Dependencies (App Configuration)

In this section, you can specify which Jira links will be used to visualize the task dependencies. When links are synchronized with dependency types, you can visualize and create dependencies using the Board or Gantt modules. To manage the mapping, go to the Dependencies section and adjust the settings.

You can also disable the synchronization of links, in which case adding a new dependency in the app will not create one in Jira—all dependencies created will be stored by the App only.

Security and access

Only Jira administrators can access this page.
Click the "wrench" icon at the top right and select "General" from the drop-down list. Next, go to the Dependencies tab.

Dependencies

There are two kinds of dependencies the Gantt and Board modules can display:

Strong dependencies—dependencies with a scheduling impact. For example, when in Auto mode, moving one linked task might update the position of the other linked tasks.
Soft dependencies—dependencies with no scheduling impact. Moving one of the linked tasks does not affect the position of the linked issue.

By default, Soft dependencies are not synchronized.

You can synchronize and display all dependency types using the Gantt module. In Auto mode, such dependencies will have a scheduling impact. For Example, moving a linked task might update its successor's or predecessor's position on the timeline.

Dependencies cannot be synchronized and used as structure builders at the same time.

ASAP Mode

Enable this mode if you want to use the auto mode and reduce the gaps between tasks to a minimum. All newly created dependencies will have the "as soon as possible" mode enabled. You can disable the ASAP mode by editing the dependency (click on the dependency to display the edit dialog).

Activate ASAP mode

To activate the ASAP mode:

Go to App Configuration > General
Go to Dependencies
Set the 'Default ASAP mode' toggle to active

Default Dependency Configuration

The app creates custom dependencies that are most suitable for working with Gantt tasks:

Dependency	Outward description	Inward description
Gantt: End to End dependency	has to be finished together with →	has to be finished together with
Gantt: End to Start dependency	has to be done before →	has to be done after
Gantt: Start to End dependency	earliest end is star of →	start is earliest end of
Gantt: Start to Start dependency	has to be started together with →	has to be started together with

Soft dependencies

Soft links field → you can add multiple Jira link types into the box. All of the added link types will be visualized in BigPicture as soft dependencies. This field works unidirectionally (all added link types are visualized in BigPicture as soft links).

Default soft link → when you create a new soft link in BigPicture (for example in the Board module) a corresponding link is created in Jira. For example, if the "Blocks" link type is selected, each time you create a soft dependency in BigPicture a "Blocks" Jira link is added for the relevant issues.

The two Auto period modes (Auto Top-Down/ Auto Bottom-Up) available in the App work best with default custom links added by the App. If you decide to change the default links, switch to the manual period mode to avoid unintended rescheduling of the tasks.

To learn more go to the Dependencies page.

Scope cloning

From the 8.14 version of BigPicture, the "Task clone link configuration" option has been renamed to "Scope cloning" and moved from the App Configuration > General > Task cloning page to App Configuration > General > Dependencies.

You can decide which Jira link has to be created to link issues while cloning the tasks in BigPicture. By default, a 'Cloners' link is used.

Use the drop-down menu to change the link setup or disable it.

Only links that are not mapped or otherwise used as structure builders can be selected.

Links cannot be used for synchronization and as structure builders at the same time. When a link is synchronized, you will not be able to use a structure builder based on that link in. Go to Task structure in Box configuration.

The cloned issue will have a link:

The original issue will have a link:

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