How to modify issue history? (Jira Cloud)

[Marco Eckstein]

There are situations when you may need to modify issue history, e.g. when you needed to quickly do a simple import that did not include history, but later realize that it would be possible to program a more sophisticated import that retains history.

How can you do it in Jira cloud? This question has been asked before for Jira Server, and there the only way seems to be to modify the underlying database, which Jira cloud users cannot access.

I have some ideas about this, but please let me know what you think.

Current state of Jira Export/Import

• Jira can export:

  • XML + attachment files (apparently a whole database backup)

• Jira can import:

  • XML + attachment files (the whole database backup), though it does currently not work for me.

  • CSV (including creation date, but apparently not history)

  • JSON (apparently with history)

  • Trello (no creation date or history)

  • Other Jira instances

Potential options for fixing history

• Rewriting history via API or GUI

  • Apparently not possible
    

• Backup, rewrite history in the XML backup files and restore

  • Probably viable

• Re-importing

  • Not an option because then I lose the more recent history

• Export recent history via API to JSON import format, merge with old history, re-import (issue keys will change)

  • Probably viable, but must check that re-imported issues will have the same links as the to-be-deleted issues.

Note that Atlassian is looking to completely overhaul the backup/restore experience. I wonder whether they will change the backup format from XML to JSON.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Could you explain this "time to resolution"?  There is one built into Jira, but it does not "start" anything, it's calculated from data on the issues, so I suspect you're talking about something else.

[Beakon Support]

This is the time resolution field I am talking about.

From where does Jira pull the information for it?

Thanks

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

I'm not sure.  Is that in a Service Desk report or in plain Jira?  What's the column header and the report title?

[Beakon Support]

Is in service desk. the column header is "Time to Resolution"

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It's calculated from the time of request creation to the point at which the issue behind the request takes a resolution (i.e. is closed or signed off by the requester)

There's no "start" or "end", there's no data stored for it, it's calculated from those two points in the workflow.

My best guess is that your issues are not having a resolution set, so it can't work out the end point