Introduction

We'll take you on a tour of the basic concepts in Configuration Manager for Jira (CMJ). Along the way, we will highlight some of the key Configuration Manager features and point you to a number of helpful resources.

Roll up your sleeves. We're about to get started!

Configuration Manager automates the transfer of Jira configuration and data between different Jira servers. This encompasses Jira Core, Jira Software, Jira Service Management, and 3rd party apps.

What is a Jira Configuration? In order for Jira projects to be functional, certain configuration elements need to be in place - for example, Issue Types, Workflows, Screens, etc. The below image shows the configuration associated with a project:

The full list of configuration elements that Configuration Manager supports can be found here: Configuration Object Support Matrix

Root Configuration Objects

Examples of root configuration objects: project, workflow, issue type, etc...

Examples of child configuration objects: version, component, post-function, condition, etc...

All root objects are listed in the Configuration Object Support Matrix and marked with root.

Configuration snapshot types

A Configuration Snapshot is a package containing information about Jira configuration. All data in the snapshot is server-independent, which means that it is portable and can be easily transferred to another Jira server. There are different types of snapshots:

System configuration snapshots
Project configuration snapshots
Project with issues snapshots

System configuration snapshot

A system configuration snapshot contains the whole configuration of a single Jira instance.

If you want to move your current instance setup to another place (including all projects, issue types, workflows, schemes, and everything in between), then this snapshot is for you.

Project configuration snapshot

A project configuration snapshot contains the settings for any number of projects, including all configuration objects used by them.

Use this snapshot when you want to start fresh with one or more projects in another Jira instance - no issues holding you back.

Project snapshot with issues

A project with issues snapshot contains the settings for several projects, including all configuration objects used by these projects as well as all the issues contained in these projects (comments, links, attachments, etc.)

This snapshot is perfect when you need to move a project from one instance to another without worrying you’ll lose anything during the migration. Just copy from one place to another and carry on working as if nothing has changed.

Configuration deployment

Any snapshot created by Configuration Manager can be deployed on any Jira Server. Configuration Manager deploys only working configurations and gives the administrator visibility into the changes introduced so that he/she can deploy with confidence.

Several key features of the deployment process:

Configuration Integrity - during both snapshot creation and snapshot deployment, Configuration Manager ensures configuration integrity using an Integrity Check feature. More information here.
Dependency analysis - during deployment, Configuration Manager performs a detailed analysis of all 3rd party add-on dependencies and versions ensuring proper setup.
Change analysis - all changes, updated pre-existing objects, added or deleted objects are presented to the user to ensure only expected and desired changes are introduced. More information here.
Impact analysis - Configuration Manager performs an impact analysis of the changes being deployed with regard to existing configurations and projects. More information here.
Deployment Modes - there are 4 deployment modes: 2 for projects; and 2 for system snapshots. Using the 4 deployment modes, 9 different use cases can be managed. More information here.
Data loss prevention - if errors are encountered during the deployment, all previously applied changes are rolled back and the Jira configuration will be left in the initial state. More information here.
Audit Log - all changes made during the deployment process are logged. More information here.

Concept