For development teams, effective software development relies on streamlined collaboration between testing and requirements management tools. For teams Xray Test Management for Jira, a native Jira app that allows you to plan, design, and execute tests, and generate test reports, and IBM DOORS Next for requirements management, integrating both applications bridges the gap between quality assurance and requirements engineering.
OSLC Connect for Jira is the solution that helps organizations bridge the gap between Jira and other software and systems development applications such as IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management for example. It allows development teams to connect their apps, create relationships between related engineering artifacts, boost collaboration across domains, and support end-to-end traceability requirements.
In this article, you will learn how to integrate the two apps together along with a sneak peek into the different ways to use OSLC Connect for Jira to create traceability, improve collaboration, and provide visibility into the software development project.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Ways to integrate Xray Test Management for Jira with IBM DOORS Next
2. Link Xray tests with IBM DOORS Next requirements
3. Create OSLC links between tests in Xray and requirements in IBM DOORS Next requirements
Ways to integrate Xray Test Management for Jira with IBM DOORS Next requirements
Add IBM DOORS Next requirements to Xray tests
If you’re using Xray to manage and track all your tests, having visibility into the requirements that generated these tests makes a lot of sense. With OSLC Connect for Jira, you can create links between test cases in Xray and IBM DOORS Next requirements, making it easier for your quality assurance (QA) team to understand what needs to be tested in Xray Test Management for Jira. Being able to link tests and requirements drastically improves test coverage, allowing your QA team to test all of the right things.
To do this, you can create a link to an existing requirement-what we call a collaboration link- establishing the relationship between your tests and requirements. (See Fig. 1)
Fig. 1 This screenshot shows that you can access the IBM DOORS Next repository and select the requirements to reference on your Xray test directly from Jira Software.
Create new Xray test cases from IBM DOORS Next requirements
We covered how to add IBM DOORS Next requirements to Xray tests but what about generating new test cases for a specific requirement? With OSLC Connect for Jira, you can easily create new Xray test cases or link to existing test cases from IBM DOORS Next, without having to leave the application. (See Fig. 2)
Fig. 2 This screenshot shows that you can create new Xray test cases from IBM DOORS Next.
Show that requirements have been properly implemented
Being able to establish relationships between related tests and requirements is critical for ensuring that software development aligns with project objectives and delivers quality outcomes. However, being able to easily report on these relationships can save organizations a lot of time when it comes to demonstrating compliance with functional safety standards.
With OSLC Connect for Jira, you can add Xray data to your IBM reports, providing stakeholders with a centralized overview of the trace relationships between your requirements and test cases. You can even add Jira information to your report and demonstrate relationships with implementation tasks. (See Fig.3)
Fig. 3 This screenshot shows a traceability report in IBM Report Builder used to demonstrate trace relationships between artifacts
Link Xray tests with IBM DOORS Next requirements
OSLC Connect for Jira is packed with powerful features to help you achieve your organization’s needs for regulatory compliance. We are now going to focus on one of the workflows we mentioned earlier: the creation of links between test cases in Xray Test Management for Jira and requirements in IBM DOORS Next.
Before you begin
Before you create a Link that connects Xray test cases with IBM DOORS Next requirements, you will need to download an active OSLC Connect for Jira license. You can download a free trial or purchase the app directly via the Atlassian Marketplace here. You also need to make sure you have administrator access to Xray Test Management for Jira and IBM DOORS Next.
Step 1: Connect your applications
Before creating OSLC links you first need to establish associations between repositories and projects-this is what we call Friending. The goal of Friending is to create a secure relationship between your applications and enable them to authorize users to embed content securely.
Please note that you need to be both a Jira and IBM DOORS Next administrator to register new friend associations.
To connect Xray and Jira to IBM DOORS Next, you will need to:
- Register IBM DOORS Next in Jira
- Register Jira in IBM DOORS Next
- Create Project Associations in Jira
- Create Project Associations in IBM DOORS Next
We cover the process of associating your apps and projects in the video guide here.
Once your apps are registered and projects are associated, OSLC Connect for Jira will need to be configured to your processes. This is the step we cover next.
Step 2: Configure OSLC Connect for Jira
Now that your apps are connected, you will need to configure OSLC Connect for Jira and customize it to follow your software development processes.
OSLC Connect for Jira lets you configure multiple aspects. Let’s briefly look into what you can configure.
Configure the mapping of issue types.
You can choose the artifact type you want to generate in Xray from IBM DOORS Next artifacts. We have Issue type mappings organized based on schemes.
Configure the mapping of link types.
You can define which link type to use as a default when creating links from specific Issue Types.
In addition, you can also configure:
- Issue Links decorators
- Issue shapes
- Issue validator
- Rich Previews
Watch our video guide here, which explains how to configure OSLC Connect for Jira.
Step 3: Create Links
Now that your applications are connected and you have configured OSLC Connect for Jira according to your internal development process, you are set up to start creating links. For the sake of this article, we will focus on showing you how to link Xray test cases to IBM DOORS Next requirements using OSLC Connect for Jira.
One thing you need to know is that OSLC Connect for Jira allows users to create links whether the user is in Xray or in IBM DOORS Next. QA teams in Xray can create links to IBM DOORS Next artifacts and vice versa. You can decide to assign specific rights and roles in the admin panel of OSLC Connect for Jira.
- Click on "Add link". A popup will open. Then navigate to Collaboration Link.
- Select the Link Type-in our case we select the “Implements Requirement” link type.
- Choose the Container (i.e. this is the IBM DOORS Next project you want to create a link to)
- Select "Link to existing"
- Click on "Select artifact".
OSLC Connect for Jira will open an IBM DOORS Next dialog within your Jira interface. (See Fig. 4)
Fig. 4 The IBM DNG Dialog opened from your Jira interface to link requirements with test cases
In this dialog, you can search for a specific requirement. Once you have found your requirement, simply click on it to tell OSLC Connect for Jira to link to it. You can also select multiple requirements at a time. They will all be added to your Xray test case.
When the requirement has been selected, OSLC Connect for Jira will instantly add it as a Link along with all your Jira Issue Links. (See Fig. 5 below)
Fig. 5 This screenshot shows all of the requirements that this specific test case validates.
And that’s it! You have created a link between your test cases in Xray and requirements in IBM DOORS Next. You can hover on it to access a preview of its content and status or click on it to navigate to the requirement in IBM DOORS Next. It is that easy.
Create OSLC links between tests in Xray and requirements in IBM DOORS Next
If you’re using Xray Test Management for Jira and IBM DOORS Next individually, integrating the two applications makes sense to unify your software development process. Explore all the other ways to integrate Xray Test Management for Jira with IBM DOORS Next ALM with OSLC Connect for Jira in our on-demand product demonstration here. But whether you want to create links between related artifacts, get more visibility into the status of the development projects, break down silos to improve collaboration between teams, or simplify the creation of traceability, you can do it all with OSLC Connect for Jira.
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