SSDT JIRA FAQ

What is SSDT JIRA?

SSDT JIRA is the SSDT's installation of Atlassian's JIRA Software. The SSDT uses JIRA as a "change order" system to track "issues" (bugs, enhancement requests, documentation updates and other software development tasks).

The SSDT uses JIRA to track and schedule outstanding requests, scheduling, developer work flow, approvals and releases. JIRA is central to managing the SSDT's software projects.

Who can access JIRA?

Primarily, JIRA is accessed by SSDT personnel to record and schedule tasks and manage work assignments.

However, in Sept '09, the SSDT opened access to JIRA to all users. Anyone who is interested in State Software can access JIRA. As an "Anonymous" user, you can view issues, road maps, change logs (release notes), etc. You can also self-register for an SSDT JIRA login and have additional abilities (vote on issues, customize your dashboard, etc).

What will I see in SSDT JIRA?

You will see "how the sausage is made". The issue descriptions, comments and work logs are written by software developers for software developers. The language is likely to be more technical than average and not intended for end-users or ITC personnel. You will see nearly every little detail that goes on between developers while hashing out the code. You'll see how developers talk to each other, you'll see their mistakes and triumphs. You'll see strange program names, class names and references to tools that only a nerd would love. You'll see snippets of actual code and links to things you don't have access to.

So, will I see anything useful in SSDT JIRA?

Maybe. Some of the things you might find useful are:

• "Road Maps": shows that we're currently working on for the next few release, and the progress we've made so far.
• "Change Logs": shows issues completed on the last few releases
• Searching allows you to search for problems that might have already been reported
• RSS Feeds: You can subscribe to various reports or filters allow you to new and updated issues
• "Watches": If you are logged in and see an issue you are interested in, you can set a "watch" and be notified anytime the issue changes

What are the Projects and what do they mean?

The "Projects" in JIRA are organized around how the SSDT works and not necessarily how you see the software. The main projects follow this basic naming convention:

Where "package" is the typically abbreviation of the package (USPS, USAS, etc) and "category" is one of:

• "OpenVMS": Backend programs and "green screen" applications on OpenVMS
• "Objects": Is the "middle tier" of the package (SOAP service and other business logic).
• "WebApp": The Web user interface for the package

For example, the "USAS OpenVMS" project is the USAS "green screens" (original COBOL applications), "USAS Objects" contains the USAS SOAP service and "USAS WebApp" is the USAS web user interface.

Will it help if I "Vote" on an issue?

Maybe. Initially, the SSDT may not pay much attention to "votes". We don't know how many users will use JIRA. However, if you see an issue that important to you, feel free to vote. It only takes one click. We will review the votes and take the "popular" issues to the Software Advisory Committee for consideration.

Can I create my own issues?

Not at this time. Your access to JIRA will be "read-only". The SSDT will continue to use Forums for enhancement requests for the time being. In the future, we'll consider allowing requests and bug reports to be entered directly into JIRA.

What's with all the old issues?

The SSDT converted data from it's original "Work Order System" into JIRA issues. Some of the old WO's are retained for historical reference and for consideration in future rewrites. But a fair number of the old issues are obsolete (won't be completed or already fixed) and need to be removed. We're always cleaning up old issues when we spot them, so don't be alarmed if you see a reference to an ancient bug, it might already be fixed.