Need guidance for migrating approximately 1500 Bugzilla records into one JIRA project while retaining product and component distinctions. Are custom fields the optimal solution, or is there an alternative?
I have been involved in several migrations and found that determining the best method of mapping largely depends on how your teams currently utilize these fields for issue triage and reporting. In one case, we started by using custom fields to maintain the distinctions between product and component as they offered straightforward filtering and reporting capabilities in JIRA. However, we also found that leveraging JIRA’s existing component field proved beneficial when combined with label identifiers, especially when fine-tuning workflow transitions. An incremental approach with pilot testing allowed us to address unexpected issues prior to rolling out changes across all records.
Based on previous migration experiences, a mixed approach often worked best. Our team initially avoided overloading JIRA with custom fields by relying more on its native components for key distinctions. We introduced a carefully designed custom field only where necessary to capture nuances that the component field couldn’t represent. This method proved flexible enough to accommodate different team needs without complicating workflows. A trial migration with a small batch of records helped us fine-tune the configuration before scaling to all records.
i’d try using a custom field for the product and rely on jira’s component field for the rest. we did a small pilot and sorted out a few quirks. testing, as always, is key to iron out unexpected issues.