gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/project_services/jira.md

# GitLab JIRA integration

GitLab can be configured to interact with [JIRA Core] either using an
on-premises instance or the SaaS solution that Atlassian offers. Configuration
happens via username and password on a per-project basis. Connecting to a JIRA
server via CAS is not possible.

Each project can be configured to connect to a different JIRA instance or, in
case you have a single JIRA instance, you can pre-fill the JIRA service
settings page in GitLab with a default template. To configure the JIRA template,
see the [Services Templates documentation][services-templates].

Once the GitLab project is connected to JIRA, you can reference and close the
issues in JIRA directly from GitLab's Merge requests.

## Configuration

The configuration consists of two parts:

- [JIRA configuration](#configuring-jira)
- [GitLab configuration](#configuring-gitlab)

### Configuring JIRA

First things first, we need to create a user in JIRA which will have access to
all projects that need to integrate with GitLab.

We have split this stage in steps so it could be easier to follow.

---

1. Login to your JIRA instance as an administrator and under **Administration**
   go to **User Management** to create a new user.

     ![JIRA user management link](img/jira_user_management_link.png)

     ---

1. The next step is to create a new user (e.g., `gitlab`) who has write-access
   to projects in JIRA. Enter the user's name and a _valid_ e-mail address
   since JIRA sends a verification e-mail to set-up the password.
   _**Note:** JIRA creates the username automatically by using the e-mail
   prefix. You can change it later if you want._

     ![JIRA create new user](img/jira_create_new_user.png)

     ---

1. Now, let's create a `gitlab-developers` group which will have write-access
   to projects in JIRA. Go to the **Groups** tab and select **Create group**.

     ![JIRA create new user](img/jira_create_new_group.png)

     ---

     Give it an optional description and hit **Create group**.

     ![JIRA create new group](img/jira_create_new_group_name.png)

     ---

1. Give the newly-created group write access by going to
   **Application access > View configuration** and adding the `gitlab-developers`
   group to JIRA Core.

     ![JIRA group access](img/jira_group_access.png)

     ---

1. Add the `gitlab` user to `gitlab-developers` group by going to
   **Users > GitLab user > Add group** and selecting the `gitlab-developers`
   group from the dropdown menu. Notice that the group says _Access_ which is
   what we aim for.

     ![JIRA add user to group](img/jira_add_user_to_group.png)

---

The JIRA configuration is over. Write down the new JIRA username and its
password as they will be needed when configuring GitLab in the next section.

## Configuring GitLab

Assuming you [have already configured JIRA](#configuring-jira), now it's time
to configure GitLab.

JIRA configuration in GitLab is done via a project's
[**Services**](../project_services/project_services.md).

#### GitLab 7.8 and up

_**Note:** The currently supported JIRA versions are v6.x and v7.x._

To enable JIRA integration in a project, navigate to the project's
**Settings > Services > JIRA**.

Fill in the required details on the page, as described in the table below.

| Setting | Description |
| ------- | ----------- |
| `Description` | A name for the issue tracker (to differentiate between instances, for example). |
| `Project url` | The URL to the JIRA project which is being linked to this GitLab project. It's of the form: `https://<jira_host_url>/issues/?jql=project=<jira_project>`. |
| `Issues url`  | The URL to the JIRA project issues overview for the project that is linked to this GitLab project. It is of the form: `https://<jira_host_url>/browse/:id`. Leave `:id` as-is, it gets replaced by GitLab at runtime. |
| `New issue url` | This is the URL to create a new issue in JIRA for the project linked to this GitLab project, and is of the form: `https://<jira_host_url>/secure/CreateIssue.jspa` |
| `Api url`     | The base URL of the JIRA API. It may be omitted, in which case GitLab will automatically use API version `2` based on the `project url`. It is of the form: `https://<jira_host_url>/rest/api/2`. |
| `Username` | The username of the user created in [configuring JIRA step](#configuring-jira). |
| `Password` |The password of the user created in [configuring JIRA step](#configuring-jira). |
| `JIRA issue transition` | This setting is very important to set up correctly. It is the ID of a transition that moves issues to a closed state. You can find this number under the JIRA workflow administration (**Administration > Issues > Workflows**) by selecting **View** under **Operations** of the desired workflow of your project. The ID of each state can be found inside the parenthesis of each transition name under the **Transitions (id)** column ([see screenshot](img/jira_issues_workflow.png)). By default, this ID is set to `2` |

After saving the configuration, your GitLab project will be able to interact
with the linked JIRA project.

![JIRA service page](img/jira_service_page.png)

---

#### GitLab 6.x-7.7 with JIRA v6.x

_**Note:** GitLab versions 7.8 and up contain various integration improvements.
We strongly recommend upgrading._

In the unfortunate event that you are still using GitLab < 7.8, consult the
[jira_old document](jira_old.md) on how to configure JIRA.

## JIRA issues

By now you should have [configured JIRA](#configuring-jira) and enabled the
[JIRA service in GitLab](#configuring-gitlab). If everything is set up correctly
you should be able to:

- reference JIRA issues and
- close JIRA issues

by just mentioning their ID in GitLab commits and merge requests.

### Referencing JIRA Issues

If you reference a JIRA issue, e.g., `GITLAB-1`, in a commit comment, a link
which points back to JIRA is created.

The same works for comments in merge requests as well.

![JIRA add GitLab commit message](img/jira_add_gitlab_commit_message.png)

---

The mentioning action is two-fold, so a comment with a JIRA issue in GitLab
will automatically add a comment in that particular JIRA issue with the link
back to GitLab.


![JIRA reference commit message](img/jira_reference_commit_message_in_jira_issue.png)

---

The comment on the JIRA issue is of the form:

> USER mentioned this issue in LINK_TO_THE_MENTION

Where:

| Format | Description |
| ------ | ----------- |
| `USER` | A user that mentioned the issue. This is the link to the user profile in GitLab. |
| `LINK_TO_THE_MENTION` | Link to the origin of mention with a name of the entity where JIRA issue was mentioned. Can be commit or merge request. |

### Closing JIRA issues

JIRA issues can be closed directly from GitLab by using trigger words in
commits and merge requests. When a commit, which contains the trigger word
followed by the JIRA issue ID in the commit message, is pushed, GitLab will
add a comment in the mentioned JIRA issue and immediately close it.

There are currently three trigger words, and you can use either one to achieve
the same goal:

- `Resolves GITLAB-1`
- `Closes GITLAB-1`
- `Fixes GITLAB-1`

where `GITLAB-1` the issue ID of the JIRA project.

### JIRA issue closing example

Let's say for example that we submitted a bug fix and created a merge request
in GitLab. The workflow would be something like this:

1. Create a new branch
1. Fix the bug
1. Commit the changes and push back to GitLab
1. Open a new merge request and reference the JIRA issue including one of the
   trigger words, e.g.: `Fixes GITLAB-1`, in the description
1. Submit the merge request
1. Ask someone to review
1. Merge the merge request
1. The JIRA issue is automatically closed

---

In the following screenshot you can see how the link references to the JIRA
issue look like.

![JIRA - submit a GitLab merge request](img/jira_submit_gitlab_merge_request.png)

---

Once this merge request is merged, the JIRA issue will be automatically closed
with a link to the commit that resolved the issue.

![The GitLab integration user leaves a comment on JIRA](img/jira_service_close_issue.png)

---

[services-templates]: ../project_services/services_templates.md "Services templates documentation"
[JIRA Core]: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/core "The JIRA Core website"