 | Current Version of the JaM Plugin is 5.6.1
- The current version was released on 10-Jul-09
- This FAQ was updated 13-Jul-09
|
Q: Help! I've run into a problem and can't seem to find a solution. What should I do?
A: If you've reviewed the FAQ below, read through the installation documentation, and have not found a similar issue logged in the JaM Plugin JIRA project, please contact us directly. We do ask that you provide a few pieces of information before contacting us:
- What step of the installation process you are having trouble with;
- What version of JIRA, Java, and Quality Center you are using;
- Which fields you would like to replicate between JIRA and Quality Center.
If you can provide any logs or other available documentation, that would also be helpful. The quickest way to contact us is to log an issue in the JaM Plugin JIRA project. Our entire support team will see your issue, and other customers can benefit if they are experiencing similar challenges.
Requirements
Q: What versions of JIRA and Quality Center work with the JaM Plugin?
A: The JaM Plugin works with the following editions/versions:
- Atlassian JIRA Enterprise Edition: version 3.11 or newer
- HP Quality Center: version 9.2 or newer
- JDK: v1.5
Installation
Q: Does the JaM Plugin work with HP Quality Center (v9)?
A: Yes! The JaM Plugin does work with HP Quality Center v9.2.
Q: Can I use the JaM Plugin in a Linux Environment?
A: Yes! Simply install the Mercury SOAP service on a Windows machine and configure the service to point to the Quality Center server.
Q: I noticed you have released an updated JaM Plugin - How do I update my installation to the latest version?
A: Simple! Just download the latest version (upgrade package) and walk through the upgrade guide.
Q: From a technical / communication perspective, how does the JaM Plugin work?
A: Basically, you have two servers involved - the Quality Center server and the JIRA server. The communication between the two is entirely over web service (SOAP) calls. The web service runs on the Quality Center server, and the JIRA server talks to it. So, you'd need to have the port that the web service runs on open and available through any firewalls or security. The port can change; the web service runs in an application server, such as Tomcat, which typically runs on port 8080, but you can specify the port you want to use.
Q: How do I ensure there is no duplication during the replication between JIRA and Quality Center?
A: When performing defect replication, a strategy is required to avoid double replications. That is, unless precautions are taken, an issue replicated from Quality Center to JIRA may trigger a reverse replication from JIRA to Quality Center. The following table lists the precautions taken to avoid this problem in the four replication scenarios.
| Scenario |
Precautions |
Notes |
| New JIRA issue created |
Will not be replicated to Quality Center
if the project is not
marked for replication; if the
issue already has a Quality Center
ID stored with it; or if the
issue's creator is the
special synchronization JIRA account. |
JIRA issue ID is stored with the
replicated Quality Center issue, and the
JIRA issue is updated with the ID of
the corresponding
Quality Center defect. |
| JIRA issue updated |
Will not be replicated to
Quality Center if the project is not
marked for replication, or if
the updating user is the
special synchronization JIRA
account. |
|
| New Quality Center issue created |
Will not be replicated to
JIRA if the project is not
marked for replication, or if
the issue already has a JIRA
ID stored with it. |
Replicated JIRA issue ID is stored
with the original Quality Center issue, and
the JIRA issue is updated with the
ID of the original Quality Center defect. The
synchronization user account is
used to create the issue in JIRA. |
| Quality Center issue updated |
Will always be replicated in
JIRA, but the JIRA listener
will ignore that update since
it comes from the
synchronization user account. |
The synchronization user account is
used to update the issue in JIRA. |
Q: For which fields in mercury.properties does JIRA needs to be restarted when there is a change?
A: You need to restart JIRA for any change in mercury.properties.
Q: Does the Mercury Interface webapp need to be restarted when there is a change to mercury.properties?
A: You do not need to restart the SOAP web application; it does not use the property file.
Q: We have the same users in Quality Center and JIRA, do we need a mapping entry at all?
A: No, you only need a mapping entry for fields that must be translated.
Q: I am receiving the following message - What could be the cause of the error?
A: This indicates that an older version of Java is running. We built JaM using JDK 6 - please use JKD 6 or later if possible.
Q: If we have a custom field in JIRA, by which name do we reference it in the mapping file?
A: Custom fields should be identified by their field name, e.g. "ReviewedBy". The only restriction is that custom fields should have unique names in JIRA.
Q: Where is the plugin actually physically installed? Is it installed on the JIRA server?
A: Yes, the JaM Plugin is installed on the JIRA server. Specifically, it is installed in JIRA's WEB-INF/classes folder.
Q: Is it possible to manually force updates?
A: We do have a feature that allows the user to force updates, but that's really just in case the automatic replication failed for some reason, such as the servers being offline. The normal mode of operation is for automatic replication.
Q: It is possible to only have replication in one direction (QC -> JIRA).
A: A few fields have default values, but there is no mechanism right now to specify default values for most fields.
Q: Is there support for the QC 'run' object?
A: No. We can replicate between JIRA issues and QC defects, and can establish links between JIRA issues and QC test cases. We have no support for the QC 'run' object.
Q: What is the "test cases" tab panel in JIRA?
A: The 'test cases' tab panel in JIRA shows the details of any QC test cases that were manually linked to the issue. Test case linking is really a completely separate feature from defect replication.
Q: I've installed the Go2Group Mercury soap service, but I am receiving a 404 Page Not Found message when trying to access the service by URL. What could be the problem?
A: It's possible the port number is being used by an incumbent software. Please uninstall the soap service, then reinstall the soap service using an available port.
Support
Q: Is the Basic (Free) version of the JaM Plugin supported by Go2Group?
A: The Basic JaM Plugin is no longer available.
Q: Does the JaM Plugin work with other versions of QC?
A: The Go2Group JaM plugin was designed and tested with QC 9.0 and above. While we continue supporting the JaM Plugin with newer releases of Quality Center, HP has ended its support with pre-9.x versions of QC.
Q: We have a custom field, "The Dukes of Hazzard" - How do we identify this custom field within the configuration file?
A: Custom field names with spaces will work just fine. Simply identify the customer field name as:
Q: Is it possible for the JaM Plugin to replicated defects between two QC servers and JIRA?
A: In the current version (4.1), it is not possible to replicate defects between multiple Quality Center servers and JIRA. We are working on supporting that feature in the future, but don't yet have an estimate as to when it will be available.
Q: Is there a log level we can set in JIRA to better understand what is going on (the only message we have is: WARN [jira.plugin.mercury_kit.MercuryHelper] No defects found).
A: Yes, you can set the log level to INFO or DEBUG, for either all of JIRA or just for the package com.go2group.For example: log4j.category.com.go2group = DEBUG, console, filelog, R
Q: Logging in MercuryInterface is not explicit enough (Adding bug XX doesn't say in which direction it's adding the bug).
A: That particular message occurs when it is returning a list of defects that were updated after a certain time. We've since make the log messages a bit more explicit - please ensure you are running the most recent version of the JaM Plugin.
Q: When creating a new issue in JIRA, a blank due date will generate a parse error and prevent the issue being replicated.
A: We have not been able to replicate this issue internally. Please ensure you are mapping due date to the proper field.
Q: If a tester is updating a bug and a developer is updating the same issue at the same time, what happens?
A: JIRA updates win over QC updates in the case of simultaneous edits.
Q: Does the JaM Plugin do any project mapping between QC and JIRA?
A: Yes, JaM uses mappings between projects in QC and JIRA.
Q: After installing the JaM Plugin, the Linked Issues field in Quality Center's Test Case does not update automatically when the JIRA issue is updated. It seems QC can only add linked issue to it but not remove or update. Is this correct?
A: Yes. The JaM Plugin supports updates in most cases. The only case where it doesn't update properly is when there is only one JIRA issue tied to a test case, and that link is removed. The current solution is for the user to manually delete the reference to the JIRA ticket in QC. We are currently exploring a method of solving this issue programmatically without impacting the performance between QC and JIRA.
Q: When removing an old project from the properties file and replacing it with a newer one (i.e. the old project no longer needs to be replicated), a Connection Reaper message appears (see below). Customproject2 is the old project and customtestabi is the new one. Why is there still a reference to Customproject2?
A: The connection to Quality Center is cached for performance reasons. The log line in question is checking the connection to that project, and likely removing once it times out.
Q: I have entered data into QC, but the fields are not being copied to JIRA following a sync. What could be causing this?
A: There are a few reasons this could be happening. One thing to check is the lasttime.txt file (see in Common Properties Configuration image, under Go2Group JaM Plugin, Configuration) - be sure the path to the lasttime.txt file is correct. If the problems remain, please open a ticket on our helpdesk system and attach the requested log files (see above).
Q: Does the Go2Group JaM Plugin support multiple JIRA projects?
A: Yes! The configuration is easy - simply create a custom field in Quality Center, then provide a list of JIRA Project Names in the custom field. Once completed, configure the JaM Plugin according to the mapping needed for these projects.
Purchase
Q: How much does the JaM Plugin cost?
A: A 12-month license for the JaM Plugin is priced at USD$1,995.00. The license agreement includes a one-time license fee and 12-months of support and maintenance. Maintenance includes upgrades and updates, and Go2Group support is provided through email, our customer-focused JIRA instance, and by telephone where needed.
Q: Is there an End User License I need to agree to before using the Go2Group JaM Plugin?
A: Yes. Please review and agree to the End User License Agreement before using Go2Group products.
Q: Can I renew my support agreement after the initial 12-month period concludes?
A: Yes, you can renew your support agreement for an additional 12-months for a fee of USD$995.00. The renewed support agreement will give you access to upgrades and updates, and Go2Group support is provided through email, our customer-focused JIRA instance, and by telephone where needed.
Q: How can I purchase the Go2Group JaM Plugin?
A: The Go2Group JaM Plugin can be purchased by contacting us. Go2Group accepts purchase orders and all major credit cards.
Q: I paid for a license of the Go2Group JaM Plugin - where is it?
A: Once payment has been processed by Go2Group, you will receive a production license key for your use. Please note - we do not release these keys prior to processing payment.
Q: If for some reason I am not satisfied with the JaM Plugin, can I apply for a refund?
A: Go2Group does not offer refunds. Go2Group allows its customers to evaluate the JaM Plugin for a period of 30-days (and beyond where necessary), which allows our customers to determine whether the JaM Plugin will work within their environment. If you have any questions prior to purchasing the JaM Plugin, please contact us.