18th of July, 2019

Structure 5.5 adds performance safeguards for structure transformations and contains a few improvements and fixes.


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Version Highlights

    • Timeout for transformations
    • Possibility to back up and restore Structure configuration
    • Descending order is set by default when sorting by version
    • Manual adjustments improvements and bug fixes

Changes in Detail

Transformation Timeout

In Structure 4.6, we introduced a feature for pausing the structure generation process if it takes too much time. If loading a structure with automation takes longer than allowed, the generation process would stop to avoid performance impact on Jira. This limit was not applied to transformations, which could potentially cause the same performance impact.

In this version we've introduced a mechanism that will pause the generation process if it exceeds the time limit, regardless of whether it is caused by the automation that is a part of the structure, or by the additional transformations applied on top.

Backup/Restore/Migration Improvements

We have added several additional options for Structure Backup/Restore/Migration operations. Starting with Structure 5.5, the Structure configuration and the dark feature settings will be stored not only in Jira backups but also in Structure backups. When restoring from a Structure backup, the saved Structure configuration (like the settings set by the Jira administrator) will overwrite the active Structure configuration.

When migrating Structure data, you can choose if you want to restore the general Structure permissions settings, such as projects enabled for Structure, and if you want to restore the enabled dark features.

Supported Versions

Structure 5.5 and all extensions support Jira versions 7.6 or later. All editions of Jira (Jira Core, Jira Software, Jira Service Desk) are supported. Jira Data Center is supported.

With respect to other add-ons and custom integrations, this release is backwards-compatible with Structure 3.4–5.4. Structure.Testy extension, Colors, Structure.Pages, Structure.Gantt and integrations with third-party apps should continue working normally.

Installation and Upgrade

We strongly recommend that you install and upgrade your apps during off-peak hours or scheduled maintenance windows. There are known issues in the Jira plugin infrastructure that may cause performance degradation and impede app installation when your Jira instance is under heavy load.

Installing Structure

If your Jira server does not have Structure yet, the installation is simple:

  1. Download and install Structure app, either from the Atlassian Marketplace or our Download page.
  2. When Add-on Manager reports the successful installation, click Get Started to visit a page with important guidance for the Jira administrator. You may want to also check out the user's Get Started page, available under the "Structure" top-level menu.
  3. Monitor catalina.out or jira-application.log for log messages from Structure.

Upgrading Structure

If you're upgrading from version 2.11.2 or earlier, please read Structure 3.0.0 Release Notes.

The upgrade procedure from versions 3.x–5.4 is simple:

  1. Consider backing up Jira data. Use Administration | System | Backup System. (If you have a large instance and a proper backup strategy in place, you may skip this step.)
  2. Back up Structure data. Use Administration | Structure | Backup Structure menu item. If you have a lot of structures and a large Jira, consider turning off the "Backup History" option to avoid a long backup process.
  3. Install the new version of the plugin.

  4. Monitor catalina.out or jira-application.log for warnings or errors.

Enterprise Deployment Notes

In terms of stability and performance, this release does not bring significant changes compared to version 5.4. There are no particular special areas of interest for load testing and stress testing Structure 5.5. We advise running the same testing procedures as you've done for previous upgrades.