Jira capabilities

[RossVertizan]

We are currently using Cloudforge SVN as our SCM and Trac as the issue tracking system, we are looking ti add capabilities we dont have with that system, but want to migrate as little as possible.  I can't figure out from the material on the JIRA website if I could setup the following capabilites:

1. Is it possible to link JIRA issues with Cloudforge SVN commits for traceability between issues and code changes.  If not, then which SCM systems does JIRA support.
2. Can JIRA Service Desk be made available to external customers, so that they have to log-in, but can then create and track the progress of tickets.  I imagine that it can, but it doesn't explicitly say that on the website (that I could find) and all of the examples seem to lean towards internal teams only.
   1. Is it possible to manage those logins ?
3. Is there a capability to distribute software through JIRA Service Desk.  I am looking for tracked downloads of software (who, when, what).  Flexlm licence management would also be a bonus.
4. Is it possible to build a CRM database in JIRA core and link contacts against issues that they may raise.
5. Is there any way to migrate a TRAC database to JIRA ?

Sorry, these are probably dumb questions, but they are my very specific care-abouts and I can't find definitive answers.

[Peter T · Accepted solution]

Hi Ross,

we are using a JIRA as CRM and we were able to accomplish quite sophisticated setup. Here are the highlights

We have customers and contacts. we link to the customer, downloads of our products, licenses purchased, demos delivered, support tickets raised. All this data is driving our marketing and sales follow up activities.

The setup is not difficult but requires quite a lot of technical knowledge in JIRA to automate a lot of the activities.

Let me know if you need more details.

[RossVertizan]

Peter,

Thanks for this.  It is at least encouraging.

To take up the point that Nic made, would it be possible to implement such a scheme on the Cloud based version or would it be necessary to running a server version ?

As far as the technical knowledge is concerned, is that scripting ?  If so which language does it use and is there a published API ?

Many thanks,

Ross

[Kaoru Dagnino]

Hello Peter, I'm very interested in how you achieved CRM with JIRA. Could you tell me more details about it? I have technical knowledge about JIRA.

Thank you very much in advance!

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

1. Cloudforge specifically, I'm not sure, but JIRA does have add-ons that link to SVN.  Off the shelf, it has some git stuff built in.  It used to have Perforce built in, but that's now available via add-ons too, as well as Gerrit, Mercurial and some others.  There is a move towards externalising these integrations into dedicated software - JIRA + git works well, but JIRA + Bitbucket + git works really well.  JIRA + SVN does the basics, but JIRA + Fisheye + SVN does a lot more
2. Yes, from version 2, "customers" are free.  They have simple accounts, little more than an email address, and very limited abilities in JIRA (look at and updates the calls they've raised, in a simplified interface), but they don't cost you any licences.  (Unlike proper "JIRA users" or "Service Desk Agents" who get full JIRA access).  And yes, you can maintain them.
3. Not off-the-shelf, but I suspect you could add some forms of tracking on Server versions
4. Yes, although it's a bit of a faff in my opinion (although, again, Service Desk can make it a bit easier)
5. Yep, there's a Trac importer built in!
   
   

[RossVertizan]

Nic,

Thanks very much for your answers.

By Server versions, I understand versions in which I am running JIRA locally as opposed to in the cloud.

Ross 

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Yes, sorry, I wasn't too clear about that.

[Midori]

Two hints:

1. You should also check out the Commit Policy Plugin, as it helps to implement your use case #1.
   Basically, it will help you to enforce the links between JIRA issues and Subversion commits. It does so by requiring your developers to mention JIRA issue keys in their SVN commit messages (there are further conditions).
2. For the CRM use case, you should check out the CRM Plugin. This is fairly popular, and will probably do most of what you need.