Overview:

Are you about to connect your PM tool to Parallax, but need to know the technicalities of how your data is handled? Read through this list of frequently asked questions.

Does Parallax support Jira Cloud and Server/On-Premises? 

Parallax supports Jira Cloud only.

What level of Jira or Asana is required?

Jira requires the Standard version (not free). 

Asana requires the Premium version.

Does Parallax support multiple Jira accounts being connected?

Not at this time. If you have multiple Jira accounts owned by your company, we recommend consolidating prior to connecting. Your clients may insist on using their Jira board to run a project, but due to privacy, we do not recommend connecting to any account your company does not own. This is because all projects are viewable in Parallax from the workspace you've connected to. We do not limit the visibility of projects.

How will a new Person in the PM tool get synced to Parallax? 

After connecting, you can manually refresh your list of People by clicking “Edit Integration”. You’ll see a short load as any new People are pulled in. Once the sync is complete, a list of matched, unmatched, and ignored People's accounts will be displayed and any unmatched People's accounts can be resolved.

Why might I need to manually match People's accounts?

Due to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) updates at Atlassian, emails are no longer shareable between integrating systems. Therefore, we match by name. We also allow bulk matching by CSV upload. Export a CSV of profiles from Jira, and upload it to Parallax on the Settings Integrations page.

What happens to my data if I delete a Person's profile in the PM tool?

If an person is deleted within the PM tool, Parallax will retain the ticket count and completion for the tickets that were assigned to that individual. If the tickets/tasks are reassigned to an individual within the same project, there should be no change. 

What happens to my data if I move a person to a different team or workspace in the PM tool?

If an person is moved to another team or workspace within the PM tool, Parallax will retain the ticket count and completion for the tickets that were assigned to that individual within the project they were created. Tickets do not move with people. 

Why am I not seeing a Person either in Parallax or from the PM tool when trying to match?

Be sure the person is created in both the timesheet tool and the PM tool. Setting up an person in the timesheet tool generates the Parallax People profile.

How often do ticket counts and statuses get synced to Parallax and can I manually refresh to see the real-time amount?

Parallax will pull any new ticket/task and its status every 15 minutes. 

What happens if I change the Jira ticket types (issue types) I pull in mid-project?

If you change which ticket types are pulled in (for example, you start by pulling in Enhancements and Stories, but you add in Bugs later), it might take a few minutes to see the updates reflected, but your % effort complete will adjust accordingly.

Does Parallax keep track of historical changes to tickets (name, issue type, point estimate)?

Historical ticket data is not recorded. For example, your project started last week, and a ticket was created with an effort estimate of 8 points. If you change the point estimate to 5, it replaces every instance it is displayed and for all time. Parallax does not support editing ticket information, so changes need to be made in the PM tool.

Whose PM tool account is best to use for authentication (Oauth) with Parallax?

We recommend using a company email and PM tool account, not tied to an individual, strictly for authentication to avoid the case of a person leaving your company and needing to set up an all-new authentication.

Is OAuth retained when disconnecting the integration from Parallax?

No, the authorization process will need to be reestablished. Your data is retained if you use the same account. If you authenticate with a different account and want data merged from your previous account, reach out to us at support@getparallax.com.

What will happen to my data when disconnecting and reconnecting the integration?

Disconnecting an organization’s integration will basically put your data on pause. We do not delete your ticket count and status data from Parallax, but we also cannot update it. If you authenticate with a different account and want data merged from your previous account, reach out to us at support@getparallax.com.

Are my People profile matches retained after disconnecting and reconnecting the integration?

Yes, your People match data is retained if you authenticate in with the same account. If you authenticate with a different account and want data merged from your previous account, reach out to us at support@getparallax.com.

Are my defaults (effort field, effort amount, etc) retained after disconnecting and reconnecting the integration?

Yes, your default selections are retained if you authenticate in with the same account. If you authenticate with a different account and want data merged from your previous account, reach out to us at support@getparallax.com.

Is my offering data retained when disconnecting and reconnecting to the integration (PM tool project connection, ticket/task count, % complete)?

Yes, your offering data is retained if you authenticate in with the same account. If you authenticate with a different account and want data merged from your previous account, reach out to us at support@getparallax.com.

Can I still connect my offerings to the PM tool and track effort burn while being disconnected from the integration?

No, a connected integration is needed in order to see updates on the offering. Learn more about connecting a Jira or Asana project to an offering.

How do I read the Velocity Report?

The Velocity report is a rollup of all offerings within a project and tracks the burn of tickets/tasks against the project’s planned hours and backlog. When connecting your integration in settings, you can name your effort type (points, estimated hours, etc), which will then display in the Velocity report. Learn more about the Velocity Report.

What’s the value I get from the Velocity Report?

Tracking the effort or ticket/task burn against hours to see the variance and the estimate at completion are both highly valuable to a project manager. If you’re burning too hot on hours and not completing enough tasks, the project is likely to be over budget. Knowing ahead of time can help you clearly understand the issue and allow you to pivot early. Learn more about the Velocity Report.

How to connect and authenticate your integration within settings/integrations.

How to set up a Jira or Asana connection between your offering and PM tool within the Project's Integrations Tab.

Learn more about the Insights Velocity Report.