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Structure data can be backed up and restored separately from other JIRA data. Structure data includes structures, hierarchies (forests), synchronizers, generators, folders - everything added to JIRA by the Structure add-on. Structure backup does not include issue or other items data (except for some attributes that are added to enable migration.)

You need the JIRA System Administrators global permission to back up, restore or migrate Structure data.

Starting with Structure 3, when you fully back up JIRA, Structure data is also backed up – it is stored in the same database with JIRA data. However, you can use the separate backup:

To be able to restore only Structure data, not changing JIRA data
To be able to migrate structures to other servers (following Project Import in JIRA, for example)
To export Structure data to some other tool by parsing the backup XML

Using Structure Backup

Structure add-on can use a backup file in two ways:

Full structure restore. This operation replaces all existing structure data (if any) with the data stored in the backup file. This operation refers to issues and other items by their numeric IDs (not issue keys!), so the issues must be present in JIRA before this operation is run, and issue IDs must be the same as they were at the time the Structure backup file was created.

Issue IDs are preserved if JIRA instance is fully restored from backup with Restore System command. Issue IDs are not preserved if the issues are moved to another JIRA instance with JIRA's Project Import feature – use structure migration in this case.

Migration / partial import. This operation lets you restore one or more structures backed up at a different JIRA instance (assuming that the issues have been moved over with the JIRA's Project Import command). It also allows you to merge the backed up structure data with the structure data already existing on your JIRA.
A structure in a backup file cannot be restored if it refers to issues in a project that is not present in the JIRA instance.