feat(rest-aci): faithful created/modified/unchanged write-status (F8a) + idempotent delete-of-missing (F1) (v0.25.0)

The APIC POST handler unconditionally stamped status:"created" on every
write with no comparison to stored state. cisco.aci.aci_rest derives its
"changed" result from a recursive deep-scan of the response for any status
in {created,modified,deleted}, so every raw aci_rest-driven write reported
changed=true forever — breaking pass2 idempotency across the L3Out topology
(l3extLNodeP/l3extLIfP/l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt/l3extRsPathL3OutAtt/bgpPeerP/
bfdIfP), static-path, and PBR-redirect blocks.

F8a computes a real per-MO status at the write choke point
(writes._upsert_recursive) by diffing ONLY the caller's raw posted attrs
(excluding dn/status, before the create-time _CLASS_DEFAULTS overlay)
against the pre-existing stored MO. apply() builds imdata from only the
changed MOs — empty imdata (+ totalCount "0") when nothing changed, which is
the shape that makes aci_rest's changed()-scan return false. post_mo reads
?rsp-subtree and threads it through (modified/absent/full -> changed list;
no -> empty). Higher-level cisco.aci modules were already idempotent
(client-side get-diff) and are unaffected. The flat changed-MO response is
changed()-scan faithful; real APIC's nested rsp-subtree wire shape is a
documented deferred enhancement (no real-gear capture to reproduce it).

F1 fold-in: deleting an already-absent DN now reports unchanged (store pop
is a silent no-op) instead of deleted, matching real-APIC idempotent delete.

Verification: full pytest 1143 passed (1131 baseline + 12 new F8a tests,
zero regressions); independent opus review traced the posted-keys-only /
pre-defaults diff invariant + dict-aliasing safety to ground truth
(APPROVE); live E2E gate on the restarted sim — create_tenant SF-TN1 pass2
changed 6->0 (idempotent), pass1 still builds (changed=17), F10 bad-mtu 400
+ good-mtu 200 intact.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_017zdUTqU9fvCCvF3uVGZsu1

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,35 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.1.0/),
 and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0.html)
 (pre-1.0: minor bumps may include breaking changes to the sim's behavior).
 
+## [0.25.0] - 2026-07-10
+
+### Changed
+- **APIC write-face changed-status fidelity (F8a)** — a POST now reports the
+  real per-MO status (`created` / `modified` / *unchanged*) instead of
+  unconditionally stamping `created`. `aci_sim/rest_aci/writes.py` diffs each
+  planned MO's **raw posted attributes** (excluding `dn`/`status`, before the
+  create-time `_CLASS_DEFAULTS` overlay) against the pre-existing stored MO at
+  the write choke point, and `apply()` builds `imdata` from **only the changed
+  MOs** — returning empty `imdata` (+ `totalCount "0"`) when nothing changed.
+  `post_mo` reads `?rsp-subtree` and threads it through (`modified`/absent/`full`
+  → changed-MO list; `no` → empty). This restores real-APIC idempotency for
+  every raw `aci_rest`-driven write: an unchanged re-push now yields
+  `changed=false` (previously `changed=true` forever), fixing pass2 idempotency
+  across the L3Out topology (`l3extLNodeP`/`l3extLIfP`/`l3extRsNodeL3OutAtt`/
+  `l3extRsPathL3OutAtt`/`bgpPeerP`/`bfdIfP`), static-path, and PBR-redirect
+  blocks. Higher-level cisco.aci modules were already idempotent (client-side
+  get-diff) and are unaffected; the flat changed-MO response is `changed()`-scan
+  faithful (real APIC's nested `rsp-subtree` wire shape is a documented deferred
+  enhancement — no real-gear capture available to reproduce it accurately).
+- **Idempotent delete-of-missing (F1)** — POSTing `status:"deleted"` to an
+  already-absent DN now reports *unchanged* (empty `imdata`) instead of
+  `deleted`, matching real APIC: `store.upsert` pops a missing DN as a silent
+  no-op, so nothing changed. A delete that actually removes an existing MO still
+  reports `deleted`.
+  +12 tests (re-push idempotency, defaults-overlay guard, partial re-push,
+  parent-unchanged/child-changed, status-pollution re-push, delete-of-missing,
+  `rsp-subtree=no`).
+
 ## [0.24.0] - 2026-07-10
 
 ### Added

aci_sim/rest_aci/app.py

@@ -201,8 +201,17 @@ def make_apic_app(state: ApicSiteState) -> FastAPI:
         # below is unchanged from before this feature.
         effective_dn = (body[cls].get("attributes") or {}).get("dn") or dn
         pre_existing = state.store.get(effective_dn) is not None
+        # F8a: cisco.aci.aci_rest appends ?rsp-subtree=modified to every
+        # non-GET by default (rsp_subtree_preserve=false); thread the raw
+        # value through so write_apply can decide what to include in the
+        # response ({modified,absent,full} -> changed-MO list, "no" -> []).
+        # The changed-status computation itself is unconditional — this
+        # param only gates response inclusion, never the diff.
+        rsp_subtree = request.query_params.get("rsp-subtree")
         try:
-            imdata, total = write_apply(state.store, dn, body, topo=state.topo, site=state.site)
+            imdata, total = write_apply(
+                state.store, dn, body, topo=state.topo, site=state.site, rsp_subtree=rsp_subtree
+            )
         except (WriteValidationError, AttributeError, TypeError, KeyError) as exc:
             return _apic_error(f"Malformed MO body: {exc}", code="103", status_code=400)
         # Push-on-change (subscriptions): notify after the store commit above.

aci_sim/rest_aci/writes.py

@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ def _plan_recursive(cls: str, attrs: dict, children: list, planned: list[tuple[s
             _plan_recursive(child_cls, child_attrs, child_children, planned)
 
 
-def _upsert_recursive(store: MITStore, cls: str, attrs: dict, children: list) -> list[tuple[str, dict]]:
+def _upsert_recursive(store: MITStore, cls: str, attrs: dict, children: list) -> list[tuple[str, dict, str]]:
     """Validate the entire body shape, then upsert the MO and its children.
 
     Real APIC POST is all-or-nothing: a malformed descendant must not leave
@@ -272,9 +272,31 @@ def _upsert_recursive(store: MITStore, cls: str, attrs: dict, children: list) ->
     on any shape violation), builds the full ordered list of MOs to write,
     and only then mutates the store.
 
-    Returns the full ordered ``(class, attrs)`` plan so callers (``apply``)
+    Returns the full ordered ``(class, attrs, status)`` plan so callers
-    can inspect it for reactions (e.g. a nested ``fabricNodeIdentP`` child)
+    (``apply``) can inspect it for reactions (e.g. a nested
-    without re-walking the body themselves.
+    ``fabricNodeIdentP`` child) and for changed-MO response assembly
+    (F8a), without re-walking the body themselves. ``attrs`` is always the
+    RAW posted attrs (never the defaults-merged copy — see below), matching
+    the pre-F8a contract that reaction code already relies on.
+
+    ``status`` (F8a) is one of "created" / "modified" / "deleted" /
+    "unchanged", computed per-MO against the pre-existing stored MO:
+
+      - a posted status="deleted" -> "deleted";
+      - dn not yet in the store -> "created";
+      - else diff ONLY the user-posted keys (excluding "dn" — identity,
+        always equal by construction — and "status" — a control attr, not
+        real config) against the stored MO's attrs; any difference ->
+        "modified", else "unchanged".
+
+    The diff MUST run on the raw posted ``mo_attrs`` from *before* any
+    ``_CLASS_DEFAULTS`` overlay: the store accumulates create-time defaults
+    (e.g. fvBD's mac/mtu/...) that were never part of what the caller
+    posted, so diffing against the full stored attr set would spuriously
+    report "modified" on a byte-identical re-push of a class with defaults.
+    Because the sim stores values verbatim (no normalization), a
+    byte-identical re-push always yields stored == posted for every posted
+    key -> "unchanged".
     """
     # Re-wrap the already-parsed root attrs/children into the same node shape
     # _validate_node expects, so root and descendants share one validation
@@ -288,19 +310,42 @@ def _upsert_recursive(store: MITStore, cls: str, attrs: dict, children: list) ->
 
     # Validation passed for the entire subtree — now, and only now, mutate
     # the store (400 on validation failure => zero side effects).
+    results: list[tuple[str, dict, str]] = []
     for mo_cls, mo_attrs in planned:
+        dn = mo_attrs.get("dn")
+        # F8a: look up the pre-existing MO once, BEFORE any mutation, and
+        # use it both for the defaults-overlay decision (pre-existing
+        # behavior, unchanged) and for the changed-status diff (new). The
+        # diff uses ONLY the raw posted mo_attrs, computed here before the
+        # defaults overlay is applied to the local write-time copy below.
+        existing = store.get(dn)
+        if mo_attrs.get("status") == "deleted":
+            # F8a: deleting an already-absent DN is a store no-op
+            # (store.upsert pops a missing DN silently), so nothing
+            # changed -> report "unchanged", matching real APIC's
+            # idempotent delete. Only a delete that actually removes an
+            # existing MO reports "deleted".
+            status = "deleted" if existing is not None else "unchanged"
+        elif existing is None:
+            status = "created"
+        else:
+            posted = {k: v for k, v in mo_attrs.items() if k not in ("dn", "status")}
+            status = "modified" if any(existing.attrs.get(k) != v for k, v in posted.items()) else "unchanged"
+
         # Real APIC commits a class's object defaults at CREATE time only —
         # a later partial-update POST never resets an already-set attribute
         # back to its default. So the overlay applies iff (a) this isn't a
         # delete (no defaults that could resurrect a deleted object's attrs)
         # and (b) the DN doesn't exist yet in the store. Posted attrs are
         # layered on top of the defaults dict, so they always win.
-        dn = mo_attrs.get("dn")
+        write_attrs = mo_attrs
-        if mo_attrs.get("status") != "deleted" and store.get(dn) is None:
+        if mo_attrs.get("status") != "deleted" and existing is None:
-            mo_attrs = {**_CLASS_DEFAULTS.get(mo_cls, {}), **mo_attrs}
+            write_attrs = {**_CLASS_DEFAULTS.get(mo_cls, {}), **mo_attrs}
-        store.upsert(MO(mo_cls, **mo_attrs))
+        store.upsert(MO(mo_cls, **write_attrs))
 
-    return planned
+        results.append((mo_cls, mo_attrs, status))
+
+    return results
 
 
 def materialize_node_registration(
@@ -548,7 +593,9 @@ def _materialize_l3out_bgp_session(
     store.upsert(inst_mo)
 
 
-def apply(store: MITStore, dn: str, body: dict, *, topo=None, site=None) -> tuple[list[dict], int]:
+def apply(
+    store: MITStore, dn: str, body: dict, *, topo=None, site=None, rsp_subtree: str | None = None
+) -> tuple[list[dict], int]:
     """Apply a write (upsert or delete) from a POST /api/mo/{dn}.json body.
 
     Body shape: {"<cls>": {"attributes": {...}, "children": [...]}}
@@ -557,6 +604,18 @@ def apply(store: MITStore, dn: str, body: dict, *, topo=None, site=None) -> tupl
     *topo*/*site* are optional context needed by the fabricNodeIdentP
     reaction (pod number, spine list for cabling) — passed through by the
     caller the same way it already threads ``state.store`` here.
+
+    *rsp_subtree* (F8a) is the raw ``?rsp-subtree=`` query value (or
+    ``None`` if absent). ``cisco.aci.aci_rest`` sends
+    ``?rsp-subtree=modified`` on every non-GET by default; its ``changed()``
+    check is a recursive scan for any ``status`` in
+    {created,modified,deleted} anywhere in ``imdata`` — so real idempotency
+    requires the response to be genuinely empty when nothing changed.
+    {"modified", None, "full"} all map to "return the changed-MO list, []
+    if none changed"; "no" maps to "return []" unconditionally (matching
+    real APIC's contract of echoing nothing under rsp-subtree=no). The
+    status computation itself always runs, independent of this param — the
+    param only gates what's included in the response.
     """
     if not body:
         return [], 0
@@ -571,13 +630,14 @@ def apply(store: MITStore, dn: str, body: dict, *, topo=None, site=None) -> tupl
     effective_dn = attrs.get("dn") or dn
     attrs["dn"] = effective_dn
 
-    # Perform the upsert/delete; get back the full ordered (class, attrs)
+    # Perform the upsert/delete; get back the full ordered (class, attrs,
-    # plan so the fabricNodeIdentP reaction fires for a nested child too,
+    # status) plan so the fabricNodeIdentP reaction fires for a nested
-    # not just when it's the top-level POSTed class (finding #19).
+    # child too, not just when it's the top-level POSTed class (finding
-    planned = _upsert_recursive(store, cls, attrs, children)
+    # #19), and so the changed-MO response (F8a) can be assembled below.
+    results = _upsert_recursive(store, cls, attrs, children)
 
     if site is not None:
-        for mo_cls, mo_attrs in planned:
+        for mo_cls, mo_attrs, _status in results:
             if mo_cls != "fabricNodeIdentP":
                 continue
             if mo_attrs.get("status") == "deleted":
@@ -598,9 +658,9 @@ def apply(store: MITStore, dn: str, body: dict, *, topo=None, site=None) -> tupl
     # table (routers/topology.py) finds it — see _materialize_l3out_bgp_session
     # docstring. bgpAsP (the peer ASN) is POSTed as bgpPeerP's own nested
     # child in the SAME body (cisco.aci's tenant.yml task), so it is already
-    # in this same `planned` list — read it from there instead of a second
+    # in this same `results` list — read it from there instead of a second
     # store lookup.
-    for mo_cls, mo_attrs in planned:
+    for mo_cls, mo_attrs, _status in results:
         if mo_cls != "bgpPeerP":
             continue
         if mo_attrs.get("status") == "deleted":
@@ -610,12 +670,22 @@ def apply(store: MITStore, dn: str, body: dict, *, topo=None, site=None) -> tupl
         if not peer_dn or not addr:
             continue
         remote_asn = ""
-        for as_cls, as_attrs in planned:
+        for as_cls, as_attrs, _as_status in results:
             if as_cls == "bgpAsP" and as_attrs.get("dn", "").startswith(f"{peer_dn}/"):
                 remote_asn = as_attrs.get("asn", "")
                 break
         _materialize_l3out_bgp_session(store, peer_dn, addr, remote_asn)
 
-    status = "deleted" if attrs.get("status") == "deleted" else "created"
+    # F8a: build imdata from only the MOs that actually changed. Reactions
-    result = [{cls: {"attributes": {"dn": effective_dn, "status": status}}}]
+    # (fabricNodeIdentP node materialization, bgpPeerP session
-    return result, 1
+    # materialization) upsert sim-internal MOs that were never part of
+    # `results` — correctly excluded here, same as before F8a.
+    if rsp_subtree == "no":
+        return [], 0
+
+    imdata = [
+        {mo_cls: {"attributes": {"dn": mo_attrs["dn"], "status": st}}}
+        for mo_cls, mo_attrs, st in results
+        if st in ("created", "modified", "deleted")
+    ]
+    return imdata, len(imdata)

pyproject.toml

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "aci-sim"
-version = "0.24.0"
+version = "0.25.0"
 description = "Faithful REST simulator of a 2-site Cisco ACI fabric (per-site APIC + ND/NDO)"
 readme = "README.md"
 license = "PolyForm-Noncommercial-1.0.0"

tests/test_f8a_changed_status.py

@@ -0,0 +1,339 @@
+"""Regression tests for F8a: real created/modified/unchanged write-status.
+
+Before F8a, ``writes.py::apply()`` hard-coded ``status="created"`` on every
+non-delete write with no comparison against stored state.
+``cisco.aci.aci_rest`` derives its ``changed`` result from a recursive scan
+of the response ``imdata`` for any ``status`` in
+{created,modified,deleted} at any depth — so every aci_rest-driven write
+reported ``changed=true`` forever, breaking pass2 idempotency.
+
+F8a computes a real per-MO status at the write choke point
+(``writes._upsert_recursive``) by diffing the caller's RAW posted attrs
+(excluding "dn"/"status") against the pre-existing stored MO, and
+``apply()`` now builds ``imdata`` from ONLY the changed MOs — empty
+imdata (+ totalCount "0") when nothing changed.
+
+These tests assert on the HTTP response shape the same way
+``tests/test_pr9_ansible.py`` and ``tests/test_subscriptions.py`` already
+do (no cisco.aci module is available in this environment to call its
+``changed()`` directly) — an empty ``imdata`` is the shape that makes
+``aci_rest``'s recursive status-scan return False (see
+``_F8A_CHANGED_STATUS_DESIGN.md`` §2.2), and a non-empty ``imdata`` with a
+``status`` in {created,modified,deleted} anywhere is the shape that makes
+it return True.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import copy
+
+from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
+
+from aci_sim.build.orchestrator import build_site
+from aci_sim.rest_aci.app import ApicSiteState, make_apic_app
+from aci_sim.topology.loader import load_topology
+
+TOPO_PATH = "topology.yaml"
+
+
+def _new_client() -> TestClient:
+    topo = load_topology(TOPO_PATH)
+    site = topo.sites[0]
+    store = build_site(topo, site)
+    state = ApicSiteState(
+        name=site.name,
+        site=site,
+        topo=topo,
+        store=store,
+        baseline=copy.deepcopy(store),
+    )
+    return TestClient(make_apic_app(state))
+
+
+def _logged_in_client() -> TestClient:
+    c = _new_client()
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/aaaLogin.json",
+        json={"aaaUser": {"attributes": {"name": "admin", "pwd": "cisco"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    return c
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 1. Byte-identical re-push -> empty imdata (the core idempotency fix)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_repush_identical_mo_is_unchanged():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    body = {
+        "fvTenant": {
+            "attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe1", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe1", "descr": "probe"},
+        }
+    }
+    first = c.post("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe1.json?rsp-subtree=modified", json=body)
+    assert first.status_code == 200
+    assert first.json()["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["status"] == "created"
+
+    second = c.post("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe1.json?rsp-subtree=modified", json=body)
+    assert second.status_code == 200
+    data = second.json()
+    assert data["imdata"] == []
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "0"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 2. Re-push with one attr changed -> status=="modified"
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_repush_with_changed_attr_reports_modified():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe2.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe2", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe2", "descr": "before"}}},
+    )
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe2.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe2", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe2", "descr": "after"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "1"
+    entry = data["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]
+    assert entry["status"] == "modified"
+    assert entry["dn"] == "uni/tn-F8AProbe2"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 3. First create -> status=="created" (guard against over-eager unchanged)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_first_create_reports_created():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe3.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe3", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe3"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "1"
+    assert data["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["status"] == "created"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 4. Partial re-push (subset of original attrs, same values) -> unchanged
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_partial_repush_same_values_is_unchanged():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe4.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={
+            "fvTenant": {
+                "attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe4", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe4", "descr": "kept-in-store"}
+            }
+        },
+    )
+    # Re-push omits "descr" entirely (subset of the original posted attrs),
+    # but "name" (the only key still posted, besides dn) has the same value.
+    # The stored "descr" (never re-posted) must NOT be read/diffed here —
+    # only posted keys are compared.
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe4.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe4", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe4"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["imdata"] == []
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "0"
+    # The store still has the original descr (upsert never removes keys).
+    get = c.get("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe4.json")
+    assert get.json()["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["descr"] == "kept-in-store"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 5. THE critical defaults-overlay guard: create-then-repush of a class WITH
+#    _CLASS_DEFAULTS (fvBD) must stay unchanged, not spuriously "modified"
+#    because the diff would otherwise see create-time defaults (mac/mtu/...)
+#    the caller never posted.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_repush_class_with_defaults_fvbd_is_unchanged():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    body = {
+        "fvTenant": {
+            "attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe5", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe5"},
+            "children": [{"fvBD": {"attributes": {"name": "bd1"}}}],
+        }
+    }
+    first = c.post("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe5.json?rsp-subtree=modified", json=body)
+    assert first.status_code == 200
+    # Sanity: fvBD's create-time defaults (mac/mtu/...) were actually applied
+    # to the store, so this test would catch a regression that silently
+    # dropped _CLASS_DEFAULTS instead of merely excluding it from the diff.
+    bd_get = c.get("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe5/BD-bd1.json")
+    bd_attrs = bd_get.json()["imdata"][0]["fvBD"]["attributes"]
+    assert bd_attrs["mac"] == "00:22:BD:F8:19:FF"
+    assert bd_attrs["mtu"] == "9000"
+
+    # Re-push the EXACT same body (fvTenant unchanged, fvBD posted with only
+    # "name" — never mac/mtu, which only exist in the store as defaults).
+    second = c.post("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe5.json?rsp-subtree=modified", json=body)
+    assert second.status_code == 200
+    data = second.json()
+    assert data["imdata"] == []
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "0"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 6. Parent unchanged + child attr changed -> imdata contains the child,
+#    labelled "modified"; the unchanged parent is NOT in imdata.
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_child_modified_parent_unchanged_included_in_imdata():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe6.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={
+            "fvTenant": {
+                "attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe6", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe6"},
+                "children": [{"fvBD": {"attributes": {"name": "bd1", "descr": "before"}}}],
+            }
+        },
+    )
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe6.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={
+            "fvTenant": {
+                "attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe6", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe6"},
+                "children": [{"fvBD": {"attributes": {"name": "bd1", "descr": "after"}}}],
+            }
+        },
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "1"
+    entry = data["imdata"][0]
+    assert "fvBD" in entry
+    assert entry["fvBD"]["attributes"]["status"] == "modified"
+    assert entry["fvBD"]["attributes"]["dn"] == "uni/tn-F8AProbe6/BD-bd1"
+    # The unchanged fvTenant parent must not appear anywhere in imdata.
+    assert not any("fvTenant" in e for e in data["imdata"])
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 7. Delete still reports "deleted" (unchanged behavior)
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_delete_still_reports_deleted():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe7.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe7", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe7"}}},
+    )
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe7.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe7", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe7", "status": "deleted"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "1"
+    assert data["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["status"] == "deleted"
+    assert c.get("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe7.json").json()["totalCount"] == "0"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 8. No-param path guard: ?rsp-subtree absent still returns "created" on
+#    first create (this is also the path every existing pre-F8a test in
+#    this repo already exercises — none of them append ?rsp-subtree).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_rsp_subtree_absent_first_create_still_created():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AProbe8.json",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AProbe8", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AProbe8"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "1"
+    assert data["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["status"] == "created"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 9. Delete of an already-absent DN -> unchanged (F1 fold-in; store pop is a
+#    no-op, so real APIC reports idempotent no-change).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_delete_of_missing_dn_is_unchanged():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8ANeverExisted.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8ANeverExisted", "dn": "uni/tn-F8ANeverExisted", "status": "deleted"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["imdata"] == []
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "0"
+
+
+def test_delete_of_existing_dn_reports_deleted():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AToDelete.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AToDelete", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AToDelete"}}},
+    )
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8AToDelete.json?rsp-subtree=modified",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8AToDelete", "dn": "uni/tn-F8AToDelete", "status": "deleted"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "1"
+    assert data["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["status"] == "deleted"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 10. status-pollution on RE-PUSH: posting status="created,modified" a second
+#     time must NOT force a false "modified" (status excluded from the diff).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_repush_status_pollution_is_unchanged():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    body = {"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8APoll", "dn": "uni/tn-F8APoll", "status": "created,modified", "descr": "x"}}}
+    first = c.post("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8APoll.json?rsp-subtree=modified", json=body)
+    assert first.status_code == 200
+    assert first.json()["imdata"][0]["fvTenant"]["attributes"]["status"] == "created"
+    second = c.post("/api/mo/uni/tn-F8APoll.json?rsp-subtree=modified", json=body)
+    assert second.status_code == 200
+    data = second.json()
+    assert data["imdata"] == []
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "0"
+
+
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+# 11. ?rsp-subtree=no -> empty imdata even on a genuine create (matches real
+#     APIC, which echoes nothing when not asked for the subtree).
+# ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+def test_rsp_subtree_no_returns_empty_on_create():
+    c = _logged_in_client()
+    resp = c.post(
+        "/api/mo/uni/tn-F8ANoSubtree.json?rsp-subtree=no",
+        json={"fvTenant": {"attributes": {"name": "F8ANoSubtree", "dn": "uni/tn-F8ANoSubtree"}}},
+    )
+    assert resp.status_code == 200
+    data = resp.json()
+    assert data["imdata"] == []
+    assert data["totalCount"] == "0"