Jira GitLab integration
Integrating Jira with GitLab enables seamless synchronization between project management and version control, enhancing collaboration and workflow efficiency. Follow this comprehensive guide to quickly and easily set up a two-way integration between Jira and GitLab.
GitLab-Jira Licensing Model
The GitLab-Jira licensing model with Getint is designed to accommodate different integration needs. Here’s an overview:
Standard Licensing
A Getint license is only required on Jira, allowing seamless data synchronization between GitLab and Jira.
This makes setup simpler and faster, without the need for additional configurations in GitLab.
Flexible License
For managed services companies or organizations looking to integrate four or more instances (whether the tools are the same or different), Getint offers a Flexible License. This custom license covers a specific number of connections (i.e., up to 10 instances) without restrictions on the tools involved. You can also swap the integrated tools while the license remains active, offering unparalleled flexibility.
For more details on licensing, visit our Pricing Page.
Requirements to Build Your Integration:
The Getint app must be installed in Jira.
Comments are attributed to the user who created the connection. Therefore, we recommend using dedicated Service Accounts for both instances.
Jira instances must have a dedicated user and an associated API token with permissions to read, write, view, and modify the project.
Personal Access Tokens are required for Jira and GitLab authentication. You can find the steps to generate the access token for your connectors here: Connection Guide.
Setting Up Your GitLab-Jira Integration
1. Access the Getint App in Jira
Navigate to Apps and select Jira - GitLab Integration.
2. Create Integration
Click Continuous Sync or Migration.
3. Token Generation (Password for Jira Cloud)
For Jira Cloud, generate a Jira token. This token will act as your password:
Go to Atlassian Account Settings.
Navigate to Security and go to Generate and manage API tokens, then select an API token or an API token with scopes.
After creation, use this token as the password for Jira integration. More information about access tokens for Jira here.
4. Generate GitLab Token
Log in to your GitLab account. In the top-left or top-right corner (depending on your version), click on your Avatar/Profile Picture and select Preferences.
In the left-hand sidebar, look for the Access section (usually near the top) and select Personal access tokens.
Click the Generate token button to open the configuration form. Make sure to use the Legacy token, as we don’t support fine-grained tokens.
For specific permissions, please follow the video tutorial below:
5. Connect to Jira
Ensure you are logged in as a user with admin rights, click on Select App, and choose Jira.
Select Create New Connection to establish a new connection with your Jira instance and add the URL of your Jira instance (omit the trailing "/").
Enter the login credentials of the admin user.
6. Select the Jira Project
Once the connection is established, choose the Jira project you want to connect to from the dropdown menu.
7. Connect to GitLab
If no connection is established yet, create a new one.
Use the GitLab token generated as a password.
8. Select GitLab Project
Select the established GitLab connection and choose the project you want to integrate with.
9. Type Mapping
Map the Jira issue types you want to sync with GitLab issues, such as mapping a GitLab issue to a Jira task or a Jira bug to a GitLab issue.
Consider using the Quick Build beta feature for automated type and field mapping, which can streamline the setup process.
10. Field Mapping
Review or manually map which fields to integrate and sync within the mapped types, including title, description, assignees, custom fields, and more.
11. Assignee Mapping
Map and match assignees according to your desired configuration. For more details, visit our doc: Assignees (users) mapping.
12. Comments
If needed, enable the integration and synchronization of comments.
Filter the comments with the criteria that suit you. Make them private/public or use the preferred attributes, such as created date or author.
13. Attachments
Navigate to the Comments & Attachments tab within your Jira-GitLab type mappings and toggle on the Synchronize attachments setting.
You can find your GitLab Cookie by right-clicking on your GitLab Groups page and selecting Inspect. Go to the Network tab, refresh the page, click on the item labeled groups, and look for the Cookie information inside the Headers tab.
Sometimes the developer tools won't display any data for the cookie header. To fix this, click on your Group or Project, and this should make the options visible.
Copy the information and paste it into the GitLab Cookie Header field in Getint. Click Apply to submit the changes and save your integration.
Ensure to test the attachments after enabling them.
Currently, attachments are only supported one way from GitLab to the other app in the integration. Also, no API is available to download and upload attachments through a Gitlab integration. As a result, this alternative remains the only option for downloading attachments from synced comments as long as they come from GitLab.
14. Finalize Integration
Name your project and click Create to finalize the integration setup.
15. Filtering
It is possible to filter the synchronization to have it customized for your needs and requirements.
UI Filtering Option:
Click on the filtering icon near the app icon in your integration. This will apply to that side of the integration.
Select if the filtering applies to All, New, and Synced items.
Note that if the option “New items” is selected, the filtering will apply only to the new items, and the already synced items will continue to sync and update. If the option “Synced items” is selected, only the already synced items will be updated based on that filter.
Choose the options and add the value for the filter. It is possible to filter more than one option for each field.
Select Apply once you have created the filters and Save the integration.
Conclusion
Following these steps, you can effectively integrate Jira with GitLab, ensuring smooth synchronization of tasks, issues, and workflows between the two platforms. This setup enhances collaboration and streamlines project management processes.
For further assistance, please contact us at the Support Center or Schedule a Demo.
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