[azure-ai-ml] Populate DeploymentTemplate.creation_context from systemData

sdk/ml/azure-ai-ml/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 ### Bugs Fixed
 - Fixed `MLClient.jobs.create_or_update`, `archive`, and `restore` failing for previously-fetched jobs across all job types by routing metadata-only edits through the RunHistory PATCH endpoint.
+- Fixed `DeploymentTemplate.creation_context` always being `None` when retrieved via `get()` or `list()`. The created/modified timestamps and identity returned by the service (as `createdTime` / `modifiedTime` / `createdBy`) are now populated on `creation_context`, making `DeploymentTemplate` consistent with `Model` and `Environment`.
 
 ### Other Changes
 

sdk/ml/azure-ai-ml/azure/ai/ml/entities/_deployment/deployment_template.py

@@ -17,6 +17,72 @@
 from azure.ai.ml.entities._deployment.deployment_template_settings import OnlineRequestSettings, ProbeSettings
 from azure.ai.ml.entities._mixins import RestTranslatableMixin
 from azure.ai.ml.entities._resource import Resource
+from azure.ai.ml.entities._system_data import SystemData
+
+
+def _read_wire_value(source: Any, *keys: str) -> Any:
+    """Read the first non-None value for any of ``keys`` from a REST object.
+
+    Handles both mapping-style access (wire/camelCase keys such as ``createdTime``) and
+    attribute-style access (snake_case such as ``created_time``). This is needed because
+    some service fields are returned as undeclared/flattened keys that only exist on the
+    backing mapping of the generated REST model, not as typed attributes.
+    """
+    if source is None:
+        return None
+    for key in keys:
+        getter = getattr(source, "get", None)
+        if callable(getter) and not isinstance(source, str):
+            try:
+                value = source.get(key)
+            except Exception:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                value = None
+            if value is not None:
+                return value
+        value = getattr(source, key, None)
+        if value is not None:
+            return value
+    return None
+
+
+def _parse_iso_datetime(value: Any) -> Any:
+    """Best-effort parse of an ISO-8601 timestamp string into a ``datetime``.
+
+    Returns the original value unchanged when it is not a parseable string, so the raw
+    timestamp is still surfaced rather than dropped.
+    """
+    if not isinstance(value, str):
+        return value
+    try:
+        import isodate
+
+        return isodate.parse_datetime(value)
+    except Exception:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+        return value
+
+
+def _extract_created_by(value: Any) -> Any:
+    """Extract a readable ``created_by`` identity from a service ``createdBy`` value.
+
+    The value may be a plain string identity, an object/dict such as ``{"userName": ...}``
+    (get() shape), or a stringified dict such as ``"{'userName': ...}"`` (list() shape).
+    Returns the ``userName`` (or object id) when available, otherwise the value unchanged.
+    """
+    if value is None:
+        return None
+    if isinstance(value, str):
+        # list() returns createdBy as a stringified dict; parse it, else treat as a plain identity.
+        import ast
+
+        try:
+            parsed = ast.literal_eval(value)
+        except (ValueError, SyntaxError):
+            return value
+        if isinstance(parsed, dict):
+            value = parsed
+        else:
+            return value
+    return _read_wire_value(value, "userName", "user_name", "userObjectId", "user_object_id")
 
 
 @experimental
@@ -486,6 +552,34 @@ def get_value(source, key, default=None):
             except (ValueError, TypeError):
                 scoring_port = None
 
+        # Populate creation_context so DeploymentTemplate is consistent with Model and
+        # Environment. Those entities return a nested ``systemData`` block, but the
+        # deployment-template API (e.g. the azure-huggingface registry) instead returns
+        # flattened ``createdTime`` / ``modifiedTime`` / ``createdBy`` fields. These live at the
+        # top level in the get() response but nested under ``properties`` in the list() response,
+        # so read properties-first with an obj fallback (matching the other fields above).
+        system_data = get_value(obj, "system_data") or get_value(obj, "systemData")
+        if system_data is not None:
+            creation_context = SystemData._from_rest_object(system_data)
+        else:
+            created_time = _read_wire_value(properties, "createdTime", "createdAt") or _read_wire_value(
+                obj, "createdTime", "created_time", "createdAt", "created_at"
+            )
+            modified_time = _read_wire_value(properties, "modifiedTime", "lastModifiedAt") or _read_wire_value(
+                obj, "modifiedTime", "modified_time", "lastModifiedAt", "last_modified_at"
+            )
+            created_by = _extract_created_by(
+                _read_wire_value(properties, "createdBy") or _read_wire_value(obj, "createdBy", "created_by")
+            )
+            if created_time or modified_time or created_by:
+                creation_context = SystemData(
+                    created_at=_parse_iso_datetime(created_time),
+                    created_by=created_by,
+                    last_modified_at=_parse_iso_datetime(modified_time),
+                )
+            else:
+                creation_context = None
+
         template = cls(
             name=name or "unknown",
             version=version or "1.0",
@@ -494,6 +588,7 @@ def get_value(source, key, default=None):
             tags=tags,  # Include tags from REST response
             properties=properties,  # Include properties from REST response
             id=get_value(obj, "id"),  # Set the ID from the REST response
+            creation_context=creation_context,  # Populate created/modified metadata from systemData
             environment=environment_id,  # Use the environment ID from API
             request_settings=request_settings_obj,  # Use proper OnlineRequestSettings object or None
             liveness_probe=liveness_probe_obj,  # Use proper ProbeSettings object or None

sdk/ml/azure-ai-ml/tests/deployment_template/unittests/test_deployment_template.py

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 # Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
 # ---------------------------------------------------------
 
+import datetime
 from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
 
 import pytest
@@ -295,3 +296,91 @@ def test_deployment_template_from_rest_object_none(self):
 
         # Should handle None gracefully
         assert result is not None or result is None  # Allow either behavior
+
+    def test_deployment_template_from_rest_object_populates_creation_context_flattened(self):
+        """Regression test for bug #5402673.
+
+        The deployment-template API returns flattened ``createdTime`` / ``modifiedTime`` /
+        ``createdBy`` fields (not a nested ``systemData`` block), so ``creation_context``
+        must surface them to stay consistent with Model and Environment.
+        """
+        from azure.ai.ml._restclient.azure_ai_assets_v2024_04_01.azureaiassetsv20240401 import models as rest_models
+
+        rest = rest_models.DeploymentTemplate(
+            {
+                "name": "test",
+                "version": "5",
+                "createdTime": "2026-06-27T20:00:15.2050594+00:00",
+                "modifiedTime": "2026-06-27T21:31:55.5333635+00:00",
+                "createdBy": {"userName": "azure-huggingface"},
+            }
+        )
+
+        template = DeploymentTemplate._from_rest_object(rest)
+
+        assert template.creation_context is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.created_at is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.last_modified_at is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.created_by == "azure-huggingface"
+
+    def test_deployment_template_from_rest_object_creation_context_nested_in_properties(self):
+        """Regression test for the list() shape of bug #5402673.
+
+        In the list() response, createdTime / modifiedTime / createdBy are nested under
+        ``properties`` (not at the top level like get()). creation_context must still be
+        populated from there.
+        """
+        rest = Mock(spec=[])
+        rest.name = "test"
+        rest.id = None
+        rest.system_data = None
+        rest.properties = {
+            "name": "test",
+            "version": "5",
+            "createdTime": "2026-06-27T20:00:15.2050594+00:00",
+            "modifiedTime": "2026-06-27T21:31:55.5333635+00:00",
+            # list() returns createdBy as a stringified dict (str), not a real dict.
+            "createdBy": "{'userObjectId': '00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000', 'userName': 'azure-huggingface'}",
+        }
+
+        template = DeploymentTemplate._from_rest_object(rest)
+
+        assert template.creation_context is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.created_at is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.last_modified_at is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.created_by == "azure-huggingface"
+
+    def test_deployment_template_from_rest_object_populates_creation_context_system_data(self):
+        """creation_context is also populated from a nested systemData block when present."""
+        system_data = Mock(spec=[])
+        system_data.created_at = datetime.datetime(2026, 1, 1, 12, 0, 0)
+        system_data.created_by = "creator@microsoft.com"
+        system_data.created_by_type = "User"
+        system_data.last_modified_at = datetime.datetime(2026, 1, 2, 8, 30, 0)
+        system_data.last_modified_by = "modifier@microsoft.com"
+        system_data.last_modified_by_type = "User"
+
+        mock_rest = Mock(spec=[])
+        mock_rest.properties = {"name": "test", "version": "1"}
+        mock_rest.name = "test"
+        mock_rest.id = None
+        mock_rest.system_data = system_data
+
+        template = DeploymentTemplate._from_rest_object(mock_rest)
+
+        assert template.creation_context is not None
+        assert template.creation_context.created_at == datetime.datetime(2026, 1, 1, 12, 0, 0)
+        assert template.creation_context.created_by == "creator@microsoft.com"
+        assert template.creation_context.last_modified_at == datetime.datetime(2026, 1, 2, 8, 30, 0)
+
+    def test_deployment_template_from_rest_object_creation_context_none_when_absent(self):
+        """creation_context should be None when the response carries no creation metadata."""
+        mock_rest = Mock(spec=[])
+        mock_rest.properties = {"name": "test", "version": "1"}
+        mock_rest.name = "test"
+        mock_rest.id = None
+        # Intentionally no systemData / createdTime / modifiedTime / createdBy set.
+
+        template = DeploymentTemplate._from_rest_object(mock_rest)
+
+        assert template.creation_context is None