Adding a data source

Learn how to configure a data source

To better understand how Data Sources work, let’s use data from Jira itself - an example everyone is most familiar with. In the following configuration we’ll retrieve the issue summary, status, and assignee using Jira REST API. Then, we’ll display the values in Bundled Fields’ subfields.

Get started

Steps

1. Go to Jira Administration > Manage apps.
2. Select Data Sources from the Extension for Jira Service Desk app navigation.
3. Click Add data source.

Result

The Data Sources Configuration wizard opens.

Configuration

On this screen you’ll define the basic details of your data source.

Steps

1. Add a Data source name. It will be displayed:

   • in the Data Sources list
   • while connecting this data source in the Bundled Fields Configuration

2. Choose the Data source type according to the format of your data source.

   • Currently we support only REST Services.

3. Paste the REST API URL of your data source.

   Note

   If you’d like to configure your Rest API URL to use changing parameters, put the parameters in curly quotes. Examples:

   Path parameter
   https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/users/{param}

   Query parameter
   http://universities.hipolabs.com/search?name={param1}&country={param2}

4. Select the Authentication method:

   • No Auth
   • Basic (authorization with a username and password)

Warning

Before selecting the Basic authentication method make sure that the Allow basic authentication on API calls functionality is enabled for your Jira instance.

You can check your configuration by accessing System > Authentication methods > Authentication on API calls.

5. If you selected Basic, provide your login credentials.
6. Click Continue.

Result

The Connection configuration screen opens.

Test connection

Now it’s time to test the connection to your external data. Depending on whether your REST API URL includes additional parameters, you have two options for testing the connection:

• No additional parameters
• Additional parameters in the URL

No additional parameters

Steps

1. Click Test connection.
2. After receiving a confirmation that the connection has been established, click Save connection.

Additional parameters in the URL

If you provided a URL with additional parameters, the app will display a list of them to verify their values.

Steps

1. Provide values for the parameters.
2. Click Test connection.
3. After receiving a confirmation that the connection has been established, click Save connection.

Result

You progress to the next configuration step - the Output mapping.

Output mapping

On this screen you’ll see a preview of your data source. The names you provide for JSON paths and objects will be used later for connecting them to Bundled Fields’ subfields. Scroll down to read the descriptions.

Steps

1. Select a JSON path to be mapped.
2. Provide an alias name for your JSON path. If the JSON path you’ve selected is a list, additional fields for mapping the options will appear:
   • option ID (the attribute that identifies the object on the list)
   • option label (attribute that is the object’s label)
3. Click Add mapping. It will appear in the list below.
4. When all mappings are ready, click Continue.

Result

You progress to the final configuration screen - Summary.

Summary

The last screen is a summary of you configuration. It allows you to check all the details before the final confirmation.

Steps

1. Review the following details (if anything isn’t right, click Back to make a correction):
   • REST API URL of your data source
   • Parameteres detected in your URL (if you added any)
   • JSON path mappings created for the JSON paths of your source data
2. Click Save to confirm creating the data source.

Result

The data source is added to the Data Sources list.

Next steps

• To connect your data source to Bundled Fields’ subfields, proceed to Connecting a data source.
• To update an existing data source, see Updating a data source.
• To use synchronized options, see Synchronizing options.
• For more information about Bundled Fields, see Bundled Fields Configuration.