Issue Summary

• When migrating Automation for Jira (A4J) rules from Jira Server/Data Center to Jira Cloud using JCMA, some rules with duplicate names in the source are prefixed with Copy of in the Cloud site, while other rules with the same duplicate name are not prefixed.
• This leads to confusing and seemingly "random" behaviour where, after one or more A4J migrations, Cloud ends up with a mix of rule names like:
  • Test Rule
  • Copy Test Rule
    even though, on the source, all rules shared the same base name (and were all duplicates of each other).
• The behaviour is most visible when:
  • Automation rules are migrated more than once to the same Cloud site (e.g. multiple JCMA runs including A4J), or
  • There are already automation rules created manually or by previous migrations on the target Cloud site before running the latest JCMA plan.

 

Steps to Reproduce

1. On Jira Server/Data Center (source)

      1. In one or more projects, create multiple A4J rules with the same visible name, for example:

• • Test Rule
  • Test Rule (duplicate with the same name)
  • Optionally, create more copies, some of which may differ only by trailing spaces in the name (these are hard to see in the UI, but still count as separate names technically).

      2. Ensure all referenced projects and boards are in a state that can be migrated with JCMA.

2. On Jira Cloud (target) – first migration

      1. Start with a new or mostly empty Cloud site, or a site with no automation rules using the same names as above.

      2. JCMA, create a migration plan that:

• Includes the project(s) containing the A4J rules.
• Has Automation for Jira migration enabled, preferably with the option to migrate all automation rules.

      3. Run pre-migration checks and then run the migration.

      4. After the migration completes, open Project settings → Automation (and/or the global Automation page) in Cloud and:

• Confirm the rules have been migrated.
• Confirm that rules appear with their original names (for example, several rules named exactly Test Rule), and no ** "Copy of" prefix yet.

3. On Jira Cloud – create or leave existing rules

      1. Optionally, manually create or edit automation rules in Cloud that use the same names as on Server/DC (e.g. another Test Rule).

      2. Alternatively, simply leave the migrated rules in place and proceed to another migration run.

4. On Jira Cloud – second / later A4J migration

      1. In JCMA, create a new migration plan (or re-run a plan) that:

• Again includes project(s) with those A4J rules that were already migrated.
• Again has Automation for Jira migration enabled (e.g. “migrate all automation rules”).

      2. Run pre-migration checks and then run this new migration.

      3. After the migration completes, check Automation in the Cloud site:

• You will typically see a mixture such as:
  • Test Rule
  • Test Rule (one or more copies)
  • Copy of Test Rule
• Not all duplicate source rules end up with the Copy of prefix, and the pattern can change between runs.

 

Expected Results

• When migrating Automation for Jira rules that have duplicate names on the source:
  • The handling of duplicate names in Cloud should be consistent and predictable.
  • Either:
    • All Cloud rules created from a duplicate source name should have a clear and consistent naming scheme (e.g. Rule, Copy of Rule, Copy (2) of Rule, etc.), or
    • JCMA/Cloud should clearly warn when importing ambiguous duplicate names, so admins can address them before running migration.
• Re-running JCMA migrations which include A4J rules should not produce apparently random mixes of:
  • unprefixed names, and
  • Copy of names for rules that all share the same base name on the source.

 

Actual Results

• After one or more JCMA migrations that include Automation for Jira rules:
  • Some rules in Cloud whose names were duplicated on the source are prefixed with Copy of (e.g. Copy of Test Rule).
  • Other rules with the same original name do not get the Copy of prefix and appear simply as Test Rule.
• This can happen even when:
  • All source rules have the exact same visible name, and
  • All projects referenced by those rules (and their automation rules) are included in the migration.
• As a result, admins see a confusing mixture of:
  • Original names and Copy of names for what are effectively the same rule name on the source.
• The pattern of which duplicates are prefixed can change between migrations:
  • On the first migration, no rules might have Copy of.
  • On later migrations (including “migrate all Automation rules”), some newly created rules appear already prefixed with Copy of, while others with the same base name do not.

 

Workaround

• There is currently no fully reliable automatic workaround to guarantee consistent naming for all duplicate Automation rule names during repeated migration runs. However, the following approaches can reduce or avoid the issue:
  • Manually clean up existing Automation rules on the Cloud site before re-running a migration that includes A4J:
    • Review Automation rules in Cloud.
    • Rename rules that conflict with what will be migrated from Server/DC (for example, existing rules with the same names).
    • Then run JCMA again with Automation migration enabled.
  • Standardise and deduplicate rule names on the Server/DC side before migrating:
    • Ensure that rules that are truly distinct have distinct names.
    • Rename any unintentional duplicate rules so that Cloud naming is clearer after migration.