Manage Contract Versions¶

Contract Lifecycle¶

Every contract version progresses through a defined lifecycle that ensures changes are controlled, versioned, and traceable. A contract version moves through the following lifecycle states:

Draft → Active → Deprecated → Retired

Draft¶

A draft is a working version used for creating, editing, and reviewing a contract.

A contract created from scratch or imported from DDL always starts in the Draft state. When an ODCS YAML contract is imported, DCB preserves the contract version and lifecycle status defined in the YAML when they are valid and supported.

Draft versions can be modified by Contract Owners. Changes made to a Draft do not affect the current Active version. The user who creates a Draft automatically becomes its initial Owner.

When the draft is complete and valid, the Contract Owner can activate it. If a draft was created by mistake and has not been activated, a Contract Owner can delete it.

Active¶

An active contract is the approved and published version that consumers use. Active contracts cannot be edited. To update it, an Owner must create a new draft based on the latest Active version.

When a new version is activated, DCB automatically changes the previously Active version to Deprecated. An Owner can also manually deprecate the current Active version without activating a replacement.

Deprecated¶

A deprecated contract is no longer recommended for new integrations but remains available for existing consumers. Deprecated contracts cannot be edited.

An Owner can manually deprecate the current Active version, even if no replacement version is available. Deprecated versions remain accessible in version history for comparison, auditing, and traceability purposes.

Deprecation provides consumers with advance notice to migrate to a newer active version whenever one is available.

An active contract must be deprecated before it can be retired.

Retired¶

Retired is the final end-of-life status for a contract version. Retired contracts are no longer intended for operational use and are retained for traceability and historical reference only. Retired contracts cannot be edited.

Retirement requires an explicit action by an Owner. After a contract is retired, it cannot be returned to Active or Deprecated status. Retired versions remain visible in version history and can still be used for comparison and audit purposes.

Create a New Contract Version¶

Create a new version when you need to modify an Active contract.

To create a new version:

1. Open the Active contract.

2. Select New version in the page header.

   A new Draft working copy is created based on the current Active version.

3. Make the required changes in the Draft working copy.

4. When the updates are complete, activate the Draft version. For more information, see Activate a Contract.

When the new version is activated, the previously Active version is automatically changed to Deprecated.

Deprecated versions remain available for consumers that still depend on them.

After confirming that downstream consumers have migrated to a newer version, you can retire the deprecated version.

Version History¶

Use the Versions section to review contract history and lifecycle changes.

To view version history, open the contract and select Versions in the contract form.

You can view all Draft, Active, Deprecated, and Retired versions.

Use version history to:

• Identify the current Active version.
• Review previous Active, Deprecated, and Retired versions.
• Understand when a version was created, activated, deprecated, or retired.
• Compare two contract versions or compare the current Draft version with a previous version, when comparison is available.
• Verify the lifecycle status of each version.
• Maintain an audit trail of contract changes throughout the contract lifecycle.

Version Actions¶

Select the More actions menu for a version to access available actions.

• Deprecate or Retire (depending on the version lifecycle status): Change the lifecycle status of the version.
• View YAML: Review the YAML representation of the selected version.
• Compare: Compare the selected version with another version.

Deprecate a Contract Version¶

Deprecation indicates that a contract version should no longer be used for new integrations but remains available for existing consumers.

To deprecate a version:

1. Open the contract.
2. Select the Versions section.
3. Select the More actions menu for the Active version.
4. Select Deprecate.
5. Confirm the action.

The version status changes to Deprecated.

Retire a Contract Version¶

Retirement marks the final end-of-life state for a contract version.

Before retiring a contract, ensure that downstream consumers have migrated to another version or no longer depend on the contract.

To retire a version:

1. Open the contract.
2. Select the Versions tab.
3. Select the More actions menu for a Deprecated version.
4. Select Retire.
5. Confirm the action.

The version status changes to Retired.