The file types typically stored in a UNICOM Intelligence Question Repository are:

These are compressed archive files that are created to store an .mdd file and any number of associated files, such as UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server Admin template (.html and .xml) files, cascading style sheet (.css) files, and word processing documents. The .mzd file is created when an .mdd file is submitted to the repository. A supplemental .mdd file is added to the .mzd file, and is used to store attributes (see Attributes).

.mdd files are UNICOM Intelligence Metadata Document files, but they are also known as Questionnaire Definition files or Interview Script files. The metadata consists of information about a survey, and includes question names and texts, category names and texts, translations of texts, and routing information that defines the order in which questions are asked. An .mdd file can contain one or more questions.

These are the repository configuration files. The repository.dql file describes the repository behavior for UNICOM Intelligence Question Repository on the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services server. Before using UNICOM Intelligence Question Repository, the file needs to be put in a IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Repository directory via IBM SPSS Deployment Manager. The repository.dql file is referenced via the DQL Path field in the New Repository Connection dialog box (see New Repository Connection dialog box).

You store survey assets to the repository using the Store Survey Asset into Repository Wizard (see Store Survey Asset into Repository Wizard), which stores the submitted .mdd file in a .mzd file together with any associated files that you provide, and then adds the .mzd file to the relevant folder (see Folders) in the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Repository.

When a survey asset is stored to the repository, the file content is indexed so that it can be searched. For more information, see Search fields.

You can also use IBM SPSS Deployment Manager to add new files directly to the repository. For more information, see Chapter 6 of the IBM SPSS Deployment Manager User's Guide. However, do not use IBM SPSS Deployment Manager to move, copy, update, delete, or rename existing .mzd files, because this method does not update the indexes used to search for these files.

You can add other file types to the repository, but these will not be indexed by the adapter. However, IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services will index basic information about the file, such as its name, location, creation date, and so on.

When you use either the Store Survey Asset into Repository Wizard or IBM SPSS Deployment Manager to add a file that has the same name as an existing file, a new version of the file is created in the IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services Repository. You can then access the current survey asset version.

Version control is a standard feature of IBM SPSS Collaboration and Deployment Services. For more information, see “Viewing Object Properties” in the IBM SPSS Deployment Manager User's Guide.

If your repository is being shared by different teams of users and you need to control access to individual files, use IBM SPSS Deployment Manager to change file permissions. For more information, see Object-level security.