Automation help - transition issue based on child issue

[dave_drexler]

Hi folks - I have a project with 3 issue types (Theme, Initiative, and Sub-initiative) that we use for Advanced Roadmapping. Sub-initiatives are implemented via Epics in various other projects, with the Epics linked to the Sub-initiative via the Child-of link type. I want to

• Transition a Sub-initiative when one (the first) of its 'child' Epics are added to a sprint. 
• Transition a Sub-initiative when one (the first) of its 'child' Epics are transitioned; for example, move the Sub-initiative to In Progress when the first of its children are moved to In Progress.
• Transition a Sub-initiative when ALL (the last) of its 'child' Epics are transitioned. In other words, when the last child Epic is closed, close the Sub-initiative.

I found examples of doing these things based on Epics and Sub-tasks, but not linked 'child' issues. Is this do-able?

[Mark Segall · Accepted solution]

Hi @dave_drexler - This is totally doable.  You're looking at a few automation rules:

Transition a Sub-initiative when any of its 'child' Epics are added to a sprint.

• TRIGGER: Field Value Changed (Sprint)
• CONDITION: Issue Type = Epic
• CONDITION: JQL
  Here we'll have it verify the parent link isn't already in the desired status 

  • Key = {{issue.Parent Link}} AND status != X

• BRANCH (JQL):
  

  • Key = {{issue.Parent Link}}

  • ACTION: Transition Issue (To status X)

Transition a Sub-initiative when any of its 'child' Epics are transitioned.

This one will be similar to above with exception of the trigger

• TRIGGER: Issue transitioned (to X)
• CONDITION: Issue Type = Epic
• CONDITION: JQL
  Here we'll have it verify the parent link isn't already in the desired status 

  • Key = {{issue.Parent Link}} AND status != X

• BRANCH (JQL):
  

  • Key = {{issue.Parent Link}}

  • ACTION: Transition Issue (To status X)

Transition a Sub-initiative when ALL of its 'child' Epics are transitioned.

This one is a little different

• TRIGGER: Issue transitioned (to X)
• CONDITION: Issue Type = Epic
• ACTION: Lookup Issues
  Here we want a "negative" result where we're looking for any issues that don't meet your "ALL" condition
  

  • "Parent Link" = {{issue.Parent Link}} AND status != X

• CONDITION (Advanced)
  • {{lookupIssues.size}}
    Less than
    1
• BRANCH (JQL):
  

  • Key = {{issue.Parent Link}}

  • ACTION: Transition Issue (To status X)

[dave_drexler]

Thanks, @Mark Segall! I'll give this a whirl.

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @dave_drexler 

Yes, and...to Mark's answer:

Please consider your edge cases/exceptions to decide what you want to happen, and to confirm the rules can either handle them and/or have no side effects.

For example, you want to transition a "sub-initiative" when its first, child epic is assigned to a sprint.  What happens when assignment was done in error, or the sprint field is later cleared?

Some cases might be addressed by improving your scenarios (e.g., only transition after the sprint starts versus on assignment), while others may potentially need some form of cleanup.

Kind regards,
Bill

[dave_drexler]

Thank you, @Bill Sheboy - understood; that makes sense. I appreciate the advice.

[dave_drexler]

@Mark Segall  - wondering if I can prevail on you for more advice. I tried the 'middle' automation, above, first, but it's not firing. There's no indication in the audit log that it ran even though my colleagues tested it with the correct conditions. (I confirmed their test conditions.)  Can you spot what I'm doing wrong? Here's how I set it up:

[Bill Sheboy]

Hi @dave_drexler 

When one rule performs actions that could trigger another, the next / downstream rule needs to enable the option in the details for "Allow rule trigger".  This is disabled by default to prevent accidental rule looping/firing.

Kind regards,
Bill

[dave_drexler]

Thank you, @Bill Sheboy. I've made that change and asked my colleagues to test.

[dave_drexler]

Hi @Mark Segall and @Bill Sheboy - sorry for being such an automation dope, but this seemingly simple rule is still not running, though I think I'm getting closer.

Here's what I have:

As you can see, my test child issue (PLATFORM-2084) passes the conditions, but then there are 'No Actions Performed' on the parent issue. I've simplified the rule from what @Mark Segall originally suggested; I read somewhere that {issue.parent link} was being deprecated and replaced with the Parent condition, so I tried that.

Any clues appreciated; sorry again for not having one.

[Mark Segall]

Hi Dave - I see two issues

1. Your second condition is based upon Parent which is only applicable to Sub-Tasks.  Instead you'll want to replace it with this:

• CONDITION (JQL)

  • key = {{issue.Parent Link}} and status = "Approved for Development"

2. Your branch is also based upon parent which again is only applicable to Sub-Tasks.  Instead you'll want this:

• BRANCH (JQL)

  • key = {{issue.Parent Link}}

[dave_drexler]

Thanks, @Mark Segall ! That worked a treat. That's what you originally laid out, but I drifted away from it as I stumbled about. Anyway - thank you for the answer and your patience. Now I'm on to the other two rules.