# Delivery & Operations

Canonical page: https://apiopscycles.com/stations/api-delivery

Language: en

Entity ID: api-delivery

## Description

Build, test, deploy, and operate the integration capability using its selected implementation style and validated contract.

## Why it matters

A reusable integration capability needs reliable delivery and operations regardless of whether it uses APIs, events, messages, files, streams, data products, connectors, or direct integration.

## Apply in work

Use integration delivery, testing, CI/CD, security, recovery, reconciliation, and operations guidance for the chosen style.

## Outcomes

- A delivered capability aligned with the validated interface contract
- Automated testing, deployment, and environment controls
- Security, operations, and quality practices appropriate to the chosen pattern
- Traceable delivery and release controls

## Steps

1. Implement the validated contract and architecture decision using appropriate code, configuration, connectors, mappings, schemas, and platform standards.
2. Test functionality, contracts, schemas, mappings, compatibility, data quality, security, performance, resilience, replay, reconciliation, and recovery.
3. Automate build, validation, deployment, configuration, migration, release, rollback, and traceability.
4. Protect identities, credentials, data, trust boundaries, access, privacy, auditability, and platform controls.
5. Prepare retry, replay, duplicate handling, ordering, dead-lettering, restartability, reconciliation, fallback, compensation, and rollback.
6. Record ownership, environments, evidence, known risks, support, monitoring, and readiness status in the Integration Readiness & Operations Canvas.

## Questions

- Implement the validated contract and architecture decision using appropriate code, configuration, connectors, mappings, schemas, and platform standards.
- Test functionality, contracts, schemas, mappings, compatibility, data quality, security, performance, resilience, replay, reconciliation, and recovery.
- Automate build, validation, deployment, configuration, migration, release, rollback, and traceability.
- Protect identities, credentials, data, trust boundaries, access, privacy, auditability, and platform controls.
- Prepare retry, replay, duplicate handling, ordering, dead-lettering, restartability, reconciliation, fallback, compensation, and rollback.
- Record ownership, environments, evidence, known risks, support, monitoring, and readiness status in the Integration Readiness & Operations Canvas.
- Use integration delivery, testing, CI/CD, security, recovery, reconciliation, and operations guidance for the chosen style.
- A reusable integration capability needs reliable delivery and operations regardless of whether it uses APIs, events, messages, files, streams, data products, connectors, or direct integration.

## Evidence

- implementation
- pipeline-config
- test-report
- security-report

## Completion criteria

- The chosen architecture, platform, and implementation style have been validated with the relevant architecture, security, and platform stakeholders. — The chosen API architecture and platform patterns have been validated with the relevant architecture, security, and platform stakeholders. (ID: architecture-patterns-validated)
- The selected interface provides an appropriate abstraction for consumers. — The API is intended to shield consumers from backend complexity and inconsistencies. (ID: hide-backend-discrepancies)
- The interface design and exposed capabilities trace back to business value and consumer needs. — The API design and exposed capabilities clearly trace back to business value and user needs. (ID: design-reflects-business-value)
- The interface design follows agreed design standards and conventions. — The API design follows our shared API product and design conventions. (ID: api-consistency)

## Role participation and responsibilities

- [Automation Engineer](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/automation-engineer.md) (lead): Implements, tests, integrates, and maintains automation solutions and supporting workflows.
- [Delivery Engineer](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/api-engineer.md) (lead): Owns implementation, automation, testing, and release flow concerns needed to deliver the capability, API, or automation reliably.; suggested-answer-owner: [Capability Readiness & Operations Canvas](https://apiopscycles.com/resources/capability-readiness-operations-canvas.md)
- [API Designer](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/api-designer.md) (core): Shapes the interface contract, interaction model, consistency, and usability of the exposed capabilities.
- [Automation Owner](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/automation-owner.md) (core): Owns automation goals, business value, priorities, controls, and lifecycle outcomes.; suggested-answer-owner: [Automation Readiness & Operations Canvas](https://apiopscycles.com/resources/automation-readiness-operations-canvas.md)
- [Integration Architect](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/integration-architect.md) (core): Designs integration approaches and implementation styles that connect the capability or API with other systems.
- [Platform Architect](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/platform-architect.md) (core): Guides platform, integration, scalability, and architecture decisions that shape how the capability or API is built and operated.
- [Security Specialist](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/security-specialist.md) (core): Ensures security risks, controls, and trust boundaries are addressed throughout the API lifecycle.
- [Support and Operations Owner](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/operations-specialist.md) (core): Represents runtime support, incident handling, observability, and operational readiness for the capability, API, or automation.
- [API Product Owner](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/api-product-owner.md) (consulted): Drives the API opportunity, prioritization, and product-level decisions across the lifecycle.
- [Business Owner](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/business-owner.md) (consulted): Represents business goals, funding, and expected outcomes for the capability, API, or automation initiative.
- [Capability Owner](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/capability-owner.md) (consulted): Owns the capability vision, value, priorities, lifecycle, and reuse across consumers.
- [Compliance and Legal Specialist](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/compliance-specialist.md) (consulted): Clarifies legal, privacy, regulatory, and contractual requirements that affect the capability, API, interface, or automation.
- [Partner or Vendor Manager](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/partner-specialist.md) (consulted): Coordinates external partner, supplier, or vendor relationships that influence capability or API strategy and delivery.
- [Process Owner](https://apiopscycles.com/roles/process-owner.md) (consulted): Owns the business process being automated, including objectives, rules, outcomes, and improvement priorities.

## Cycle-specific guidance

- [Capability Productization Cycle](https://apiopscycles.com/cycles/capability-productization-cycle/stations/api-delivery.md)
- [API Productization Cycle](https://apiopscycles.com/cycles/api-productization-cycle/stations/api-delivery.md)
- [Integration Productization Cycle](https://apiopscycles.com/cycles/integration-productization-cycle/stations/api-delivery.md)
- [Automation Cycle](https://apiopscycles.com/cycles/automation-cycle/stations/api-delivery.md)