ODK Central Concepts

In order to understand how Publish MDM works, it’s important to understand the concepts behind ODK Central.

Core Concepts

ODK Central Form

The heart of the ODK ecosystem is the form. Forms provide a structured way to collect and provide information. They are defined in XML and can be published to ODK Central.

ODK Central Server

An instance of ODK Central that hosts projects, forms, and app users. Publish MDM can connect to multiple ODK Central servers, each associated with an organization. Servers are configured with base URL, username, and password credentials that are encrypted and stored securely.

ODK Central App User

App Users interact with ODK Central through the ODK Collect app. They are granted limited access to specific forms within a project.

Tip

A key feature of Publish MDM is the ability to link devices to ODK Central App Users through MDM. Devices assigned to an ODK Central App User will automatically configure ODK Collect with the correct forms and settings without needing to scan a QR code (using ODK Collect’s MDM configuration).

ODK Central Project

A container within ODK Central that groups related forms and app users together. Projects in Publish MDM are synchronized with ODK Central projects and can be created either locally or by syncing from existing ODK Central projects.

How Publish MDM Extends These Concepts

Publish MDM builds on these core ODK Central concepts by introducing form templates, template variables, and device management capabilities. Instead of creating separate forms for each user or data source, you can create a single form template and have Publish MDM automatically generate custom versions for different users, regions, or teams.

See the Dynamic Forms with Template Variables guide for more information on how to use template variables to create flexible, reusable forms.