Hi,
On a device running ODK Collect there are three folders inside the odk
folder on external storage. They are:
/odk/forms
/odk/instances
/odk/metadata
Am I right in assuming that the metadata directory is not required for
use with ODK Briefcase when using the "Custom Path to ODK Directory"
to pull data into ODK Briefcase?
The reason I ask is that I'm currently working on a project where we
are looking to distribute forms and instances over a mesh network in
the field.
In time we hope to be able to deploy updates to forms in the field
where no telecommunications infrastructure is available as well as
collect finalised instances.
For example as a way to mitigate the risk to data if a device is lost
/ stolen etc.
I have a mechanism to distribute both forms and instance files, and
now I'm turning towards putting the data back together for import into
ODK Briefase if a device is lost.
My current plan looks something like this:
- All devices have the same forms deployed on them
- When an instance is finalised by ODK Collect the data goes into the
/odk/instances/ directory
- At that time my software packages up the form instance and shares it
over the mesh network
- If the device is lost / stolen / fails etc. the data that it
collected is distributed on the mesh network
If a device is lost I need to be able to put the data that it
collected back together for import into ODK Briefcase. My current
thinking is to:
- Use an /odk/forms directory that contains the form definition files
- Populate an /odk/instances directory with the instances collected by
the missing device
- Pull the data into an ODK Briefcase instance
Does this plan to reconstruct the missing data and pull it into ODK
Briefcase make sense from the perspective of ODK?
With thanks.
-Corey
Please note that this question is more appropriate for the
opendatakit-developers@ list.
Yes, the metadata directory only holds the databases tracking the available
forms and the status of all completed and incomplete form submissions on
the phone. Once a form submission is marked as complete, nothing in that
directory is needed when the form submission is later processed.
The only thing you need to ship off the phone is the submission's instance
folder. The forms folder is scanned by ODK Briefcase to verify and confirm
that the form definition is unchanged or, if changed, that the newest form
definition is the one retained by ODK Briefcase (the form definition itself
is also required for the push and export-as-CSV functionality). In a mesh
system, you would be handling form version management separately from the
gathering of submissions.
Mitch
···
On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 6:35 PM, Corey Wallis wrote:
Hi,
On a device running ODK Collect there are three folders inside the odk
folder on external storage. They are:
/odk/forms
/odk/instances
/odk/metadata
Am I right in assuming that the metadata directory is not required for
use with ODK Briefcase when using the "Custom Path to ODK Directory"
to pull data into ODK Briefcase?
The reason I ask is that I'm currently working on a project where we
are looking to distribute forms and instances over a mesh network in
the field.
In time we hope to be able to deploy updates to forms in the field
where no telecommunications infrastructure is available as well as
collect finalised instances.
For example as a way to mitigate the risk to data if a device is lost
/ stolen etc.
I have a mechanism to distribute both forms and instance files, and
now I'm turning towards putting the data back together for import into
ODK Briefase if a device is lost.
My current plan looks something like this:
- All devices have the same forms deployed on them
- When an instance is finalised by ODK Collect the data goes into the
/odk/instances/ directory
- At that time my software packages up the form instance and shares it
over the mesh network
- If the device is lost / stolen / fails etc. the data that it
collected is distributed on the mesh network
If a device is lost I need to be able to put the data that it
collected back together for import into ODK Briefcase. My current
thinking is to:
- Use an /odk/forms directory that contains the form definition files
- Populate an /odk/instances directory with the instances collected by
the missing device
- Pull the data into an ODK Briefcase instance
Does this plan to reconstruct the missing data and pull it into ODK
Briefcase make sense from the perspective of ODK?
With thanks.
-Corey
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Mitch Sundt
Software Engineer
University of Washington
mitchellsundt@gmail.com
Hi Mitch,
Many thanks for your reply, it is very useful.
I'll also ensure I subscribe to the developers list and use it in
future for questions of this nature.
With thanks.
-Corey
···
On Wed, Jan 23, 2013 at 5:19 AM, Mitch S wrote:
> Please note that this question is more appropriate for the
> opendatakit-developers@ list.
>
> Yes, the metadata directory only holds the databases tracking the available
> forms and the status of all completed and incomplete form submissions on the
> phone. Once a form submission is marked as complete, nothing in that
> directory is needed when the form submission is later processed.
>
> The only thing you need to ship off the phone is the submission's instance
> folder. The forms folder is scanned by ODK Briefcase to verify and confirm
> that the form definition is unchanged or, if changed, that the newest form
> definition is the one retained by ODK Briefcase (the form definition itself
> is also required for the push and export-as-CSV functionality). In a mesh
> system, you would be handling form version management separately from the
> gathering of submissions.
>
> Mitch
>
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 6:35 PM, Corey Wallis wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> On a device running ODK Collect there are three folders inside the odk
>> folder on external storage. They are:
>>
>> /odk/forms
>> /odk/instances
>> /odk/metadata
>>
>> Am I right in assuming that the metadata directory is not required for
>> use with ODK Briefcase when using the "Custom Path to ODK Directory"
>> to pull data into ODK Briefcase?
>>
>> The reason I ask is that I'm currently working on a project where we
>> are looking to distribute forms and instances over a mesh network in
>> the field.
>>
>> In time we hope to be able to deploy updates to forms in the field
>> where no telecommunications infrastructure is available as well as
>> collect finalised instances.
>>
>> For example as a way to mitigate the risk to data if a device is lost
>> / stolen etc.
>>
>> I have a mechanism to distribute both forms and instance files, and
>> now I'm turning towards putting the data back together for import into
>> ODK Briefase if a device is lost.
>>
>> My current plan looks something like this:
>>
>> - All devices have the same forms deployed on them
>> - When an instance is finalised by ODK Collect the data goes into the
>> /odk/instances/ directory
>> - At that time my software packages up the form instance and shares it
>> over the mesh network
>> - If the device is lost / stolen / fails etc. the data that it
>> collected is distributed on the mesh network
>>
>> If a device is lost I need to be able to put the data that it
>> collected back together for import into ODK Briefcase. My current
>> thinking is to:
>>
>> - Use an /odk/forms directory that contains the form definition files
>> - Populate an /odk/instances directory with the instances collected by
>> the missing device
>> - Pull the data into an ODK Briefcase instance
>>
>> Does this plan to reconstruct the missing data and pull it into ODK
>> Briefcase make sense from the perspective of ODK?
>>
>> With thanks.
>>
>> -Corey
>>
>> --
>> Post: opendatakit@googlegroups.com
>> Unsubscribe: opendatakit+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
>> Options: http://groups.google.com/group/opendatakit?hl=en
>
>
>
>
> --
> Mitch Sundt
> Software Engineer
> University of Washington
> mitchellsundt@gmail.com
>
> --
> Post: opendatakit@googlegroups.com
> Unsubscribe: opendatakit+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
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