With “Packages” feature Release Managers can organize and manage recurrent multi-version releases. The main use case is the following: “We have a multi-tier / component solution. Each Jira project accommodates individual apps, services or micro-services that goes over version control. Our recurrent releases include all or/and subset of components that needs to delivered together.“

Packages have their own configurable workflow.

Users can perform the following actions on the Packages tab:

• explore all packages on the board

• view package details

• create/update/delete packages

• change status of the package using drag-and-drop

• archive/unarchive packages

• search packages by name

• search packages by Archived status

• sort packages in the column using drag-and-drop

Packages are displayed as cards with the following information:

• name

• start date

• release date

Create package

Click  "Create package" button to open a new package dialog:

• Name 

  • Package name is the only mandatory field.

• Description, Start date, Release date are optional.

• Projects in package

  • add multiple projects and versions to the package. You can add existing and new versions from multiple projects to the package. 

After clicking "Save" button the new package is added to the bottom of the first board column:

Change package status and order

You can drag-and-drop packages between columns to change their status and reorder inside one column.

Package summary

By clicking on a package card on the release board the Package Details dialog is shown. By default, “Summary” tab is displayed. For all the future occurrences the system will remember your last tab and navigate you to it.

You can view and update the following package fields using inline editing:

• name

• description

• versions (included into package) - both fixVersions and virtual versions

• status

• start date

• release date

Issues statistics

Issues statistics is a “Progress Widget” that shows the number of issues by corresponding statuses - To Do, In Progress and Done - as they defined in issues workflows.

For calculating data for the widget we took the same approach as Atlassian calculating Version Statistics Page in Jira Releases. So you should expect to see pretty much the same data.

By clicking on any of the statistic numbers you will be automatically redirected to “Issues View“ with the appropriate filter applied to review corresponding issues list.

Package: “Issues View”

You can browse all the issues linked to versions comprising the selected package on the “Issues” tab of Package Details dialog.

The functionality of the view replicates identical views for the versions combined. Since package can contain versions from different projects there are some differences as well.

Filter issues

In addition to filtering options available in versions view you can filter by projects resulting in issues assigned to specific projects (or in other words comprising the versions assigned to a specific project)

Add existing issues

Users with “Edit Issue” permission can add existing issues to the version. To do so you should click “ + Existing” menu item.

In the “Add issues” dialog you can search for issues you want to add click Add. You can add multiple issue at a time. To do so just continue typing in search input.

Create new issues

Users with “Create Issue” permission can add new issue to the version using simplified in-line editing at the bottom of the screen with just two fields:

• Issue type

• Summary

If issue type that you are trying to create demands few other mandatory fields we will show Jira standard “Issue Creation“ dialog to try again.

Manage versions in the package

All versions that have been already added to the package are displayed and grouped by their projects.

Users can add new version from already selected projects or add a new project add appropriate version.

Users can also create a new version in any of selected projects and add it to the package provided that User has “Project Administrator” permissions in that project.

Synchronizing versions in the release

One of the use cases for the "Package" functionality of the App is by-passing Jira limitation of version being tied to a single project only. Thus clients with our "Packages" simulating  single release going through all the projects selected. With this regards the expectations are to have # of fields synchronized, namely

• Name

• Description

• Start date

• Release date

Therefore, we created "Synchronize versions" functionality for the packages. To enable it click on "Synchronize versions" toggle while Editing the Release

As a result all the included versions names, descriptions and dates will be aligned. From this moment on all the changes to Release details will be automatically propagated to all the included versions.

Customize synchronization

In case you want to sync only sub-set of the fields please click on configuration icon close "Synchronize versions" toggle to specify exact fields you want to sync now and alert on being "not-in-sync" 

Alert for versions not-in-sync

If "Synchronize versions" toggle is turned on the App will identify any change happening to corresponding versions and notify you next time you open Release dialog about versions not being in Sync.

Once you click on "Synchronize " all the versions will be yet again synchronized.

Milestones

In addition to custom workflows for versions and packages, Release Management app allows to create intermediate milestones for both that could be

• either linked to accomplishments of certain steps in workflow

• or other important check-ins, not necessarily connected with workflow steps

Once specified for versions and/or packages, milestones will be outlined on Timeline view (incl. Gadgets) as well as become input parameters for Burnup and Trends Reports (incl. Gadgets).

For more details please navigate to Milestones "on the way" section of this documentation.

Commits

To track source code changes in scope of any package (encompassing versions) please navigate to Commits section of this documentation.

Bulk move versions

You can move all the versions of the package into specific status/column in Bulk. Right click on any package to choose “Move versions“.

• choose the destination column on the versions board

• you can also filter the specific versions you want to move per projects

• as well as specific virtual versions as well.

Upon “Move“ all the versions will be updated moving to specific state of the workflow.

The functionality is also available via package summary screed, in “Actions“ menu

Automation

You can tie bulk version move with specific status change of the package. Open board settings and navigate to “Packages workflow“.

Check the status that should trigger the versions move dialog to apprear.

Archive package

The user can Archive and Unarchive packages from the  popup menu, by right-clicking:

The packages on the board may be filtered by Archived / Unarchived flag:

In a situation where both archived and unarchived packages are shown on the board, archived packages will be "grayed out" and an “ARCHIVED” label will appear in the right top corner. Archived packages may be moved to another column or edited without any restrictions.

1. Archived package

2. Unarchived package

Delete package

Users can delete a package from the board. In order to do so, right click on the package and choose "Delete" option: