When you create and save an object, it is in Draft state. The object is in Draft state when it is created, never deployed, or it has been undeployed. You must deploy the object into the run time to process the objects. An object might be valid or not valid only in the design-time environment. You can move only a valid object to Deployed state.

After you create and save a primary object, the object is saved as draft in design time. You must deploy the object to run in the run-time environment. When you deploy a primary object, all supporting objects linked to it are deployed automatically. For example, when you deploy a source, the topic and the connection associated with the source are also deployed. You can deploy an object only when the object is in Draft state. An object is valid both in the runtime and design time environment. When a primary object and its supporting objects are deployed successfully, the object is in Deployed state.

You can undeploy an object if you need to change the object properties. For example, for a JDBC connection, if you want to change the database connection information, you can undeploy the associated source. You can undeploy objects only when it is in deployed state. When you undeploy a primary object, all secondary objects associated with it are also undeployed. After successful undeploy, the state of the object changes to draft. After you complete the changes, you can deploy the objects again.

When you edit a primary object, you can choose to save it first as draft and later deploy it. You can also choose to save and deploy simultaneously by using the save and deploy option.

You can edit or update the deployed primary or the associated secondary objects without performing an undeploy. When you edit and save the objects, the state of the objects changes to Needs_Deployment state. You can edit a deployed secondary object. If the secondary object has an associated primary object, you can use the save and update option so that all the associated primary objects are also deployed.

You can redeploy the objects that you have changed without performing an undeploy. In this case, the changes are affected only when you redeploy the objects. Objects that need redeploy are in Needs_Deployment state.

You can map deployed objects in one service controller to another set of objects in another service controller. You can map or reassign objects from one service controller to another only when the objects are in the Needs_Deployment state. On successful completion of reassign, the state of the objects changes to deployed.