What's new in the OSLC Connect for Jira 2.6.0 release

With our latest OSLC Connect for Jira 2.6.0 release, we had a chance to reflect on our users' feedback and let our development team be creative. Our goal was simple, make Global Configurations more accessible to users. I’ve been impressed with the results and expect our users will too.

Easing Project Associations

Ever wonder which project association provides which link types? Did you want to understand what repository you are using because your test and production systems are similarly named?

We understand that challenge, so this first feature helps every project owner.

On the Project Association page, you now get more details and clarity of the projects you are connected to and their roles.



At a glance, you get access to critical information that ensures your users have the connections they need.

Moreover, for teams with 100s of projects, which are most of you, you now have a search field for finding the right projects fast!

Configurations in Jira

Working with Jira should never be guesswork. So our goal with this release was to remove the mystery of configurations.

At the core, linking in a configuration-managed environment matches the right version of the asset to the current release. For us, this has always meant that a Jira Release uses/works on a Configuration. Navigating a link means identifying the Release used and the version of the artifact for that release.

Our goal was to reveal this with a few simple updates that preserved the operation's functionality while making the operation transparent to the users.

My Release Configuration

For the project configuration, the project owner is identifying the primary configuration for a release. This is a simple association of a Jira release to a specific enterprise configuration.

In this release, OSLC Connect for Jira provides previews of critical Jira Release information so you can make those associations simple.

We have also introduced support for multiple Configuration Servers if connected to more than one Global Configuration Application.

My Link Configuration

We wanted it to be instantaneous and transparent on what configuration a link is using.

To know what configuration you are using, simply hover over the configuration icon on the link!

Need more information? Click on the configuration name, and a new tab opens to explore the configuration definition!

How Did it Calculate the Configuration?

While the goal is to make the configuration selection as simple as possible, we all value having clarity of understanding.

We are introducing a helper that guides you through OSLC Connect for Jira’s process. Click on the “?” in the configuration pop-up reveals the explanation of the configuration selection.

For new users, this is a guide to understanding how configurations work. This can be a quick check for experienced users to understand if configurations changed or how users may use a new link type.

This can also be helpful if you are working with multiple releases on the same ticket such as the assignment below. Which Release is being used for the links? Will it be ‘Release 2.0’ or ‘Release 1.0’?

 

While Jira always orders them with the highest priority as the last listed, the pop-up and the hint dialog can provide instant user clarity to know ‘Release 1.0’ is my target release and ‘AMR 1.0’ is my Global Configuration Context.

What Configuration is Used for My New Link?

The moment a user is creating a link, the configuration matters. While we have always made sure configurations were used, OSLC Connect for Jira mostly hid them from users. Now the moment that a user selects a link type, the Configuration is visible and accessible.

Users now know exactly which Configuration is being used for that link context.

All of these features are provided to take the mystery out of Configurations and work with Jira. We have found that even our most experienced users have leveraged them in daily use.

Introducing IBM ELM 7.0.2 Support

A major component of this release of OSLC Connect for Jira 2.6.0 was to provide support for the 7.0.2 release of IBM ELM.

In that release, IBM introduced a different usage model for configurations and changes. Effectively, they allow each Configuration to select the Release(s) that it would like to participate in the Configuration. This is effectively inversing their previous design.

We noted the previous pattern's challenges (and some recommended solutions) in this article: Recommendations on using changes with configurations in DOORS Next.

While the simplicity of one Release to one Configuration is extremely valuable, with IBM, you can exercise new patterns that meet your organization’s architecture and needs.

Across all versions of OSLC tools, our Jira behavior remains constant and simple. We are introducing some flexibility in accessing and presenting Jira data in ELM 7.0.2 and beyond with the features below.

Deliverable Selection

In the Global Configuration Application, users can now select Jira Releases to be used for their linking.

OSLC Connect for Jira now provides a delegated dialog to IBM Global Configuration to select what Releases in Jira are interested in this configuration.

Friending and Project Associations apply to identify what releases are available to users.

The result is a Global Configuration that can use ‘zero to many’ of your Jira releases in views and reports. You will also be able to see these relationships in your Global Configuration links.

Synchronizing your Mappings

We know your existing configurations are valuable, and building these by in IBM Global Configuration would be a painful experience.

OSLC Connect for Jira 2.6.0 now comes with a Synchronization option. After you migrate to 7.0.2, you will synchronize the mappings you have in Jira to Global Configuration.

This will provide the option to “push” your desired configurations to IBM ELM. It is a simple way to have your configurations match.

IBM ELM 7.0.2 users can also use this feature even after the migration. We want to make sure the Jira and ELM sides are consistent. While it may be valuable that ELM has several configurations that see changes from a release, it is imperative that Jira's release is consistent and maintains that backlink.

OSLC Connect for Jira provides the option from Jira to monitor this, as you see below.

And if a Jira release points to a Configuration that doesn’t include that Jira release, we will encourage synchronization where Jira will add that Release to the Global Configuration's links.

It is simply good practice, and we are making it easier to stay successful.

Support for TRS, ReportBuilder, and Engineering Insights

We have updated our TRS feed and confirmed behavior with ReportBuilder and Engineering Insights with the new changes in release relationships. The Jira data remains present and available in all configurations for which you configure.

Not an OSLC Connect for Jira user yet?

We are excited about the new patterns of usage that users will develop with IBM’s latest release. We feel we have provided an excellent answer that supports the evolution of ELM while keeping the consistency and simplicity of Jira.

You can try it free directly from the Atlassian Marketplace. Sign up today and start using OSLC Connect for Jira.

Already an OSLC Connect for Jira user? Download the OSLC Connect for Jira 2.6.0 release here.