Capturing Okta User Attributes as Jira User Properties

[Justin Alex Paramanandan]

One of our customers are currently using Okta and would like to integrate with Jira Server for SSO authentication. All Okta users are synced from their in-house Active Directory server.

Previously, if we want to grab custom user attributes (such as Departments, Reporting Manager, Contact Number etc) from Active Directory, we recommended the Active Directory Attributes Sync Marketplace app. We would then populate the attributes to custom fields so it is easily reportable. This was easily configurable and would fit the above scenario.

However, after speaking to the customer, they would prefer not to grab the information from the AD, but rather from Okta.

Is there a way we can grab the user attributes from Okta, and perhaps populate them as user properties in Jira? We've managed to work around grabbing user properties using the nFeed app and populate them into fields. But in order to grab those details from Okta into user properties has been a challenge.

[Justin Alex Paramanandan · Accepted solution]

I managed to implement this feature by utilising the URL as a datasource, and parse the Okta REST API URL for a user account:

By using this method, we get the JSON result, which then can be used to pull out the attributes into nFeed fields (https://valiantys.atlassian.net/wiki/x/xxiRBQ).

References:

• Okta USER API: https://developer.okta.com/docs/api/resources/users#get-user-with-login
• OKTA API Token: https://developer.okta.com/docs/api/getting_started/getting_a_token

[Eva Fernandez]

Hello,

How did they finally solve it? We have the same problem, we have to retrieve properties of OKTA users and report them in custom fields. How do we synchronize OKTA user properties with Jira properties?

Is the only solution at the moment the one indicated by Justin?

Thanks!

[Eduardo Oliveira - Mindpro Apps]

Hi @Eva Fernandez

Eduardo here, I'm a Marketplace partner, and I am happy to share with you one more solution that may help you to achieve this goal (or complementary need of your company).

MindPro Sync, is a Marketplace app for JIRA, where you can integrate OKTA, Azure AD, or OneLogin with Jira and JSM and retrieve user attributes.

With this integration, you can:

• Connect JIRA and JSM with your favorite Identity Provider (OKTA, Azure, or OneLogin);
• Select and map user attributes to be displayed in Jira issues or JSM requests (and portal) (such as email, phone, manager name, department, company hierarchy, and more) 
• Use user attributes information from read-only custom fields to create JQL queries, filters, dashboards or to connect with other apps;
• Choose to display data for the issue Reporter or Assignee;
• Show user reporting hierarchy in Issues and JSM requests to facilitate escalation and approvals;
• Automatically assign approvers based on user hierarchy.

I hope that helps!

Eduardo Oliveira

[Ste404]

Hi there,

To be clear, if we use MindPro Sync, I can map fields from Okta such as Role and Location (Country) and then when a request is created it will retrieve that information that I can then use in an automation rule against the issue.

i.e. specific location based automation rules when a request is submitted.