A Comprehensive User Manual for the Jira Plugin

Introduction

Welcome to the comprehensive user manual for the Jira Plugin. In this guide, we will explore the key concepts and functionalities of Jira, a powerful project management and issue tracking tool developed by Atlassian. Whether you are new to Jira or looking to enhance your existing knowledge, this user manual will provide you with valuable insights and instructions on how to leverage the Jira Plugin effectively.

Key Concepts of Jira

Jira is designed to streamline project management and issue tracking, offering a robust set of features and capabilities. Some of the key concepts of Jira include:

1. Projects: Jira organizes work into projects, which can represent various initiatives, tasks, or teams within your organization. Each project has its own set of issues and configurations.
2. Issues: Issues are the core entities in Jira and represent tasks, bugs, features, or any other unit of work. They can be customized with different fields, workflows, and permissions to suit your specific needs.
3. Workflows: Jira workflows define the lifecycle of an issue, from creation to completion. They consist of a series of steps and transitions, allowing you to track and manage the progress of your work.
4. Boards: Jira boards provide a visual representation of your project's progress and allow you to manage and prioritize issues using agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban.

The Jira Plugin and Hosting Options

Atlassian offers two hosting options for Jira: Jira Cloud and Jira Server. If you choose Jira Cloud, Atlassian will host and set up your Jira Software site in the cloud, providing a hassle-free and accessible solution. On the other hand, Jira Server allows you to host and manage Jira on your own infrastructure.

The Jira Plugin supports both hosting options, allowing you to seamlessly integrate the plugin into your preferred Jira environment. Whether you opt for a cloud domain or an owner domain, the Jira Plugin ensures a consistent and enhanced experience for your project management and issue tracking needs. For Jira Server, the plugin supports versions 8.0.0 onward, ensuring compatibility with the latest releases.

Jira for Different Teams

Jira caters to various teams and departments, offering specialized solutions tailored to their specific needs. For example:

1. Jira Work Management: Designed for business teams, Jira Work Management provides a user-friendly interface and features that streamline task management, collaboration, and reporting, enabling teams to effectively organize and track their work.
2. Jira Service Management: Specifically tailored for IT service teams, Jira Service Management offers robust ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) functionalities, allowing organizations to deliver exceptional IT services, manage incidents, and resolve problems efficiently.
3. Jira Software: Built to support software development teams, Jira Software provides a comprehensive suite of agile project management tools, enabling teams to plan, track, and release software effectively. It integrates seamlessly with popular development tools and methodologies.

By aligning Jira with the specific needs of your team, you can optimize your project management and collaboration processes, driving efficiency and productivity throughout your organization.

In the following sections of this user manual, we will delve deeper into the functionalities and configuration options offered by the Jira Plugin. Stay tuned for detailed instructions and best practices to make the most out of this powerful tool for your project management needs.

Plugin Requirements

To utilize the full capabilities of the Jira Plugin and effectively create and monitor issues, certain requirements need to be met. These requirements ensure that users have the necessary access and permissions within the Jira environment. Here are the key requirements for using the Jira Plugin:

1. Jira Credentials: To utilize the Jira Plugin, you need valID Jira credentials. The type of credentials required depends on the hosting option of your Jira instance. If you are using Jira Cloud, you will need an API key provIDed by Atlassian. In the case of a self-hosted Jira Server, you can authenticate using either your Jira password or an API key associated with your account.
2. Project Access: To create an issue using the Jira Plugin, you must have access to the project where you want to create the issue. This access is typically granted through the "Browse projects" permission, which allows you to view and navigate through different projects within Jira. Ensure that you have the necessary permissions to browse the desired project before creating an issue.
3. Monitoring Issues: If you wish to monitor an existing issue using the Jira Plugin, you need access to the project where the issue resides. Additionally, you should be aware of the issue's unique Identifier, either its ID or key. This information enables you to track and monitor the specific issue within the project effectively.

By meeting these requirements, you can fully leverage the capabilities of the Jira Plugin to create, monitor, and manage issues within your Jira projects. Ensure that you have the appropriate credentials and access permissions in place, considering the specific requirements based on your Jira hosting option, to make the most out of this powerful plugin and optimize your project management workflows in Jira.

Plugin functionality

Jira Plugin Functionalities:

The Jira Plugin offers a range of powerful functionalities that enhance your ability to manage and track issues within your projects. Here are some key features provided by the Jira Plugin:

1. Create an Issue: With the Jira Plugin, you can easily create new issues within your existing Jira projects. Whether you need to raise a bug, create a task, or log a feature request, the plugin enables you to quickly and efficiently capture and document the necessary information. By providing essential details such as issue type, summary, description, and assignee, you can initiate the issue creation process seamlessly.
2. Monitor Issue/Ticket Status: The Jira Plugin allows you to monitor the status of one or multiple issues with ease. You can specify the desired status(es) to track and receive real-time updates on any changes. This functionality is particularly useful for staying informed about important issues or ensuring that critical tasks are progressing as expected. By defining the specific status(es) you want to monitor, you can effortlessly stay on top of your project's progress.
3. Update Existing Issues: The Jira Plugin empowers you to update and modify existing issues directly from your integrated environment. Whether you need to assign a new owner, add comments, update the priority, or make any other necessary adjustments, the plugin provides a convenient interface for performing these actions. This feature ensures that you have complete control over the lifecycle of your issues, enabling you to keep them up to date and reflect the most accurate information.

By leveraging these functionalities, the Jira Plugin streamlines and enhances your issue management process. Whether you're creating new issues, monitoring their status, or tracking updates, this plugin provides a seamless integration with Jira, enabling you to efficiently handle and track your project’s issues.

Jira Plugin Form

In Jira plugin properties there are two panels: CONNECTION and ACTION

Connection

In the panel CONNECTION you can enter the Jira credentials:

1. Host is the URL of Jira HOST
2. Username is the email or username of personal Jira account
3. Password is the API KEY generated in https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira--> manage account, or password of personal Jira account

The button “Test Connection” allows you to check if the entered Jira credentials are correct. The button shows a popup that shows the result of the Test connection.

Action

In the ACTION panel, you can switch between three operations: Create, Monitor or Update.

• Create operation allows to create a new issue in the selected project. To create an issue, you need Browse projects permissions (Permission to access the project).
• Monitor operation allows to monitor a specific status (or status list) of an existing issue. To monitor an issue, you need Browse projects permissions (Permission to access the project), and you must know the issue ID or key.
• Update operation allows to update the editable fields of an existing issue, including the Transition to perform. To update an issue, you need Browse projects permissions (Permission to access the project) and you know the issue ID or key.

Note. For all three operations, you must enter the project Name or ID or key.

Create

In the panel ACTION, if you choose Create operation, you can create a new issue.

To create a new issue, the Plugin needs:

1. The project name, key or ID where to create the issue: You can use the Search button to find all projects available and select one of them.
2. The issue type name or ID of the issue to create: You can use the button Search to find all issue type available and select one of them.
3. The fields mandatory: All mandatory fields are listed and already selected in the list that opens when click on the button Populate Fields (“Summary” field is always mandatory).

Populated Fields

In the panel ACTION there is an area called Fields List, where you can enter the fields that the issue makes available for creating the issue.

You can enter the fields manually using the “+” button, placed below the list. In alternative use, the button Populate Fields to generate all fillable fields.Populate the issue type into the Fields List.

The Populate Fields button will show a pop-up where you can select between all field types available. These pre-selected fields are mandatory.

Here are some of the most common field types in creation mode:

1. User: Enter an assignable user to the currently selected project (assignable user is a user that has the Browse projects permission).
2. String: Enter an alphanumeric value.
3. Option/Priority: Enter the value or ID of the option (the value of the option is searchable between the “Allowed Values” that is displayed if your input is wrong when pressing on ‘Validate Inputs’ button).
4. Option with child: Specify the pair of information using ID or label, relating to the parent and child hierarchy separated by the character "|", like as follows: “a|a1” where “a” is the parent option and “a1” is the child option.
5. Date: Enter the date respecting the format wanted by the server (example “yyyy-mm-dd). Unfortunately, we can’t provide any hints here, so the job will fail at runtime if the format is incorrect.
6. Date/Time: Example: “yyyy-mm-ddTHH:mm:ss+UTC”. As for Date field type, you must know the format wanted by the server or the job will fail at runtime.
7. Linked Issue: Enter an ID or key of another existing issue to link to the issue in creation. You can also specify the issue Link type, as follows: “issueLinkType:issueIDOrKey”.
8. Number: Enter a numeric value
9. Array: Enter a list of value and separate with ‘,’. This type allows you to create an array of Option, Option with Child, Number, String and User.
10. Parent: You can enter an Epic issue key/ID for Task, Story, and Bug, or enter a Task, Story or Bug issue key/ID for Subtask.
11. Attachments: Not allowed.
12. Timetracking: Not allowed.
13. Component: You can enter a component ID or a name for the component field (in ‘Jira Software’ only if you enable the component mode).
14. Version: Enter version ID or name for the affected version and fix version (‘in Jira Software’ only if you enable the release mode).

Create and Monitor

At the end of the ACTION panel, choose the Create operation. There is also a checkbox called Monitor the issue being created. If you select this option, you can monitor the status of the newly created issue.

To monitor the new issue, the plugin needs:

• The status or a list of statuses to monitor. You can use the button Get Status to get all available status on the workflow scheme of the issue selected. Select only one to add another status to monitor (ex: You have entered “,” among them).

Also, you can enter the Polling Timeout and Polling Interval for the monitoring (set to default value if not specified) ========9

NOTE. The Status to be monitored can be entered, as in the MONITOR OPERATION, through Approval State or Rejection State, or both.

Monitor

In the panel ACTION, if you choose Monitor operation, you can monitor the status of an issue.

To monitor the status of an issue, the plugin needs:

1. The project name, key, or ID where the issue was created, you can use the button Search to find all projects available and select one of them.
2. The issue ID, key or summary of the issue to monitor, you can use the button Search (only after entered some character) to suggest an issue, the list show max 17 results, or in alternative you can enter a jql query such as “jql://${jqlQuery}” (example: jql://project=PLUG AND summary~yourSummary)
3. The Status or a list of status to monitor, you can use the button Get Status to get all available status on the workflow scheme of the issue selected and select one (only one) of them, to add other status to monitor, you have entered “,” among them, as in example.

NOTE. The Status to be monitored can be entered in Approval State or Rejection State, or in both.

• Approval state can be used for monitoring an issue when the issue reached an approval state as Done, completed ecc à in outProperties MONITOR_STATUS: Approved
• Rejection state can be used for monitoring an issue when the issue reached a Rejection state as Defer, invalID ecc à in outProperties MONITOR_STATUS: Rejected

Polling Interval and Polling Timeout

The two fields in Monitor operation called Polling Interval and Polling Timeout don’t have to be filled. By defaults “Polling Interval” is 30 seconds while “Polling Timeout” is one day (24 hours).

If you want to insert a specific value for this field you can following the current syntax:

• P[D] [T [H] [M] [S] ]
• o for example: ‘P1DT12H30M’

Or in alternative following the other syntax, simply by omitting the ‘P’ and ‘T’ prefixes:

• [D] [H] [M ] [S] (without P and T)
• o For example: ‘1D12H30M’

Status achieved.

The monitoring of an issue is stopped when:

1. The issue enters either the Approval or Rejection state, depending on the status provided.
2. The field "resolution date" is filled since the issue has reached a final status and is therefore closed.
3. There is no longer a polling timeout.

Update

In the ACTION panel, if you choose Update operation, you can perform a Transition for the specified issue and update all editable fields of the issue inserted.

To update the existing issue, the Plugin needs:

1. Project name, key or ID where the issue was created: you can use the button Search to find all projects available and select one of them.
2. Issue ID, key or summary of the issue to update: you can use the button Search (only after entered some character) to suggest an issue, the list show max 17 results, or alternatively, you can enter a jql query as “jql://${jqlQuery}”.
   (example: jql://project=PLUG AND summary~yourSummary )
3. Fields to update: if you want to change the status, you must perform a transition (you have to enter the “transition” fields and the relative name or ID of the transition to perform). All fields editable are listed in the list that opens when click on the button Populate Fields.

Populate Fields to Update working as the button in Create operation, it populates the fields List with the fields you selected and show only the editable fields of the issue selected.

The button Show Issue shows a pop up with all editable name-value pairs set in the issue selected.

Note: If you want to unset or cancel a value of a field previously filled, you need to enter as value of the fields “unset” (as in example). Also, this operation is only in “set” mode, so all values entered will replace the value previously entered. You can’t add a value to the value that's already inserted; you need to enter both (and all) value to be displays (as in the example).

You must to pay attention to some fields type in update mode:

1. User: you can enter an assignable user to the currently selected project (assignable user is a user that have the Browse projects permission)
2. String: enter an alphanumeric value
3. Option, Priority: enter the value or ID of the option (the value of the option is searchable between the “Allowed Values”)
4. Option with child: specify the pair of information using ID or label, relating to the parent and child hierarchy separated by the character "|", like as follows: “a|a1” where “a” is the parent and “a1” is the child
5. Date: you must enter the date respecting the format wanted by the server (example “yyyy-mm-dd). Unfortunately, we can’t provide any hints here, so the job will fail at runtime if the format is incorrect.
6. Date/Time: example: “yyyy-mm-ddTHH:mm:ss+UTC”. As for Date field type you must know the format wanted by the server or the job will fail at runtime.
7. Linked Issue: you can enter an ID or key of another existing issue to link to the issue in creation. Also you can specify the issue Link type like as follows: “issueLinkType:issueIDOrKey”.
8. Number: enter a numeric value
9. Array: you can enter a list of value separate with ‘,’. This type allows you to create an array of Option, Option Child, Number, String and User.
10. Parent: you can enter an Epic issue key/ID for Task, Story, and Bug, or enter a Task, Story or Bug issue key/ID for Subtask.
11. Attachments: not allowed
12. Transition: you can enter the transition name or ID to perform. After the transition, the issue will change status.
13. Timetracking: not allowed
14. Component: you can enter component ID or name for the component field (only if you enable the component mode).
15. Version: you can enter version ID or name for the affected version and fix version (only if you enable the release mode).
16. Comment-page: you can enter a string that will be inserted as a comment to the issue, in addition to the existent others.

ValIDate Input

The button at the end of the panel called Validate Input allows user to validate all input entered. If one of them is incorrect or missing, a popup shows the relative error. For example:

This way you can be sure that the job won't fail at runtime.

Kill and Reconnect

In case the server goes down, the plugin is able to resume the monitoring of an issue. In particular, the plugin will recover the status to monitor and the remaining polling timeout, so that the plugin can resume the monitoring of the issue without any variation.

In case we choose create and monitoring, the plugin will check if the issue was created. If not created, the plugin re-executes all the process. If it was created, the plugin would restart only the monitoring action.

Output Properties

The Jira Job can finish in:

• ABEND status if the polling timeout setting is expired
• SUCC status if the issue has been generated or is being tracked properly
• FAIL status if something went wrong (see the JobLog for more information)

In the extra properties of the job (extra information), you’ll find some information about issue and exit statuses:

• Json_results contain all issue properties.

• MONITOR_STATUS contain the exit type:
• Approved if the issue has reached an Approval status
  • Rejected if the issue has reached a Reject status
  • Timeout if the issue has not reached any status in the specified time inserted in Polling Timeout
  • Final status if the issue goes into a final status of the workflow scheme as Done

Job Properties

When the Jira Job is finished, you’ll see the “Exit Status” reached through the output of the Job Properties.

In the Job Properties, you can see Out Properties:

• “Exit Status” = 0 à “Status message” = Approved Status reached
• “Exit Status” = 5 à “Status message” = Rejection Status reached
• “Exit Status” = 4 à “Status message” = Final Status reached
• “Exit Status” = 1 à “Status message” = Monitoring Timeout
• “Exit Status” = 2 à “Status message” = Cancelled Issue
• “Exit Status” = 3 à “Status message” = Unknown Issue
• “Exit Status” = -9 à “Status message” = Polling thread interrupted