Data Exchange Layer are also applied for in the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s (DVV) e-services for the production environment. The organisation is responsible for ensuring that an up-to-date customer account is available in the e-services and that the users required to manage the certificate process have been invited to the account.

Although the certificate application may be submitted by either a technical or an administrative contact person, the administrative contact person is responsible for ensuring that the technical contact persons have the necessary rights to apply for and renew certificates throughout the entire production use.