Expose multiple Confluence spaces to external customers

[Phillip Collins]

I've seen a few similar threads and questions over the past years but it seems like no one has nailed this query - apologies if someone has.

So here goes … we currently use Jira Service Management (Cloud) where external customers can raise tickets. We also have a Knowledge Base space setup in Confluence Cloud to publish Knowledge articles. Lastly, we use an old Confluence (in-house server) version to publish Online Help for our external customers using our product.

We'd like to bring these knowledge resources (KB articles & Online Help) together in the one "view" for our customers.

We anticipate we'll need to upgrade the old server version of Confluence to Cloud and move the content to a new Space where we will provide Anonymous Access to our external customers. But I'm trying to understand how we can combine the Online Help information plus the Knowledge Articles in the one "view" for customers.

• Does anyone know if this is possible?
• Are other Marketplace tools required?
• Can anyone point me to any resources that explain how to create this one "view" 

Thanks a lot one and all.

[James Conway]

Hi @Phillip Collins ,

If I recall correctly, JSM can only connect to one Confluence Space. So you may need to define a page hierarchy within that constraint. K15t Scroll Viewport is one option for presenting Confluence as a help centre - Atlassian themselves use it! 

For managing your content in different spaces / instances, you might want to consider Comala Publishing which enables you to publish pages from a 'draft' space to a 'published' space. It will soon be released in Cloud.

For your content on your Confluence Server, you could look at Comala Document Management + Comala Remote Publishing (Server & DC) to publish your Online Help documentation to your KB Space in your Confluence Cloud.

All the best

James
Senior Product Manager at Comalatech

[John Price]

Adding to this - if you have multiple SD projects in your top-level portal, each one can link to a different Confluence space.  We have Cloud but we also have an old Server instance (Jira only, no JSD/JSM) where the clients log into Jira (bad) and use Confluence for KB/release notes.  We use at least one plugin to skin the KB nicely.  

We're in the same boat trying to plan what to do with this site once Server is gone.  JSM + Confluence KB makes the most sense, but we don't want to lose our customized Confluence look and feel.  There are also some shortcomings with JSM if you have clients using a custom SSO module as we do.  We want them to be able to use one set of credentials for JSM and our own bespoke commercial apps.

[Phillip Collins]

Thanks for your input @John Price

What are you using to customize the look & feel of Confluence? 

The idea that one logon - to JSM and your own commercial product - would really appeal to us. Its a bit of a bug bear for some of our clients and I didn't know this was possible. I'd love to hear if you've found a solution for this one.

[Phillip Collins]

Thanks @James Conway for your response. Yes I've had a preliminary look at both K15t Scroll Viewpoint and it looks worth spending some more time on. I had previously looked at Comala - so will revisit. Thanks

Our technical team have told me that our old Confluence on-prem version will have to move as Atlassian have announced EOL. So that's now a given - move all Help content to Cloud.

The biggest issue I see is the limitation where the Confluence Space - that houses our KB & links to JSM for customers logging new issues - can only be linked to the one JSM. We may have to look at automating some sort of Copy Page so we end up with a copy of the KB in the Online Help space.  

[James Conway]

Hi @Phillip Collins 

You may want to check out https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JSDCLOUD-170, looks like it might answer your need to link multiple spaces.

Kind regards

James
Senior Product Manager

[Phillip Collins]

Thanks @James Conway for the link.

This would be very useful to make the content from our Online Help space available to customers when logging their issues in JSM.

What I'm looking to do is bring the KB articles that are currently only available in JSM into the Online Help space. Any ideas here?

Cheers

[James Conway]

Hi @Phillip Collins 

If you 'just' want to merge your Confluence Cloud instances I believe you need to explore 'exporting and importing'. 

All the best

James