Meet the new BigPicture navigation
A faster, smarter, and more intuitive way to work is here. We’ve redesigned BigPicture navigation to give you a smoother experience and better access to what matters most.
→ Discover what’s new, explore key improvements, and review feature name updates on the New navigation page.
→ The rollout will happen gradually, and the previous navigation will be retired in September 2026.
Migration using Jira Cloud Migration Assistant (JCMA)
The migration using JCMA is available for:
BigPicture version 8.64.3 and later
BigPicture Enterprise version 8.64.3 and later
BigGantt version 8.64.3 and later
BigTemplate version 8.64.3 and later
If you don't know how to check the current app version, visit the following page: How to check app release version.
IMPORTANT
When using JCMA for migration, BigPicture data from multiple instances CAN’T be merged. Only one BigPicture source can be selected, as each migration overwrites the previous state.
With the Atlassian JCMA tool, you can migrate selected projects or divide the migration process into a few stages. It is possible to:
Migrate Jira On-premise and the BigPicture/ BigPicture Enterprise/ BigTemplate /BigGantt plugins to Jira Cloud.
Migrate only Jira On-premise without the BigPicture/ BigPicture Enterprise/ BigGantt plugin to Jira Cloud.
Let's analyze the following example.
You use BigPicture installed in Jira Cloud. When you want to migrate Jira On-premise to Jira Cloud, there are two possible migration scenarios:
You can migrate Jira On-premise and BigPicture. After the migration, BigPicture from Jira On-premise will overwrite data in BigPicture in Jira Cloud. The state of BigPicture in Jira Cloud before the migration will be replaced with the state of migrated BigPicture from Jira On-premise.
You can migrate only Jira On-premise without BigPicture. After migration, BigPicture in Jira Cloud will remain unchanged.
After migration, the App data from Jira On-premise will overwrite the data in Jira Cloud.
Make sure JCMA is installed on your Jira. If you do not have JCMA installed:
Navigate to Jira Administration.
Go to ATLASSIAN MARKETPLACE in the left sidebar.
Select Find new Apps.
Search Jira Cloud Migration Assistant and install it.
To find out more about JCMA, read the Use Jira Cloud Migration Assistant to migrate (legacy) article.
If you have any doubts, contact our Support.
What is not migrated
What-if scenarios are not migrated.
JQL can be incomplete and may require manual changes. JQL is used in the Scope definition > Filters and quick filters.
How to prepare for migration
The steps below are necessary to migrate the plugins to Jira Cloud.
important Before you begin, ensure you have all the plugins (BigPicture/ BigPicture Enterprise/ BigGantt, BigTemplate) installed in your Jira Cloud instance.
Create a JCMA snapshot
When you create a JCMA dump in Jira Data Center with multiple nodes, you will be asked to reinstall BigPicture to complete the JCMA dump creation.
The reinstallation ensures data consistency in the dump by deactivating BigPicture on other nodes (Jira instances in a Jira Data Center cluster) and preventing other nodes from making modifications to the database during database dump creation.
Creating a JCMA snapshot will restart the App and may take a significant amount of time and resources, so the process is recommended during non-business hours. Do not interrupt the process or disable the App until the JCMA snapshot is complete.
Steps to do in Jira On-premise:
Prepare a JCMA snapshot in BigPicture in Jira On-premise:
Navigate to BigPicture App Configuration > Advanced > Database dumps > New dump > JCMA dump.
Enter a unique Migration name, as you will later need to identify this snapshot in JCMA and complete the Description field.
The provided Migration name can be edited later.
Navigate to Jira Administration > System > Import and Export > Migrate to cloud > Assess your apps.
Assign the Needed in cloud status for each App.
Click Done.
If you are prompted to reinstall BigPicture or BigGantt during the JCMA dump creation, follow these steps:
Uninstall the app.
Download the JAR file for exactly the same version.
Install the app with the file.
In Jira Cloud:
Allow JCMA Switch
Enabling this option is necessary to perform the migration process in the Jira Cloud instance.
Make sure to check its status before starting each migration attempt.
Navigate to Apps > BigPicture App Configuration > Advanced > Technical info > Others > Data migration.
Enable the Allow JCMA migration option.
Next: > Migration process