How can i identify JIRA servers?

[Ilya]

Is there a retrievable unique identifier for JIRA server? The plugin does receive a data payload which contains clientKey, but how to get it using REST or some other api from plugin-related desktop application? I was thinking about using baseUrl as a reasonable identifier, but what if server moves to another host or changes url? How can i understand which client I am dealing with?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist- · Accepted solution]

For Cloud, baseUrl is reasonable - the only way to change a base url at the moment is to buy a new one and then export/import the data. 

For server, ideally, you'd probably want to use the Server ID.  It is possible for admins to hack or clone it, but that doesn't happen a lot.  It's not available to REST though.  I think the best you can do over REST is to look at the server info - https://docs.atlassian.com/jira/REST/server/#api/2/serverInfo

[Robert Massaioli _Atlassian_]

The fact that you use the word clientKey suggests to me that you are writing an Atlassian connect add-on. In this case, you MUST use the clientKey as the unique identifier and NOT the base URL. You may have a method that uses the baseUrl to look up the clientKey (or vice versa) but don't use the baseUrl as your unique identifier for a tenant.

We have documented this:

If the Atlassian product is the calling application: contains the unique identifier of the tenant. This is the clientKey that you receive in the installed callback. You should reject unrecognised issuers.

Source: https://developer.atlassian.com/static/connect/docs/latest/concepts/understanding-jwt.html

In the future, Atlassian might implement this popular issue: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CLOUD-7184

If you are using the baseUrl as the unique identifier at the time then your add-on will have a bad time of it.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ahh, thanks Robert.  I've yet to write a Connect add-on, so I've not run into it. 

[Robert Massaioli _Atlassian_]

It's no problem at all. The question does not even mention Atlassian Connect so my answer might be off the mark; I'm just making a guess here. But yes, for people writing Atlassian Connect add-ons wanting to uniquely identify cloud instances / accounts / tennants then the clientKey is the way to go.

For server your answer is spot on!