Setup Jira Integration using Jama Connect Interchange™ (JCI)

Author: Preston Mitchell

Updated: June 14th, 2024

Audience: Everyone

Environmental details: Jama Connect® Cloud

Summary:

The following article provides tips and information for setting up Jama Connect Interchange™ with Jira for the first time. 

1. Recommended pattern
2. Prepare Jama Connect & Atlassian Jira
3. Setup your first integration

Reference Material:

• Jama Connect Interchange User Guide: https://help.jamainterchange.com/en/integrating-jama-connect-with-jira.html

1 Recommended Pattern

Jama Connect and Atlassian Jira integration supports standard and custom issue types and fields. We recommend the following basic pattern to help your team save time, eliminate data silos, and increase your Traceability Score®.

"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. 

2 Prepare Jama Connect & Atlassian Jira

2.1 Service Account:

Create or identify existing service accounts to authenticate Jama and Jira. You will need two separate service accounts - one in Jama Connect and one in Jira Cloud/Jira Data Center.

• e.g. integrationhub@yourcompany.com. Ensure you have this user’s credentials and they have Read/Write permissions to the necessary projects in both Jama Connect and Atlassian Jira
• As a backup, you can utilize personal Jama usernames to authenticate for initial setup. Still, it is best to have a service account in the long term so that created/updated items in Jama and Jira activity streams show the editing user as an “integration hub.”

2.2 Jama Connect:

• Login to Jama using the service account. Set API credentials in Jama, and document these for use later to set the integration
• Identify the initial item type (e.g., User Story / Task / Defect) to set integration sync based on your use case and integration pattern
• On this item type, add the custom URL field “Jira URL” to the item type. Set it as “Read Only” and “Allow API to Overwrite.” This will allow a seamless 1-click user experience to move between Jama and Jira
• Add a "Jira Status" picklist in Jama Connect so the Jira status can sync into Jama. Add a custom pick-list field and set it as “Read Only” and “Allow API to Overwrite.” 
• If you aren’t sure which item type to setup, work with the business owners of the systems or request a personalized consultation as part of your Jama Software Success Program.

2.3 Atlassian Jira

• Identify the corresponding issue type (e.g., User Story / Task / Bug) to set integration sync.
• Add a custom URL field, “Jama URL,” to the issue type on this issue. This will allow a seamless 1-click user experience between Jama Connect and Jira.
• Jira Cloud: create an Atlassian API token for the service account user you will use to authenticate the integration. Document this token for use later to set up the integration.
• Jira Data Center: create a Personal Access Token for the service account user you will use to authenticate the integration. Document this token for use later to set the integration

2.4 Sandbox Projects for Integration

• Could you identify a sandbox project in each tool to test the initial sync? e.g., “Project A” in Jama Connect will integrate into “Project X” in Atlassian Jira
• Recommend doing this in production environments, but specifically, a sandbox project so you are operating against production data configurations but not impacting production data

2.5 Outcomes

• Service Accounts created with Read/Write permissions and API credentials documented for each tool
• Jama URL & Jira URL fields were created on each item type to integrate
• Initial sandbox project in both Jama and Jira identified for initial integration setup

3 Setup your First Integration

• Login to your company's instance of Jama Connect Interchange
• Using the credentials from section 2, select "Connectors" and "Add Connector" to add Jama  Connect and Atlassian Jira to the interchange application
• Now follow the help guide for setting up your first integration
  • Create field mapping
  • Configure Creation Rules
  • Optional: Enable Relationship Syncing (e.g. Epic > Story)
  • Turn On the sync and test your integration
• Recommendations for the first integration
  • Setup up "sandbox" projects so you do not disturb production data
  • Start with minimum fields - e.g., Name, Description, Jama URL, Jira URL, Jira Status. 

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