Configuring Jira Integration with Jama Connect Interchange™

Published Date: June 13, 2024

Audience: Everyone

Products and Versions Covered:

• Jama Connect® 

• Cloud

• Self-Hosted

• Jama Connect Interchange™

Summary

This article provides guidance and best practices for setting up Jama Connect Interchange™ (JCI) with Atlassian Jira for the first time.

It outlines a recommended integration pattern, required system preparation steps, and initial configuration guidance to help teams establish a stable, scalable integration while maintaining traceability and minimizing data duplication.

Resolution

Recommended Pattern

Jama Connect Interchange™ supports standard and custom issue types and fields in Jira. We recommend starting with a minimal integration pattern to reduce complexity, avoid data duplication, and improve Traceability Score®.

A typical integration includes 2–3 core Jira issue types such as Epics, User Stories, or Tasks. “Dev Task” is used as a generic term for Jira backlog items.

Avoid replicating entire datasets across tools. Instead, integrate only the essential fields and relationships required for traceability and reporting.

"Dev Task" is a generic term for backlog items in Jira. These will often be called "Epics," "User Stories," or "Tasks". The goal is to integrate a minimum set of issue types. 2-3 issue types are typically sufficient. Avoid duplicating entire datasets across the tool ecosystem. 

Prepare Jama Connect & Atlassian Jira

Service Account

Create dedicated service accounts for authentication in both systems:

• One service account in Jama Connect
• One service account in Jira Cloud or Jira Data Center

Example: integrationhub@yourcompany.com

Ensure the accounts have Read/Write access to required projects in both systems.

A temporary setup using personal accounts may be used for initial testing, but service accounts are strongly recommended for production integrations to ensure consistent attribution across audit trails and activity streams.

Jama Connect

• Log in using the service account
• Generate and securely store API credentials

For the selected item type (e.g., User Story, Task, or Defect):

• Add a custom field: “Jira URL.”
  • Set to Read Only
  • Enable Allow API to Overwrite
  • Purpose: enables one-click navigation between systems
• Add a custom picklist field: “Jira Status.”
  • Set to Read Only
  • Enable Allow API to Overwrite
  • Purpose: reflects Jira workflow status in Jama Connect

If you are unsure which item type to configure, consult business stakeholders or request assistance through a Jama Software Success Program.

Atlassian Jira

• Identify the corresponding issue type (e.g., Epic, Story, Bug)

For each issue type:

• Add a custom field: “Jama URL”
  • Purpose: enables one-click navigation between Jira and Jama Connect

Authentication setup:

• Jira Cloud: Generate an Atlassian API token for the service account
• Jira Data Center: Generate a Personal Access Token for the service account

Store credentials securely for use in JCI configuration.

Sandbox Projects for Integration

Identify sandbox projects in both systems before configuring integration:

• Example: “Project A” in Jama Connect
• Example: “Project X” in Jira

Use these sandbox environments to validate the configuration before enabling production integration.

This approach ensures safe testing against production-like configurations without impacting live data.

Outcomes

After completing setup preparation:

• Service accounts are created with appropriate permissions and API credentials documented
• Required custom fields (Jira URL, Jama URL, Jira Status) are configured
• Sandbox projects are identified in both Jama Connect and Jira
• Integration readiness is confirmed prior to JCI configuration

Set up your First Integration

Step 1. Log in to Jama Connect Interchange™ using your organization’s instance. 

Step 2. Navigate to Connectors → Add Connector. 

Step 3. Add connectors for:

• Jama Connect
• Atlassian Jira

Step 4. Follow the setup guide to configure your first integration:

• Field mappings
• Creation rules
• Optional relationship synchronization (e.g., Epic → Story)

Step 5. Enable synchronization and test the integration

Additional Resources

Do you need help deciding the best integration pattern? Please request a personalized consultation as part of your Jama Software Success Program.

• Jama Connect Interchange User Guide
• Success Programs
• Success Catalog
• Datasheets
• Request a Solution Offering or Training from the Success Catalog

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