Jira ↔ Jama Connect: Bidirectional Sync of Status and Comments Fields

Published Date: June 17, 2025

Validated: Yes

Audience: Everyone

Products and Versions Covered:

• Jama Connect Interchange™ 
  • Cloud/CVC
  • Self-hosted
• JCI Module: Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center

Summary

Teams using Jama Connect and Jira often require seamless bidirectional synchronization of the Status and Comments fields to maintain consistency between Requirements Management (Jama Connect) and Development/Issue Tracking (Jira).

Typical Scenarios

• Comments added to user stories or issues in Jira should be visible in Jama Connect, and vice versa.
• Status updates in either system should be reflected in the other to ensure alignment across teams and maintain accurate project tracking.

Key Recommendations

• Use exact matching or single-select rules when configuring Status field mappings.
• Clearly communicate bidirectional comment synchronization behavior to all users to prevent confusion or unintended duplication.
• Configure bidirectional synchronization carefully using Jama Connect Interchange (JCI), ensuring appropriate governance and oversight are in place.

Resolution

Prerequisites:

• Active Jama Connect Interchange (JCI) connectors are in place and showing a healthy (green) status for both Jama Connect and Jira.

• Admin-level permissions are available in both Jama Connect and Jira.

• The JCI integration between Jama Connect and Jira is already configured and operational.

Step-by-Step Implementation

1. Configure Status Field Mapping

• Confirm that matching Status picklist fields exist in both Jama Connect and Jira.

• In JCI, navigate to the integration’s Field Mappings:
  Integrations → [Your Integration] → Field Mappings

• Add or update the Status mapping row as follows:

• (Optional) Configure Single-Select Rules if Status values differ between systems.

• Example: Jira “Done” ↔ Jama “Completed”

    2. Configure Comments Field for Bidirectional Sync

• Navigate to integration settings:
  Integrations → [Your Integration] → Settings → Comments Synchronization

• Set the synchronization direction to Bidirectional (Jira ↔ Jama Connect)

• Save the configuration changes

Expected Behavior:

Examples:

• Jira comment edited → Jama receives:
  [Edited Comment] JIRA [User]: Original comment '...' edited to 'new text...'

• Jama comment deleted → Jira receives:
  [Deleted Comment] JAMA [User]: Comment deleted: 'original comment text'

Validation Checklist

Status Sync:

• Change status in Jira → confirm sync to Jama Connect

• Change status in Jama Connect → confirm sync to Jira

Comments Sync:

• Add comments in both systems → verify sync

• Edit comments → verify edit annotations sync correctly

• Delete comments → verify "deleted" annotations appear correctly in the other system

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

User Communication Recommendations

Recommended Practice:

• Add new comments to provide clarity, updates, or corrections

Discouraged Practice:

• Avoid editing or deleting synced comments; if necessary, clearly state corrections in new comment entries

Suggested Comment Prefixes to Identify Sources:

• Jira-originated comments in Jama Connect: JIRA [User]: Comment text

• Jama-originated comments in Jira: JAMA [User]: Comment text

Additional Resources

• Success Programs
• Success Catalog
• Datasheets
• Request a Solution Offering or Training from the Success Catalog

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