JIRA Fix Version update of JA Release - Bug or Feature

[Darren Williams]

Hi Community

We are sync'ing JIRA Fix Version with JA Releases and have noticed that when you assign a Fix Version to an Epic JA updates the JA Release as expected. However if our planning changes and the Fix Version is removed, JA will not remove the JIRA Epic from the JA Release. If I do update the Fix Version to an alternate release period the JA Release is updated, see logs below.

Ideally we'd expect that when Fix Version is removed the JIRA Epic/Story it is also removed from the JA Release

Is this a feature of a bug?

===== LOG START ====

By External System on 13/11/2019 10:21:45 AM
Updated -

• Release- From [N&IT FY20 Quarter 3] To [N&IT FY20 Quarter 4]
• Tags- From [j:OJAT-55] To [j:OJAT-55,j:FY20 Q4]
• Release Vehicle- From [] To [FY20 Q4]

By External System on 13/11/2019 10:06:35 AM
Updated -

• Tags- From [j:OJAT-55,j:FY20 Q3] To [j:OJAT-55]
• Release Vehicle- From [FY20 Q3] To []

By External System on 13/11/2019 9:51:24 AM
Created -

• CreatedBy : 32
• ...
• Release : N&IT FY20 Quarter 3
• ...
• Release Vehicle- From [] To [FY20 Q3]

==== LOG FINISH ====

[Tim Keyes · Accepted solution]

Hi Darren,

Thank you for the submission!

We cover the sync of Jira Fix Versions and Jira Align Release Vehicles in our Jira Data Sync article which can be found here:

https://agilecrafthelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000088393-10X-Jira-Data-Synchronization

Please take note of the screenshot from the article that the Jira Align to Jira Sync will add new Fix Versions to issues in Jira, but it will not remove them.

The logs provided in this submission show that a work item was created in Jira Align by the Jira Integration with an associated release vehicle.  In the subsequent log entries the release vehicle was removed by the Jira Integration 15 minutes later than a new release vehicle was added 15 minutes after that on a subsequent sync of data.

This functionality matches my experience in our test environment where the Jira to Jira Align sync can add and remove release vehicles from work items in Jira Align.

Update made from Jira By External System on 11/13/2019 10:18:14 PM
Updated -
Tags- From [j:MD-87,j:tim test version] To [j:MD-87]
FeatureSummary- From [add test version] To [remove test version]
Release Vehicle- From [tim test version] To []

Update made from Jira By External System on 11/13/2019 10:15:47 PM
Updated -
Tags- From [j:MD-87] To [j:MD-87,j:tim test version]
FeatureSummary- From [test story] To [add test version]
Release Vehicle- From [] To [tim test version]

********************************************

The functionality displayed in our logs is working as designed. 

Please let us know if this leads to any follow-up questions on the Fix Version/ Release Vehicle sync between Jira and Jira Align.

Thank you and welcome to the Jira Align Community!

-Tim 

[Darren Williams]

Tim

Thank you for the response.

Note we are only pulling from JIRA, JA does not have write access to JIRA

This is the log of greatest interest

By External System on 13/11/2019 10:06:35 AM
Updated -

• Tags- From [j:OJAT-55,j:FY20 Q3] To [j:OJAT-55]
• Release Vehicle- From [FY20 Q3] To []

Where the JIRA Fix Version is removed. What we are interested in is, if the JIRA Fix Version is removed should the JIRA Align Release be automatically removed by the sync? As per this log there is no change in JA

Thanks
Darren

[Tim Keyes]

Hi Darren,

Thank you for the update and the clarification.

I can now see you were referencing the Jira Align Release not being nulled out along with the Release Vehicle,

Our customers utilize Program Increment and Release interchangeably along with Release Vehicle and Release interchangeably.

I believe Jira Align has always functioned in the manner where nulling out a Fix Version in Jira will remove the Release Vehicle in Jira Align, but not the Release (Program Increment).

I will validate this logic with our engineering team and let you know my findings.  The best practice will most likely be manually nulling out the Release (Program Increment) in Jira Align.

Thank you!

-Tim

[Tim Keyes]

Hi Darren,

Thank you for your patience.

I have validated the historic logic on what happens to a Jira Align Release (Program Increment) when removing the Jira Fix Version on the corresponding Jira Issue.  The Product has always functioned in the manner where removal of the Fix Version in Jira does not assign the Jira Align work item to the Unassigned Backlog.

I checked with our product team and their guidance is that this functionality is currently working as originally designed and expected at this time.  Jira Align will continue to review what fields sync between Jira and Jira Align and how they sync between the applications as our integration continues to mature.

Please let us know if you have any additional questions at this time.

Thank you!

-Tim

[Peter Jessen]

Hi Darren,

One additional thing about how Jira Align syncs with Jira fix versions that might be of interest to you and your company, as it has been to all of my clients over the years:

Jira Align assigns syncs Jira fix versions to Jira Align Releases (Program Increments(PI)) by comparing the Jira fix version end date with the start and end dates of the Jira Align Release/Program Increment(PI). It then assigns the Jira fix version (and all Jira Epics and stories tagged with the fix version in Jira) to the Program Increment in which the Jira fix version end date falls. In my experience, this is usually not the behavior clients want to see, because development usually occurs in the PI prior to the one the fix version date aligns with, so people usually can't find the work where they expect to see it in Jira Align PIs.

For example:

1. If a fix version has an end date of April 15th, and a company is (for simplicity) running quarterly releases/PIs, then:
   • the 1st quarter PI runs from January 1st through March 31st and
   • the 2nd quarter PI runs from April 1st through June 30th.
   • The April 15th fix version will be synced with the 2nd quarter PI in Jira Align and all Jira issues (epics, stories, etc.) tagged in Jira with an April 15th fix version will be assigned in Jira Align to the 2nd quarter PI (and not the 1st quarter PI where the development normally occurs.)
   • This causes endless confusion for people until they understand what is going on and why. It remains an irritation, because there is no way to fully disable this functionality.
2. There is a setting in the Jira Align Jira Connector (only accessible by admins) that specifically addresses this behavior (to sync fix version to PIs or not), but it can't be fully disabled. The first time an issue of any type syncs from Jira to Jira Align it is synced to a PI based on the fix version.
   1. The Yes/No setting in question, "Allow Feature (Jira Epic), Story and Defect Program Increments to be automatically updated by Jira Fix Version Dates" can be found by navigating to ADMIN ->Jira Settings -> Jira Setup Tab.
3. Myself and others have submitted bugs and enhancement requests to Jira Align to fully disable (or fix) this syncing functionality when the above setting is set to "No", but neither the bugs nor the enhancements have ever been implemented. 
   • The answer I received from Jira Align Engineering is that if the fix version is never synced, then all work would wind up in the Jira Align Unassigned Backlog instead of at least being assigned to a PI (even if the PI is incorrect).
   • While I understand Engineering's perspective, my 4-years' experience with this particular setting is that clients would have less confusion if No meant No for the "Allow Feature (Jira Epic), Story and Defect Program Increments to be automatically updated by Jira Fix Version Dates" setting and all Jira issues dropped to the Unassigned Backlog.

[Darren.Williams.4]

FYI: Anybody who finds this discussions and is looking for changes on how the JIRA Fix Version sync is evolving see:

- https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JIRAALIGN-1574