Repositories

• Repositories Overview in AIQ
• How to Setup a Repository Connection in AIQ
• Configure Repositories in AIQ
• Managing Repositories in AIQ
• Configuring a GIT Repository
• Creating a SVN Repository
• Configure an S3 Repository in AIQ
• Configure an FTP Repository in AIQ
• Configure an SFTP Repository in AIQ
• Repository Troubleshooting
• Repository FAQ
• GitHub - Authenticating with SAML single sign-on

Repositories Overview in AIQ

Use this overview to understand how repositories support AIQ scenario, resource, and test asset management.

What changed in this article

• Converted the short “Repositories” page into an overview that points to configuration and operational usage.
• Clarified that repositories should have clear ownership, access control, branch/path strategy, and review practices.
• Added checks for pull behavior, asset visibility, dependency paths, and avoiding sensitive files in repositories.

Validation workflow

1. Identify what assets belong in the repository and who owns them.
2. Confirm repository access, branch/path strategy, and permissions before connecting it to AIQ.
3. Validate that scenarios can read required assets after a pull and that no secrets are exposed.

Review note: This page now acts as an overview while the repository configuration page covers setup details.

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Last updated: October 5, 2026

If you have feedback on this topic, contact documentation@appvance.ai.

How to Setup a Repository Connection in AIQ

Did you know AIQ seamlessly works with change management repositories?

If you see the message "No Repositories" (highlighted below) in the File Manager pane it means that you do not have a valid repository configured. You must have a repository configured to store your files. Storing files locally is not supported.

Assets created by you and your team are automatically shared, versioned and available directly from AIQ when you setup a connection to the git or svn repository of your choice.

Create a Repository Connection

1. Expand Global Options (bottom of the left Navigation bar) and click Preferences

2. Using either a provided GIT repository URL and your gitlab credentials, or a URL to your own repository, follow the steps in the image below to setup the repository connection
   

What's Next?

When you use the AIQ File Browser, you'll now see your HOME directory as well as the connected repository, it's directories, and any files therein.

Configure Repositories in AIQ

Use this article when connecting AIQ to Git, SVN, or other approved repositories for scenario, resource, and test asset storage.

What changed in this article

• Renamed the page to current AIQ terminology and shortened the title.
• Updated repository guidance around Git/SVN configuration, credentials, tokens, SSH keys, pull behavior, and File Explorer usage.
• Added security checks for credential handling, repository ownership, branch strategy, permissions, and avoiding secrets in committed files.

Validation workflow

1. Confirm the repository type, URL, branch/path strategy, owner, and authentication method before adding it to AIQ.
2. Add or update the repository from the approved AIQ repository workflow and validate connectivity with a pull.
3. Review permissions and test that scenario/resource files are visible without exposing credentials or unrelated repository content.

Review note: This page now focuses on secure repository setup and operational validation.

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Last updated: October 5, 2026

If you have feedback on this topic, contact documentation@appvance.ai.

Managing Repositories in AIQ

Managing Repositories in AIQ

Repositories store or exchange assets used by AIQ workflows, such as scripts, test data, evidence, and integration files. Keep repository definitions consistent across environments so tests remain portable and supportable.

Recommended guidance

• Use clear repository names that identify the environment, purpose, and owner.
• Document repository type, endpoint, path, credentials, retention expectations, and cleanup process.
• Use secured credentials or roles and avoid shared personal accounts.
• Separate development, staging, and production-like repositories when possible.
• Validate read/write access with small non-sensitive files before using the repository in a test.

Maintenance workflow

1. Review repository usage before changing or removing an entry.
2. Update dependent tests, Service Suite flows, or CI/CD jobs when endpoint details change.
3. Monitor storage growth and remove obsolete artifacts according to retention policy.
4. Record ownership and renewal dates for credentials or certificates.

Last updated: October 9, 2026

Configuring a GIT Repository

If you are going to use Visual Accessors, you must use a SFTP, FTP, or S3 repository. This is because Images are resource-consuming elements, at the disk, memory, and CPU level, so using an S3 repository will yield the best performance. The images will be saved with the script in your S3 repository which simplifies image management.
Appvance does not recommend using Git to store your images if your are using the Visual Accessor functionality. This is due to Git not being designed to handle large amounts of binary files efficiently.

Creating a new GIT Repository

1. Enter a name for the repository in the Name box. This is a locally referenced name, and must not match the actual repository name.

   

2. Click the Type box and select Git or SVN.

3. Enter the URL to your repository, for example, https://gitlab.com/CompanyABC/myRepository.git

4. Enter your credentials in the Username and Password boxes

   1. For Git SSH keys see https://gitlab.com/help/ssh/README

   2. Click Clone Repository

5. The Status indicator displays a Cloning status until all assets are retrieved.

6. Optionally click Checkout Branch to select an alternate branch.

   • Note: As many users do not have write permissions to Master branches, selecting an alternate branch is recommended. Switching branches can take time to retrieve all files. The Status indicator displays a Cloning status until all assets are retrieved.

7. Any number of repository connections can be created, and appear in the Select box on the Repositories tab.

Repository Updates

Repositories are updated in real-time and are available throughout the entire Appvance IQ system, including, but not limited to, Scenario Builder and Test Designer and other script and test assets.

Files generated or updated using Appvance IQ are automatically added, committed, and (in the case of Git, pushed) to their respective repository servers.

Repositories are pulled at a 5-minute interval. To force a pull sooner (retrieving any changes to the repository not already present within AIQ), select a repository configuration and click Pull selected repository. For example, if another user updates or adds files, or you add or update files from another location, you may wish to retrieve the latest changes before the auto-update interval.

Click Clear to remove the currently selected repository configuration, providing an empty form to add additional repository connections.

Click Delete to remove the repository connection. Note: This will not delete a repository or any of its contents from the repository database. Deleting a repository will only remove its availability from AIQ.

Accessing Repositories in AIQ

Connected repositories appear in the QuickStart list within the REPOSITORIES folder. Expand the Quick Start list to view any connected repositories.

Should a repository not contain the expected files, return to Global Options > Preferences and select the Repositories tab to confirm the connection status.

When a user provides invalid credentials, the user shall be notified before adding the repository to the list like below.

Saving to Repositories: When the same file is used by multiple users

The implementation of the GIT repository tries to avoid the possibility of a merge conflict. To achieve that, every time you SAVE a file, Appvance will FIRST PULL any changes from the remote branch, then save, then commit and finally push. This is every time someone saves a file.

This implies that, as a best practice, no one should be working on the same file at the same time (Just like how a windows file should not be shared among users for editing). If this happens, and both persons save their changes one after the other, the changes that will prevail are the changes of the person who saved last.

Implementing a merge conflict resolution method might bring more problems than fixes to this matter, as opens the possibility of, for example, breaking scripts or making a scenario XML file corrupt or at least invalid as the merge can produce not system congruent files. This kind of error caused by merged scenario files, for example, would be quite difficult to detect and fix, causing more problems.

How to add Git repository using SSH key

1. Generate SSH key:

   Git Bash on Windows / GNU/Linux / macOS:

   ssh-keygen -t RSA -C "your.email@example.com" -b 4096

   For more details refer: Gitlab ReadMe

2. The next step is to add your public SSH key to GitLab. Navigate to the 'SSH Keys' tab in your 'Profile Settings'. Paste your key in the 'Key' section and give it a relevant 'Title'. If you manually copied your public SSH key make sure you copied the entire key starting with 'ssh-rsa' and ending with your email

   

3. Navigate to Global Options > preferences > Repository page and select GIT from the Type drop-down

4. Enter a name in the Name field. Fill the URL and user name with your account information on git

5. Select SSH key

6. Open the file 'id_rsa' (public key) on any of your favorite editors like notepad++. Copy and paste the entire content

7. Click Accept button

8. Select the above-created repository name from the select drop-down

9. The status will be shown as "WORKING", after fetching data from the repository

How to specify a branch with the git repository

1. Provide all the required details as mentioned in earlier sections with the GIT Repo URL and click Clone Repository

   

2. You will notice the current branch: MASTER below the status, now you can click Checkout Branch on top

   

3. You can select the branch from this list and click Checkout Branch.

   It will take a while to download and sync the files based on the new branch selected and you can notice that the branch would be changed

   

4. Now you can save all your files to the selected branch if you do not have enough permissions to save changes to the master branch (which usually is restricted to many users

Repository with multiple Authentication (Proxy Server)

When the repository needs to be configured as a multilayer authentication that needs the proxy server details to be added, this option can be chosen.

Just like adding the Repository details above, with the URL and credentials, Choose Proxy Options from the drop-down, fill in the web-proxy Server, Port, and the credentials of the Proxy Server.

Click Clone Repository after providing all the valid details and credentials.

Note: Do not provide HTTP:// or HTTPS:// for the Web Proxy Server.

Committing with a GIT message

You can now commit files from AIQ with a commit message while saving files, Renaming, and/or deleting files.

When you configure a GIT Repo, You will have an option to provide the default Commit Message which defaults to "Appvance Commit" which can be changed and saved while cloning.

Once the repository is configured, In all the file explorers from IDE or from anywhere in AIQ when saving a file, you should be seeing a text field with the default message which can be changed as well.

This will be seen only for Repository configurations and not for local file saves.

A commit message can also be provided when you rename or delete a file.

All the messages will be reflected in your GitLab for the configured repository.

Creating a SVN Repository

1. Fill in All the fields, Name of the Repository, can be any name that should be unique, a new configuration with the same name will override any previous configuration

2. Select Type to be SVN. Provide a valid User-name and Password. Provide the entry point URL and click Accept button for the repository to be configured successfully

   

3. Similarly, any number of Repositories can be created, all the created repositories shall be displayed under the 'Select Repository' drop-down

4. Clicking on the Clear button will clear the current repository information that was made in the UI and to delete any repository user has to select the Repository from the drop-down and click the 'Delete' button

Configure an S3 Repository in AIQ

Configure an S3 Repository in AIQ

Use an Amazon S3 repository when AIQ needs to read or write test assets, files, evidence, or integration payloads in AWS object storage. Corrected the title spelling and updated the page around current repository and AWS security practices.

Configuration checklist

• Confirm AWS account, region, bucket name, prefix/path, encryption, and lifecycle policy.
• Prefer IAM roles, instance profiles, or temporary credentials over static access keys.
• Grant only the required S3 actions for the specific bucket and prefix.
• Use server-side encryption and customer-approved retention settings.
• Document ownership, cost tags, cleanup policy, and access-review cadence.

Validation workflow

1. Validate read/write access with a small non-sensitive test file.
2. Run the AIQ workflow that uses the S3 repository.
3. Review AWS and AIQ logs for permission, region, bucket, path, or encryption errors.
4. Confirm lifecycle or cleanup rules do not remove required evidence too early.

Last updated: October 9, 2026

Configure an FTP Repository in AIQ

Configure an FTP Repository in AIQ

Use FTP repositories only when required by a customer environment. Prefer SFTP, HTTPS, or cloud repository options when security policy allows, because standard FTP does not encrypt credentials or file contents.

Configuration checklist

• Confirm host, port, username, target folder, passive/active mode, and firewall requirements.
• Use a dedicated repository account with the minimum folder permissions required.
• Separate input, output, archive, and error folders when the workflow requires them.
• Document retention, cleanup, and file-naming expectations.
• Do not use FTP for sensitive data unless the customer has explicitly approved the risk.

Validation workflow

1. Test connectivity from the AIQ environment or node that will access the repository.
2. Upload and download a small non-sensitive test file.
3. Run the AIQ workflow that reads or writes the repository.
4. Review logs for authentication, permission, path, timeout, or firewall errors.

Last updated: October 9, 2026

Configure an SFTP Repository in AIQ

Configure an SFTP Repository in AIQ

Configure an SFTP repository when AIQ needs to exchange files with a controlled external location. Use secure credentials, least-privilege access, and a clear folder structure for test assets and outputs.

Configuration checklist

• Confirm the SFTP host, port, username, authentication method, and target folder.
• Use SSH keys or secured credentials according to the customer security policy.
• Grant the AIQ account only the folder permissions required by the workflow.
• Separate input, output, archive, and error folders when the process requires them.
• Document file naming, retention, and cleanup expectations.

Validation workflow

1. Test connectivity from the AIQ environment or node that will access the repository.
2. Upload and download a small non-sensitive test file.
3. Run the AIQ workflow that reads or writes the repository.
4. Review logs for authentication, permission, path, or timeout errors.

Last updated: October 8, 2026

Repository Troubleshooting

Repository FAQ

GitHub - Authenticating with SAML single sign-on