What is it?

"Import conflict detection" is a new feature available in Project Configurator v2.2.0 or higher. It is a report that will show, for a given import file, the objects in JIRA that would be mapped during the import as counterparts of objects included in the new configuration. All mapped objects will be shown, even if the new configuration does not imply changes to those objects. Usually when an object is mapped as the equivalent of another object coming with the import it is because both of them have the same name. In this sense, if this mapping produces undesired effects, it is usual to say that there is a "name conflict".

This is quite relevant for these reasons:

• Those objects will get the new configuration as defined in the file to be imported, that means their previous configuration will be overwritten (with some exceptions). This might have an impact on other projects at the destination instance, apart from the projects being imported.
• If the object coming in the imported file and its counterpart at the destination represent different things, even if they have the same name, the result of the migration will be confusing for users. What would the meaning of having an issue in status "Reopened" be after a migration, if at the destination instance "Reopened" meant "rejected by end user" and at the source instance for the imported projects it meant "it did not pass QA" ?

How does it work?

The "Import conflict detection" link is located in the same menu where you can export and import projects.

Clicking on that link will open a new page (see below), where the user can specify the import file to be analyzed for possible "name conflicts" with existing objects at the destination instance. It can work from "configuration only" XML files and "complete project" ZIP files.

In the conflict detection form, you have to select the type of project import file you want to analyse, using the drop down list at the top. After selecting a file type, the rules for specifying the import file are the same as for importing:

• select an XML configuration file to upload ("configuration only")
• write the name of a valid zip file located in the {JIRA_HOME}/import/projectconfigurator folder ("complete project")

You can also choose to ignore ("Do not load") some object types. This has the same meaning as in the case of importing configurations or complete projects, as explained here. Finally, click the "Conflicts detection for importing" button to launch generation of the report.

This will display first a page with a progress bar, to wait until the report is generated. Afterwards, a new page will appear with the contents of the conflict detection report. This report shows in its left side the list of objects that will be mapped as targets of objects included in the import file. The right column includes the option to show where those objects are being used. This follows the same rules and limitations as the "used by" report.

When a conflicting object appears in that list of "using" objects, you will be able to click on that link and the page will scroll to its position.

Conflict detection results example