What is the best way to integrate two JIRA instances / How can multiple JIRAs interact with each other?

[Fabian Meier]

We have two JIRA systems that are completely different from each other: One is a customer facing support portal with each client as a project, the other one is an internal development work management system with each product as a project and time tracking, etc.

I am currently trying to figure out how to integrate them with each other. I would like to create issues via a button (e.g. workflow transition) in System A in System B and receive updates (e.g. comments, etc.) or transition the status of an issue in System A depending on System B.

So far I understand that there is:

• Email Handler (kind a ugly)
• SOAP API
• Custom Plugin

Does JIRA 5 bring anything that would make this easier to accomplish?

[Fabian Meier · Accepted solution]

I have figured out a way to let seperate jira instances communicate with each other using JJUPIN Simple Issue Language (https://marketplace.atlassian.com/43318). It is a pretty nice plugin that even allows you to talk to a remote jira system via SOAP / REST without having to write your own plugin.

[Nils Bier _K15t_]

Hi Fabian,

You could also have a look at Backbone Issue Sync for JIRA, which allows you to achieve exactly what you're describing: Keeping multiple JIRA instances in sync.

Besides having full control on which issue types and which issue fields should be synced, you can also connect the workflows of the two instances or synchronize comments and attachments.

Check out our docs, or get in touch with us directly, if you have any further questions - we'll be happy to help.

Cheers,
Nils

[Bob Swift]

JIRA Command Line Interface has enablers for helping with this - see Documentation .

[Fabian Meier]

Thanks Bob, but I am afraid that it takes too much effort to jusitfy this to the managers.

[tier-0 grump]

There's Remote Linking in JIRA 5.0 - which probably doesn't go quite as far as you need, but at least you can link 2 issues more easily now. The REST API is also more useful now as it allows for updates as well as getting values.

[Fabian Meier]

Is it really such an odd usecase? I mean, how likely is it that I only have one JIRA instance running in my company? There are systems with entirely different focusses that can be powered by JIRA. I would think there should be some OOTB ways to exchange information between them...

[Renjith Pillai]

One more addition, REST API. There is nothing much OOTB in Jira 5 for integrating different instances. The Remote Issue Links may be of some use.

Related discussions here

https://answers.atlassian.com/questions/27168/how-to-synchronize-two-jira-instances
https://answers.atlassian.com/questions/38597/synchronise-2-instances-of-jira
https://answers.atlassian.com/questions/37711/how-to-connect-two-jira-instances-for-sync-issues-between-them

[Fabian Meier]

I was afraid that I would get this answer. Thanks anyways =)

[Ryan Tokash]

FYI - Since 2016 there is a new plug in that appears to cover this. I haven't used it yet but the approvals are pending so we can at least do the trial.

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1213346/issue-sync-integration-for-jira?hosting=cloud&tab=overview

[Bogusław Osuch]

Hi Fabian,

this summer we have released advanced JIRA Synchronizer at

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/plugins/com.intenso.jira.plugins.synchronizer

The idea is that particular issue types in particular project are synchronized with second JIRA project+issue type pair - that's something what we call Contract.
That's the base and next steps depend on needs. You can decide what will be:

• direction of synchronization (JIRA1 -> JIRA2, JIRA2 -> JIRA1, both)
• what will be synchronized (creates only, creates and updates, any other events configuration)
• what field will be synchronized/mapped
• if there should be a field with reference to second issue
• if synchronize comments
• if synchronize attachments
  and you can configure that separately for each JIRA