Link issues together based on structure hierarchy

[Amit Tripathi]

Hi,

Our structure is based on the following hierarchy:

Epic

   Feature

          Story

Every time we create a new item in this hierarchy, say a story, it does not connect with the feature in the actual JIRA ticket. Is it possible, to show up the hierarchy level as a linked issue in the next level. For example, the story has, Feature and Epic as linked issues and so on...

Thanks

Amit 

[Alexander]

Hi everyone!

Is it possible to find logs while creating links with Extend Generator? I can't find them.

Unfortunately the history bar is empty.

Best regards,

Alexander Sychugov

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Hello Alexander,

Could you please clarify what seems to be the problem - when a link is created with an Extend generator the entry of it is not shown in an issue’s History tab or do you mean something else?

If it is the former, by default entries of links related updates made from a structure are not reflected in History (for keeping the logs clean in cases when a link is updated several times). But it can be changed by adding a new system property to Jira and restarting Jira after adding it:

-Dstructure.bulkLinkProcessor.useLinkManager=true

 https://confluence.atlassian.com/adminjiraserver073/setting-properties-and-options-on-startup-861253969.html

Please let me know if it’s the solution you were looking for and if not - please provide more details about the problem you’re experiencing.

Best regards,

Stepan Kholodov

ALM Works

[Alexander]

Hi, Stepan!

It works. Thank you very much!

Best regards,

Alexander Sychugov

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Hello Amit,

If you add an Extend Generator to a structure, putting an issue under another issue will create a link between them, which is specified (its type and direction) in the Generator’s configuration. So to create the Epic Link between Features and Epic you would need to have the Extend ‘Stories under Epics’ Generator and for linking Stories with Features you would need to have the Extend ‘Linked Issues…’ Generator.

But there are couple of things that should be considered:

1. If a Story is put under a Feature, it could only be linked either to a Feature or to an Epic at the top level. Two different links can't be created at the same time;
2. Such hierarchy have some limitations, since Stories and Features are considered in Jira as same level issues. So on the Agile Board both Stories and Features will be listed together and there will be no visual indications on which of those issue is a parent and which is a sub-issue. We would recommend to use Sub-tasks instead of Tasks or to have Epics above fFeatures and another issue type above Epics.

Please feel free to contact us at support.almworks.com if you need further assistance.

Best regards,

Stepan Kholodov

ALM Works

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Additional note regarding point #1 for clarification: if a Task is created under a Feature (focus on a Feature and press Shift+Enter to start creating an issue on the lower level), the link between those issues will be created automatically. A Task will not have the Epic Link to an Epic. And if you create an issue under an Epic, you will need to pick what link will be created - the Epic Link or the type of link, that is created by another Extend Generator. You can configure levels on which both Generators will work - the 2 level for the Epic extender and the 3rd for another - and the right link will be created on its own.

So in any case, Extend Generators only create links between direct parent and child - an Epic and a Feature or a Feature and a Task.

[Amit Tripathi]

Thanks Stephan. I tried the following:

1. From the structure

2. Click on Automation

3. Highlight the Feature (Epic -> Feature -> Story is my hierarchy)

4. Select Extend with from the Automation menu

5. Choose Linked Issues

6. Choose Linked Type  as Belongs

    Link Direction - Parent belongs to sub issue

    Extend Levels - All levels

7. On clicking Apply, i see something happening in the background, but when i see the story, the feature is not showing as a linked issue.

Am i doing something wrong?

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Hello Amit,

Before adding a Generator in a structure, the focus needs to be on a structure’s root (you can do that by clicking on structure’s name right below the Summary column’s name). This way a Generator will be applied to the whole structure and affect all of the added issues. So please delete the Extend Generator you added under a Feature and re-add it to the root of the structure, it should work.

Best regards,

Stepan Kholodov

ALM Works

[Amit Tripathi]

Hi Stephan,

I have a feeling we are talking about different things. My challenge is that when i create a story under a feature, the feature does not show up as a linked issue, automatically in the story's "Linked Issues" section. 

So the hierarchy is only seen on the structure, while the relationship is lost when i see the actual ticket details. 

Thanks.

Amit

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Hello Amit,

The added Extend Generator does two things: it adds already linked issues under their parents in a structure and it creates a rule which will basically mean: “if an issue is manually put under another issue, the link of this particular type will be created between them”. The latter does seem like the functionality you are asking about - if you create a Story under a Feature, the Extend Generator will automatically create a link of the specific type between them in Jira.

To see for yourself how it works, you can try to do the following:

1. Create an issue in an empty structure;
2. Put focus on the structure’s root and add an Extend Generator for any link type;
3. Focus the created issue, press Shift+Enter and create another issue under it;
4. Select an option to add a link between issues in the decision panel. As a result a specific link will be created between issues.

Best regards,

Stepan Kholodov

[Amit Tripathi]

Hi Stephan,

The 2nd is exactly what i am trying to do, but in an existing structure. Please see attached images. 

1. Created a new structure

2. Added a feature

3. Added a story

4. Created an extend generator on the root

5. Choose Linked Type  as Belongs

    Link Direction - Parent belongs to sub issue

    Extend Levels - All levels

6. Went to the story ticket details

7. The feature does not show up as a linked issue

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Hello Amit,

Do you have a permission to link issues in Jira? And is the ‘Allow changes via structure’ is selected in the Extend Generator’s configuration (you can see it if you double click on it)?

Also when you added an issue under its parent, did the decision appear asking you what to do with only one option available - to add that issue to the structure?

If you do have the permission and the said option is selected in the Generator’s configuration, then an investigation is required to find out why the link between issues is not being created. In that case, some diagnostics data might be needed, so please create a support ticket at our Service Desk portal - support.almworks.com - for a better convenience and we will get back to you shortly.

Best regards,

Stepan Kholodov

[Amit Tripathi]

Okay. Looks like i have got it now. I am able to create an issue and i see the decision box, and the link is created fine when i create a new issue. Thanks for this.

Can i do this on an already created structure, because that is where this does not seem to be working? Does this only apply for new issues?

Thanks much. learnt something new today.

- Amit

[Stepan Kholodov _ALM Works_]

Hello Amit,

Glad to hear that everything works. As for the already existing structures - adding the Extend Generator will not create a link between issues that are already paired in a structure. The link will be created only between issues that were placed after you added the Extend Generator. So for the link to be created between issues you want, you would need to outdent them and then indent them again (basically, to place one issue under another again, but this time with the Generator's rule applying to them). Or you can remove the sub-issues and recreate them.

I hope this helps!

Best regards,

Stepan Kholodov