Compare different cloud-to-cloud migration methods

Owned by Avishekh Das
Last updated: Apr 04, 2022
4 min read

Cloud-to-cloud migration is now available on all Jira Cloud sites

For the latest guidance on performing a cloud-to-cloud migration, visit the new support documentation. This EAP documentation will be archived on May 31, 2022.

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There are four ways to move data to another Jira Cloud site. The method you choose will depend on your needs. To help you decide, this page describes each method and some of their respective limitations.

Perform a cloud-to-cloud migration

Cloud-to-cloud migration helps you move users and Jira Software and Jira Work Management projects from one cloud site to another. In a cloud-to-cloud migration, data is copied from one cloud site to another. You can use this method to combine data across two or more cloud sites, split a cloud site into multiple cloud sites, duplicate a cloud site, or copy specific projects from one cloud site to another.

Limitations

Learn how to move your data with cloud-to-cloud migration for Jira

Use the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant via Jira Data Center

 This method may not work for all customers. We recommend that you test this method before performing a production migration. This will help you anticipate the issues that you may encounter during your migration and resolve them in advance.

If you can’t perform a cloud-to-cloud migration, this is the next simplest way to maintain your setup and configuration and only requires downtime for one of your cloud sites.

This method requires setting up a Jira Data Center instance. You’ll need to create a backup of the data from your source cloud site and use the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant to import that data into your destination cloud site. You can use this method to consolidate two cloud sites or move specific projects from one Jira Cloud site to another.

Limitations

Learn how to migrate via Jira Data Center using the Jira Cloud Migration Assistant

Merge sites in Jira Data Center and import into Jira Cloud manually

This method requires setting up a Jira Data Center instance. You’ll need to create backups of all your Jira Cloud sites, merge the backups in Jira Data Center, then import the backups into your destination cloud site.

Limitations

  • Team-managed projects aren’t available in Jira Data Center and will need to be converted into company-managed projects for the backup to work using this method. Learn more about Jira Cloud backups

  • App data and users aren’t migrated. 

  • Knowledge of how to install and set up a Jira Data Center instance is required.

  • Merging sites usually takes quite some time to complete, especially for large sites.

Learn how to migrate by merging multiple sites in Jira Data Center and importing into Jira Cloud manually

Use a CSV file to import issues

This method involves exporting and importing your issues via a CSV file. This method is recommended if you don’t have experience installing and setting up a Data Center instance, or if you only want to move a small number of issues.

Limitations

  • This approach only merges issues, not projects.

  • App data and users aren’t migrated. 

  • Before importing the CSV file, you'll need to recreate the project and set up the project's configurations (e.g., Workflow or Permission Scheme) on the destination site. This manual configuration may take some time.

  • Issue History (e.g., timestamp of issue transitioned or issue updated) will not be retained.

  • Additional steps are required to import attachments. Learn more about importing attachments into Jira Cloud using CSV External System Importer

  • Links to Confluence pages under the Mentioned On section in Jira issues will not be imported. To stay updated on this feature request or vote for it to be resolved, watch this feature request.

Learn how to migrate by using a CSV file to import issues