Migrating Jira CLI Use Between Data Center and Cloud Instances

Important information for migrating between platforms

Since the origins of the Cloud and Data Center versions of Confluence are the same, the underlying REST API platform that the CLI depends on is largely the same, including the same underlying constructs and concepts. The same Confluence CLI client supports both Cloud and Data Center instances. The interface definition and abstraction are identical. We intend to maintain this level of compatibility as much as possible in the future as well. We intend to maintain this level of compatibility as much as possible in the future. too.

Some mid-year 2019 Cloud platform changes have increased some migration issues - see Atlassian Cloud Platform Changes Impacting CLI Users. 

The CLI supports a wide range of Confluence Data Center releases, and that means that there may be release-specific differences as Confluence and CLI support improves over time.

We do this in an upward-compatible way to protect customers' investments in scripts as we add new actions, parameters, and output. For example, an action may only work successfully when used against an instance of Confluence 6.0 or above. This is handled with the appropriate error messages and documentation. Cloud is treated similarly.

There may be actions or capabilities that are only available on Cloud or specific releases of Data Center. The vast majority of functions are the same. However, there are some cases where there are differences, and those differences may change depending on the Confluence Data Center version.

Specific differences

1. Authorization and user management related actions:
   There are a number of underlying differences in information available and actions that can be completed. Specifically, Cloud uses Atlassian ID which has significant differences that standard Jira Data Center user management. See Authentication options for more information on this topic.

2. Space link actions apply only to Cloud instances.

3. Add and remove application link actions apply only to Server instances.

4. User management action restrictions on Cloud are related to Atlassian Cloud Platform Changes Impacting CLI Users.

5. Add and remove space permissions are restricted on Confluence Cloud currently due to Atlassian Cloud Platform Changes Impacting CLI Users

Other differences are explained in the Jira and Confluence CLI references. They are detailed in the action descriptions for “Not available for Cloud” or “Not available for Data Center.”

Migration planning

You can approach migrations in a similar way to application upgrades.

1. Plan for some validation testing.

2. Update your scripts for the server address and authorization changes.

3. Review your scripts and automation documentation to understand features that may be affected by specific differences.

4. Jira CLI does not have configuration or other data that needs to be migrated between instances.