how to create cross project linkages, perhaps at the component level

[James Barwick]

I would like to be able to define cross-project linkages and dependencies.

At the 'task' level, this is fine (task to task). However, I would like to be able to visualize in a workflow or dashboard all cross-project linkages and dependencies. And, the other tasks may not be created yet.

Example:

Project A has a new issue, feature, enhancements, bug....it's in component C. I need a validation and QA task in Project B, Project D, Project E to make sure that the issue reported (or fixed) in Project A does not effect the other projects. Or, if it does, that this be addressed in Project B, E, and E as necessary.

Also, visualizing all projects in swim lanes with lines between components showing pre-defined cross linkages would be cool.

any thoughts on this process? Is there a blog or forum where we can discuss this?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

>Is there a blog or forum where we can discuss this?

Here is the best place.

To get started, this really does sound like "Issue Links". You can tell Jira that <any issue> is linked to <any other issue> by <reason>

The difficutly with that is that although linking does what you need in informational terms, the reporting is weaker. It's fine on indovidual issues, but there's no reporting on it natively, and it's actually really very hard to write a visualisation that would suit a general view. I tend to wave at the"iissue links heirarchy report" add on as a good start though.

[James Barwick]

No, it would have to disagree. This does not sound like "Issue Links". I specifically said it is not to try to drive the conversation away from this.

Note I said "Issues will not exist". So, I want to create cross-project linkages so that when an issue eventually is created, the system will tell everyone "hey, here is all the other stuff you need to be concerned about".

Note that developers or someone reporting an issue and even the support desk person that is triaging an issue does NOT remember the 15 linkeages and 125 sub-linkages that are related to an issue on a specific component.

So, I'm looking for ideas on how to manage, setup, visualize, and create cross-project and cross compoenent integration defintiions and linkages PRIOR to issues being created.

Any thoughts?

I was thinking of tools like easyBI to create a dashboard, and custom fields on components, but I would like to get some awesome insight from everyone that may have done this before.

[James Barwick]

Hey Nic, your link to the 'best place' seems to have gotton dropped... can you post again?

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

Ok, I misunderstood.

You're actually trying to represent project information rather than issue information. Simply put, I don't think Jira is the place for this - the data you want to store and report on is not issue based, and although Jira groups things into "projects", it's not a Project tracker, it's an issue tracker. Most places I've been use the project url to point to a linked Confluence space where they can document the cross project links, supporting documentation, progress reports and so-on.

(I'll try the link again - https://answers.atlassian.com- I really do mean you're already in the best place to discuss Atlassian products)

[James Barwick]

hehe. perfect. Yes, here is probably a good place.

I was trying to figure out how to do this with Confluence. But confluence, although it has pointers and references, is still 'unstructured'. Maybe that's good. Don't know.

In any case, people need triggers. They need workflow. So, we have Jira service desk, which by the way is cool, but it's too limited. It's designed for a single organization...example, I need SLA's for EACH organization, not the service desk staff...anyway...another conversation...

Because people need triggers, there needs to be something that happens when an issue is created. Not just notifications for the staff responsible for specific components, but components that those components link to, etc. etc.

So, I can't see that confluence is going to work.

Any idea where there may be software that supports Cross-Project integration pooint notification and workflow?