CMJ Snapshot Includes Thousands of Irrelevant Global Custom Fields
Summary
When creating a project configuration snapshot using Configuration Manager for Jira (CMJ), users may find that thousands of irrelevant global custom fields are included in the snapshot, even if the specific project being migrated only uses a small subset of those fields. This behavior is typically linked to third-party app dependencies (specifically Xray) or Jira configuration integrity requirements. This article outlines the known causes and recommended steps to reduce the field count in snapshots.
Environment
Product: Configuration Manager for Jira (CMJ)
Platform: Jira Data Center / Server
App Versions: CMJ v8.0.4 and below
Third-Party Apps: Xray Test Management (older versions)
Problem
Users encounter the following symptoms during snapshot creation:
A project configuration snapshot includes nearly all global custom fields from the system (e.g., thousands of fields), while the actual project only utilizes a small number (e.g., < 50).
Disabling the option "Include custom fields with value in at least one issue" does not reduce the number of fields in the snapshot.
Large snapshot sizes lead to performance impacts and long deployment times in the target environment.
Questions arise regarding whether the generated CSV files within the snapshot can be manually edited to filter these fields.
Cause
There are two primary reasons why CMJ might include more fields than expected:
Third-Party App Integration (Xray): Older versions of the Xray Test Management app (e.g., v7.13.0) have a known issue where they inadvertently force all custom fields, statuses, and issue types into the CMJ configuration snapshot scope.
Configuration Integrity: CMJ snapshots are integrity-based. If a field is referenced in a screen, workflow (validators/post-functions), field configuration scheme, or context associated with the project's configuration graph, CMJ must include it to ensure consistency.
Solution/Workaround
1. Update Xray Test Management
If Xray is installed in the source environment, verify its version.
Action: Update Xray to v8.3.0 or later.
Details: Xray released a fix specifically addressing the issue where it forced all custom fields into CMJ snapshots.
Reference: Xray DC 8.3.0 Release Notes - Bug Fixes
2. Align Jira Versions
Ensure that the source (Production) and destination (Sandbox/Target) Jira versions are identical. Discrepancies in Jira versions can lead to unexpected dependency mapping during snapshot creation or deployment.
3. Analyze and Clean Up with Power Admin
CMJ snapshots cannot be manually filtered (e.g., by editing internal CSV files), as this breaks the snapshot's integrity. To reduce the field count, you must remove the references within Jira itself.
Identify Unused Fields: Use Power Admin (included with CMJ) to find global fields not used by the target project.
Remove References: Use Power Admin to identify which screens, contexts, and schemes are referencing irrelevant fields.
Optimize Configuration: Remove unwanted fields from the schemes associated with the project. Once the fields are no longer part of the project's configuration graph, CMJ will exclude them from the snapshot.
FAQs
Can I modify the CSV files inside the CMJ snapshot to remove fields?
No. CMJ snapshots are structured packages. The CSV files are system-generated artifacts for reporting and internal mapping. Manually editing these files will break the snapshot's integrity and cause deployment failures.Why are global fields included if they aren't on my project's screens?
CMJ scans the entire dependency graph. If a field is part of a Field Configuration Scheme or Workflow used by the project, or if it has a global context that CMJ determines is necessary for the integrity of the configuration, it will be included.
Additional Resources
Labelscmj-jira custom-fields migration xray-integration snapshot-size troubleshooting power-admin