Configuring Additional Fields for Jira

Overview

This feature lets you extend your Jira integration to share additional business-critical information between Jira and Kantata, and to override unwanted default mappings.

For each Jira issue, additional fields can be configured to sync from Jira to Kantata standard task or custom task fields.

Additional Field Mapping Best Practices

• Jira field names are case sensitive, so be sure to reference the exact name and type from your Custom fields list in Jira.
• To preserve values with decimals in a Jira Number Field, you must map it to a Kantata currency field.
• You must map fields of a compatible type:
  • Jira date fields map to Kantata date fields.
  • Jira integers map to Kantata number or text fields.
  • Jira text fields map to Kantata text fields.
  • Jira single choice fields map to Kantata single choice fields. The values must match exactly. If the Jira choice value is not a Kantata choice option, the sync event will fail.
    • If you want to sync to the Priority standard task field, note that is a standard choice field with preset values. The value in the Jira field that you want to sync must exactly match the Kantata values: low, normal, high, and critical.
  • Jira single choice fields may also be mapped to Kantata text fields.
• If the maximum number of characters accepted in a Kantata input field is less than in Jira, the value will be truncated in Kantata.
• If you map to the Kantata task Start Date or Due Date fields, the Due Date must be set to a value that comes chronologically after the Start Date value, or else an error will occur.
• In a two-way scenario, you should not use additional fields to overwrite fields that are part of a standard mapping, as the Kantata to Jira part of the sync will likely change the values in an unintentional way. This is because the integration uses the additional field mapping instead of the standard during the Jira to Kantata part of the sync. However, it will use the standard mapping during the Kantata to Jira part of the sync, therefore overwriting the Jira field in the standard mapping. For a specific example, see the Two-Way Scenarios section of this article.

How to Sync Additional Jira Fields for a Scenario

1. Log in to M-Bridge.
2. On the homepage, locate the Jira card and then click Settings. The Jira Scenarios page opens.
   

   

3. In-line with the desired Jira scenario, select the arrow next to the Sync button and then select Edit from the drop-down menu that appears. 

   

4. On the Edit Scenario page, scroll down to the Additional Fields section and click the Add Field Pair button. Additional drop-down menus appear.
   
5. From the first drop down menu, select Jira Field to Mavenlink Custom Task Field.

   

   Note: To sync a Jira field to a non-custom task field in Kantata OX, select Jira Field to Mavenlink Standard Task Field from this drop-down. 
6. In the Mavenlink drop-down, select the custom task field you previously created. 

   

7. In the Jira field, enter the name of the Jira custom field that will sync to Kantata OX.
8. To add another field pair to the scenario, click the Add Field Pair button and repeat steps 5-7. 
9. Click Save Scenario.

Two-Way Scenarios

In a two-way scenario, standard mapping overwrites Additional Fields added as Jira Field to Mavenlink Standard Task Field. This means the initial sync between Jira and Kantata OX works as it should. However, when Kantata syncs back to Jira, standard mappings apply.

For example, if you have a Jira Issue called Billboards and you create a Jira Field to Mavenlink Standard Task Field that maps the Mavenlink Title field to a Jira Change reason field, it will update as expected on the initial sync.

What you see in Jira:

What you see in Kantata OX:

However, when Kantata syncs to Jira, the title updates the Jira Change reason, changing it from Billboards to Maintenance.

What you see now in Jira:

What you see now in Kantata:

If you decide to setup Additional Fields for a two-way sync, be aware of what fields you map to so you don't overwrite ones unintentionally.