JIRA Issue XML Export: What is it good for?

[Michael Breu]

Hello all,

We have got an set of issue XML-exports from another JIRA instance.

I thought it would be straightforward to import them into our JIRA instance.

However from various forum entries I learned that this is not possible.

So, what is an XML-Exporter good for, if not importing the results elsewhere?

Michael

[Michael Ellis]

I found that the XML export is a good free way to get comments and issue link types without buying or using an add-on. The CSV export is broken for Link Type exports and it is relatively easy to convert XML to CSV and get the comments and link types.

[Michael Breu]

Hello Ellis,

So you managed to reimport XML-exported files into Jira again? That is good news?

How did you do this?

Michael

[Michael Ellis]

The XML export of Jira has lots of data like comments and issue link types for example that the CSV Export can not provide. So by simply writing a little script you can convert the XML to CSV and you have whatever data you want. Also you can import CSV, I am not sure about importing comments I don't think it is possible. Jira Add-Ons cost more if you have more users and my instance has a lot, however Jira XML exports provide all the data we need, but CSV is easier to use. 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

An xml backup is useful for importing into other JIRA systems.

The issue xml exports are useful for machine representations of issues, more for other non-JIRA systems to read.  Although since about JIRA 5, the REST interface is generally the better way to get other systems to interact with JIRA, rather than exports.

[Michael Breu]

Hello Nic,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

  > The issue xml exports are useful for machine representations of issues, more for other non-JIRA systems to read. 

Wouldn't it be a good idea, if JIRA could read its own exports? I was so convinced, that re-importing a JIRA-own-generated XML is no problem, that I did not put  it in question. OK my fault.

What ist the preferred solution for file based import/export of JIRA issues? Is it just plain old CSV?

I will have a closer look on the REST interface for importing. However on first glance it seems much more effort to set up an importer.

Thank you

Michael

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It can read its own backups.  The xml exports of issues are simply not designed for transfers, that's what the xml backups are for.

[Ralph Navarro]

Backup restores replace the existing data in the target JIRA.  What is the process to export issues and have them added to the target JIRA without removing any existing data?