How to Set Up and Configure the Jira Connector

All BA Insight connectors can be downloaded from the Upland Right Answers Portal under Knowledge > BA Insight > Product Downloads > Connectors. This connector is installed with the same generic steps as any BA Insight connector. You must satisfy the Prerequisites for your connector before installing. The configuration specifics are detailed below.

Jira Versions

When the Web service URL is specified, click Connect or Refresh Web Service to access a drop-down list of actions.

Select the appropriate connector mode:

  • Jira Server
  • Jira in Atlassian cloud

Use the configuration steps for your selected mode.

Jira Server

Configuring Jira Connector for Jira Server

Install and Deploy the Jira Plug-in

Note: If you use an On-premise instance of Jira Server, this step is required.

If you use Jira Cloud, skip this step.

  • Jira connector uses a plugin providing API functionality missing from Jira REST API.

This plugin is provided by BA Insight as part of the installation package.

  1. Log in to Jira as a System Administrator.
  2. Click the gear icon and select Manage Apps.
  3. Select Manage Apps from the menu on the left side.
  4. Click Upload app.
  5. Upload the ApiExtension-1.0.jar file.
    1. This file is deployed by the installer to the Plugin sub-folder of installation target A Target is a "pointer" to a specific instance of a search application, such as Elasticsearch. - (A Search application instance has one or more indexes) location.

Generate the Authorization Token for Jira Server version 8.21 and below

To create an authorization token that enables the Jira connector to access Jira while crawling, follow these steps:

  1. On the server where the Connector is installed, navigate to:
       http://<host>:<port number>/OAuth Specifies a process for resource owners to authorize third-party access to their server resources without providing credentials..html
    • <host>: This is the FQDN, Host name, or IP of the server where the Connector is installed
    • <port number>: This is the port number that you selected during the Connector installation (by default, 2401)
  2. Follow the instructions in the configuration page opened in the previous step.
  3. Read the notes carefully, because the Jira user interface is not straightforward.
  4. Note the certificate password because you need it at a later time.
  5. Click Next.

  6. Follow the on-screen prompts to log in using the credentials of the crawling user account.

  7. When the authorization process is complete, an access token is displayed on the screen.
    1. Copy and save this token.
    2. It is needed later, when a connection Connection defines the how Connectivity Hub connects to your Source System (which contains your documents, graphics, etc.,). Your Connection includes identifying elements such as: URL of the BA Insight web service connector you are using, (File Share connector, SharePoint Online connector, etc.), Authentication mode, User Accounts and Credentials, Database information (for database connectors) is created.

Generate the Authorization Token for Jira Server version 8.22 and above

To create an authorization token that enables the Jira connector to access Jira while crawling, follow these steps:

  1. On the server where the Connector is installed, navigate to:
       http://<host>:<port number>/OAuth2.html
    • <host>: This is the FQDN, Host name, or IP of the server where the Connector is installed
    • <port number>: This is the port number that you selected during the Connector installation (by default, 2401)
  2. Follow the instructions in the configuration page opened in the previous step.
  3. Click Next.

  4. Follow the on-screen prompts to log in using the credentials of the crawling user account. See Jira Connector Prerequisites.

  5. When the authorization process is complete, an authorized connection id is displayed on the screen.
    1. Copy and save this id.
    2. It is needed later, when a connection is created.

Connectivity Hub - Create Connection

Use the following steps to create a connection from your Jira source system Your Source System is the repository where your data is stored (data to be indexed). This repository is managed by applications such as: - SharePoint O365 - SharePoint 2013/16/19 - Documentum - File Share - OpenText - Lotus Notes - etc. Your Source System repository can also be a database such as SQL or Oracle. to Connectivity Hub.

  1. Open ConnectivityHub in a local browser. If you are using the server ConnectivityHub is installed on, the address is:
    https://localhost:port (55001 is the default local port).
  2. Navigate to the Connections page.
  3. Edit your connection settings.
    1. If you do not have a Jira connection, create one by a creating a new Web Service connection.
    2. Use the URL to your Jira connector as specified in IIS, with "DataConnector.asmx" appended.
    3. Select Jira sub-connector according to the version of your Jira Server.

    4. On the General Settings tab, enter values into all available fields:

      1. Password:
        1. Certificate password, as specified in the topic "Generate the Authorization Token" below.
      2. Jira URL:
        1. Use this URL in Web browsers to reach the Jira UI.
      3. if you are using Jira version 8.21 and earlier:
        1.  Access Token:
          1. This token is required for authentication, and is generated in the last step of the "Generate the Authorization Token" section.
        2. Consumer Key:
          1. The consumer key specified during the oAuth process.
          2. Default value should be charged only when multiple application links are used.
      4. If you are using Jira version 8.22 and later:
        1.   Authorized Connection id:
          1. This identifier was generated in the last step of the "Generate the Authorization Token" section.
  4. Click the "Datastore Sync Settings" tab.
    1. Auto activate datastores
      1. Check the box to automatically mark as active any newly added Jira datastores.
    2. Subtractive sync
      1. Remove datastores not found by by the connector Datastores Load Collects the logical division of your data (data stores) from the source system. Runs on a schedule Logs information according to log level set task.
    3. Project name filter
      1. Enter one filter per row.
      2. If a row starts with '+' a project is included only if its name contains the filter text.
      3. If the row starts with '-' projects containing the text are excluded.
    4. Project category filter
      1. Add one filter per row.
      2. If a row starts with '+' a project is included only if its category matches the filter text.
      3. If the row starts with '-' projects having a matching category are excluded.
  5. Click the Save button at the top of the page.

Connectivity Hub - Create Content Source

Use the following steps to configure the Jira content source Content Sources do the following: Receive data from the Source System via the Connection, Filter the data it receives, Provide the results to the Target, Define the specific search index that contains the content you wish to index (and later search). in Connectivity Hub.

  1. Select Content Sources from the top of the page.
  2. Select New > Web service content using the drop-down menu.
  3. The Wizard appears.
  4. Follow the wizard to configure your Content Source and Target.

Configuring Jira Connector for Jira in Atlassian Cloud

Create an API token

Jira connector needs an API token to authenticate to Atlassian cloud.

A Token can be generated by the following steps:

  1. Log in to https://id.atlassian.com/manage/api-tokens as an administrator.
  2. Click Create API token.
  3. From the dialog that appears, enter a memorable and concise label for your token and click Create.
  4. Click Copy to clipboard, then save it somewhere. It is needed later in connection settings.

Create an Admin API key

Jira connector is based on Jira REST API, what doesn't return user email addresses for privacy reasons.

It returns the display names of users only, what it hard to use for user mapping.

An optional but recommended feature of the connector to use the Atlassian admin API, what needs the following authentication steps:

  1. From your organization at admin.atlassian.com, select Settings > API keys.
  2. Click Create API key in the top right.
  3. Enter a name that you’ll remember to identify the API key.
  4. By default, the key expires one week from today.
    1. If you’d like to change the expiration date, pick a new date under "Expires on."
    2. You cannot select a date longer than a year from the date of creation.
  5. Click Create to save the API key.
  6. Copy the generated key. You'll need it later in connection settings.

Content Configuration Specifics

Custom filters supports any JQL expressions as documented here: