How and where you can display Active Directory user attributes in Jira

 

cover-active-directory.jpg

Working in a big company, it can be hard to find a particular person – or even to figure out who to reach out for in the first place. In such companies, user data is usually stored in Active Directory (or on some other kind of LDAP server) and is managed by a dedicated admin. But when you also use Atlassian Jira for managing the projects that you work on, you can synchronize its internal database with Active Directory and put the two powers together to have more actual information about the users at hand. This will make your team’s work much easier, as well as the admin’s work.

Connecting LDAP servers with Jira

Jira provides built-in connectors for the most popular LDAP servers, such as Microsoft Active Directory, Apache Directory Server, Fedora Directory Server and a bunch of others. After the connection has been established, the information on users is cached and stored in the internal Jira’s database. Every time a user logs in, the user’s data is updated from the corresponding fields on the LDAP. By default, this includes username, display name, email address, and group memberships. But LDAP servers often store other contact information as well – phone numbers, departments, managers’ names or some custom attributes. Is there any way we could use it in our work?

We’re not able to do it natively, but we’ll find apps that enable us displaying Active Directory attributes in Jira. One of these apps is Active Directory Attributes Sync, which we can use to show any available information form Active Directory in user profiles, hover dialogues, in a custom field at the issue view, and even on the Customer Portal. We can set up how often we want to synchronize the displayed data, thus making sure that it’s always up-to-date.

How to display Active Directory attributes in Jira?

Firstly, we should go to the app’s configuration and select the fields that we want to be synchronized with the database. Besides the default user attributes, we can also add there any custom attribute available on the server. We need to be careful when providing the fields’ names from AD – they should match perfectly to synchronize. The fields in Jira that will display the data are custom, so it’s up to us how we name them. Then, choose where we want to show these fields: on the app’s configuration screen, we can set up every attribute separately to display on the user’s public profile and the hover dialogue. Here is the resulting view of such a setup:

active-directory-data-user-profile.png

The customization of Active Directory user attributes for the issue view and the Customer Portal looks slightly different because we need to create a dedicated custom field and add it to the appropriate screens. To do so, we need to:

  1. Go to Issues in Jira Administration menu and select Custom fields from the Fields section.
  2. Click Add custom field and choose Deviniti [Active Directory Attributes Sync] – User’s Attributes from AD.
  3. Provide the field’s display name in Jira, press Create, and add it to the appropriate screens.
  4. Go back to Custom fields, click on the configuration menu of the newly created field, select Configure, and then choose Edit Options on the next page.
  5. Select whose information will be displayed in the Jira issue, which user attributes should be visible, if the attributes’ labels should be hidden, and if the AD attributes should be visible on the Customer Portal.

ad-user-attributes-customer-portal.gif

Setting up Active Directory user attributes in Jira Service Desk with Active Directory Attributes Sync

We’ll find the AD user attributes in the right column of the request on the Customer Portal, as well as in the Details section on the issue view. This way both our teammates and customers will know how they can reach the assignee outside Jira Service Desk. And besides just displaying the contact information, we can manage it, as well as the Active Directory accounts right inside Jira with the help of Active Directory Attributes Sync.

Book a live demo via Calendly if you’d like to see the app in action, or read more on the subject:

12 comments

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Arun Kumar September 15, 2019

Is the above functionality available for JIRA Cloud?

Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
September 16, 2019

Hi @Arun Kumar ,

This functionality is available in Jira Software and Jira Service Desk Cloud via a separate app of ours, Azure AD Attributes for Jira. However, for now, it supports only the Azure Active Directory service.

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Arun Kumar September 16, 2019

@Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_  Thanks for responding back. I see from the above image that we can create custom fields using the plugin. Is this functionality available for Jira Cloud, Jira Service Desk Cloud?
We have a Jira Service Desk Portal where we need to pull details such as Name, Email, Address, etc from the Azure AD and display them on different forms on the Portal. 

Is the mentioned functionality available with the plugin?


Thanks
Arun

Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
September 16, 2019

@Arun Kumar ,

In the Cloud app, the attributes don't display as a custom field. Instead, they appear as a dedicated panel on Jira issues and Jira Service Desk requests. Please read up this article and the app's documentation for more technical details.

Like Arun Kumar likes this

Hi @Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_

Can you please help with the app supports Apache Active directory service for the attribute sync in Jira Service desk.

Thanks in advance,
Sai

Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
January 10, 2020

Hi @Bokka_ Sai Venkata _external - Project_ ,

The app should support any LDAP server. If you encounter problems, please create a ticket in our Service Desk.

Dzmitry

Srecko Anzic June 26, 2021

I would like to create a custom field that will search for a user in our Azure Active Directory.

Basically I would start typing users name and the drop down users list would narrow as I type. At the end I would select one user for that custom field.

Is that possible?

Mohd Hassan February 14, 2022

Hello
@Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_ 

We use JIRA cloud and wants to integrate AD integration.
I am the admin and I cant see AD Directory field in custom fields section.

I have installed "Azure AD Attributes for JIRA" application but clueless what do I need to enter into below field 

JIRA_query.PNG

Can you please help me out @Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_  Thanks

Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
February 14, 2022

Hi @Mohd Hassan ,

Please refer to the app's documentation: https://deviniti.com/support/addon/cloud/azure-ad/latest/connecting/

In case of further inquiries, feel free to drop a line to our Support Team.

Mohd Hassan February 14, 2022

@Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_ 

We don't have MS Azure, I just checked with the management.
I tried searching for User Directory on my JIRA-cloud version but still unable to find the option there, as we dont have any option of "User Directory" there.
jira_issue2.PNG

I want to install Active directory but 

1) I can't see AD directory option in custom field as we use JIRA cloud
2) W e dont use MS Azure
3) Went to User Settings > Management > but unable to see "User Directory" option ( screenshot above )

I am the admin of JIRA.

Can you please help me to integrate AD with JIRA, Thanks
 

Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_
Marketplace Partner
Marketplace Partners provide apps and integrations available on the Atlassian Marketplace that extend the power of Atlassian products.
February 15, 2022

@Mohd Hassan ,

OK, now it's clear to me. Please note that Azure AD Attributes for Jira is a separate app on the Marketplace. As its name states, it integrates Jira Cloud with the Azure AD directory only.

Feel free to file a new feature request for a Cloud version of Active Directory Attributes Sync. Our Support team will get in touch with you and collect the needed requirements.

Mohd Hassan February 15, 2022

Hey @Dzmitry Hryb _Deviniti_ 

Thanks for the reply.

I wanted to integrate AD with my cloud - JIRA

I cant use Azure AD since we dont use MS-Azure app.
Can you please help me how can I integrate AD with my JIRA.

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