Transferring data using a DMS file

You can use a DMS file to transfer case data from one format or location to another. Generally a DMS file uses the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model and its data source components (DSCs), to read and write data in different formats. For an introduction to DSCs and information about the DSCs that are supplied with the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model, see Available DSCs.

You can transfer case data from any format for which you have a suitable read-enabled CDSC and you can write to any data format for which you have a suitable write-enabled CDSC. For example:

▪You can use the Relational MR Database DSC to read UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server data that is stored in a relational MR database, and you can use SPSS Statistics SAV DSC to write the data to a .sav file for analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics, or you can use Quantum DSC to write the data to a .dat file for analysis in Quantum.

▪When you need to send data to another location, you can use the UNICOM Intelligence Data File CDSC to write the data to a UNICOM Intelligence Data File, which you can then send to another site, for example, by email. The recipient can then use a DMS file or DTS to transfer the data to the required format.

However, DMS files can also transfer data using OLE DB providers that are not part of the UNICOM Intelligence Data Model. For example, you can transfer data stored in an Microsoft Access database using the Microsoft ACE OLE DB Provider.

You define the location and format of the data you want to transfer in the InputDataSource section of the DataManagementScript (DMS) file. If you want to transfer a subset of the data only, you also define the filters in this section. For more information, see Reading data.

You define the location and format of the data to which you want to write the transferred data in the OutputDataSource section of the DMS file. You also set the validation options that you require in this section. For more information, see Writing data.

In the InputDataSource and OutputDataSource sections, you can specify file locations using absolute or relative paths. If you specify a relative path, it will be treated as being relative to the folder in which the DMS file is located when you run it.

In UNICOM Intelligence Professional, when you transfer data using the UNICOM Intelligence OLE DB Provider, the flattened (VDATA) view of the data is always used. This means that you can use a DMS file to export hierarchical data only if it can be represented in a flattened form. This is true for all hierarchical data collected using UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Server, UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper and UNICOM Intelligence Interviewer - Paper/Scan Add-on. However, you cannot use a DMS file to transfer hierarchical data that was collected using other tools if it cannot be flattened--for example, because it was collected using an unbounded loop. The lower levels in a Quanvert Levels are an example of this type of hierarchical data, and you therefore cannot export data from the lower levels of a Quanvert levels project using a DMS file. For more information, see Your hierarchical data questions answered.