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If you have any questions, please contact us.
We’re here to help you make your migration as smooth as possible.
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Refined for Jira Cloud combines key features from Server/DC with the convenience of the cloud. However, there are also some notable differences between the two products.
On Server/DC, Refined is added on top of Jira. When enabled globally, Refined acts as a skin applied to the JSM help center.
On Cloud, Refined is a site builder that runs parallel to Jira:
Your customers create and view JSM requests on your Refined sites.
Your administrators and support agents continue to work in native Jira. If an administrator makes a change to a project, it’s instantly reflected on the Refined site.
Due to the parallel setup on Cloud, it becomes possible to combine Confluence and Jira on one and the same Refined site – more on that later.
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Feature comparison
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Feature
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Server/ DC
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Cloud
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Comment about the Cloud feature
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Sites
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You can add any project to as many Refined sites as you like.
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Categories
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You group projects with Refined Pages and menu folders instead.
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Site and Category homes
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You edit home pages (called landing pages) with the intuitive what-you-see-is-what-you-get Page Builder. Available modules differ slightly from Server/DC, read more in the migration guide below.
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Navigation menu
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Users navigate your site with the navigation menu.
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Themes
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Announcement Banners
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Promoted Search Results
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Default JSM Knowledge Base integration
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Read more about knowledge bases in step 3 of the preparation guide below.
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Custom Knowledge Base integration
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Read more about knowledge bases in step 3 of the preparation guide below.
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Third party App compatibility
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Because Refined Cloud works as a site builder parallel to native Jira, native Jira is not changed by Refined. Therefore, Refined doesn’t impact third party apps that provide functionalities in native Jira, but might impact apps that provide functionalities in the customer-facing portal.
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Custom domains on sites
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Give each site a custom URL for quick access and easy recall.
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Confluence content on sites
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Getting both Refined for Jira Cloud and Refined for Confluence Cloud lets you combine the power of Confluence and Jira on your sites. Read more in step 1 of the preparation guide below.
Preparation guide
Step 1. Consider overhauling your setup
Migrating to a new platform can be a great opportunity to rethink your JSM and Refined setup. We recommend to evaluate what was working well on the Server/DC instance - and what you can improve. You can opt to replicate your Server/DC setup on Cloud with improvements here and there, or see Cloud as a blank canvas to create a totally new setup.
Whichever option you choose, ask yourself how you can leverage these key advantages of the Cloud infrastructure:
You can create as many sites as you want. What content can you split out into multiple sites?
You can add a project to as many sites as you want. Which projects can be relevant to include on multiple sites?
It’s easy to combine both JSM portals and Confluence spaces into one Refined site, if you get both Refined for Jira Cloud and Refined for Confluence Cloud. Could this improve your workflow and your site’s user experience? It opens up many new ways of using Refined, including:
Building an intranet that features JSM portals as well as Confluence pages and blogs. For example, this makes it easy for users to explore the company’s employee handbook and directly contact HR if they have any questions.
Creating an external-facing help site that features not only a service desk, but also Confluence spaces where users can browse documentation.
Have a look at these in-depth get-started guides to see what’s possible:
Step 2. Prepare your base JSM (and Confluence) content
Once you have an idea of your sites' general structure, prepare your JSM projects – and your Confluence spaces too, if you plan to integrate it into your sites. Generally, we recommend to ask yourself the following questions:
Should I restructure my projects/spaces? In other words: which content can be merged and what can be split into separate projects/spaces?
Which projects/spaces should I introduce?
Which projects/spaces can I refresh?
Which projects/spaces can I slim down?
Step 3. Choose how to implement your knowledge base (optional)
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Refined always respects Atlassian permissions, meaning that content is only shown to users who have access to the relevant Confluence spaces and JSM projects. |
One of the easiest ways to cut down on support tickets is to help customers or employees help themselves before they even need to file a ticket. For organizations using Jira Service Management (JSM), that often means integrating content from a Confluence knowledge base into their help center.
There are multiple ways of doing this. You might face some limitations, based on which option you choose. We recommend adding Confluence spaces to your site using Refined for Confluence Cloud. This lets you take full advantage of Refined’s user-friendly browse and search experience, which includes:
The ability to embed request types directly on Confluence pages.
Page tree menus in the left-hand menu of the Confluence spaces.
Confluence modules on your landing pages:
Use the Page Tree module to guide users to self-help articles.
Use the News module to highlight blogs from Confluence spaces.
Use the Pages module to show the most recently updated pages in the Confluence spaces.
Use the Activity Stream module to show recently updated pages in the Confluence spaces.
Step 4. See if any limitations apply
You may face some technical JSM limitations on Cloud, depending on your setup. Please read our documentation to get an understanding of the limitations, whether they will impact your migration, and how to prepare.
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Limitation regarding
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Description
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JSM customers sharing their JSM request
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Two limitations depending on customer settings.
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Sharing requests with organizations
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When a JSM customer creates a request, they cannot add organizations to it. The request view doesn't show which organization(s) the request is shared with.
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Link in customer notification email
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When adding a customer to a JSM project, the customer receives an email with a link to complete the signup. After signing up, they are directed to the default JSM project URL, which is (YourCompany).atlassian.net.
Due to Refined working parallel to Jira on Cloud, we don't have control over the (YourCompany).atlassian.net URL. This means that we can't redirect users from a (YourCompany).atlassian.net site to a Refined site.
To keep track of this issue or vote/comment on it, click here.
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JSM request fields
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Although we support most JSM request fields, some have limitations.
Step 5. See how the parallel Cloud setup may impact third party apps
Because Refined Cloud works as a site builder parallel to native Jira, native Jira is not changed by Refined. Therefore, Refined doesn’t impact third party apps that provide functionalities in native Jira, but might impact apps that provide functionalities in the customer-facing portal.
Step 6. Set up a rollout plan
Because Refined works parallel to Jira Cloud, your sites don’t have to be ready directly after migrating. Users can access the native help center while you build your Refined sites. This gives you ample time to get feedback and fine-tune the sites before introducing them to your user base.
Migration guide
Due to the major infrastructure differences between Server/DC and Cloud, you need to re-create your sites when you migrate. We are working on developing a simpler migration path and will update the migration guide accordingly.
Step 1. Install Refined apps on Cloud
Install these apps on your Atlassian Cloud instance:
Refined for Confluence Cloud (if you want to integrate Confluence content into your sites)
Step 2. Migrate Jira
Upgrade your Refined apps on Server/DC to the latest available version. Then, use Atlassian’s Jira Cloud Migration Assistant to migrate your Jira Server/DC instance to the Cloud.
Step 3. Create Refined sites and add content
Due to the major infrastructure differences between Server/DC and Cloud, you need to re-create your sites when you migrate.
Check out our Get Started guide to learn how to create sites and to move between Jira and Refined. Then, use the Site Builder to add content and arrange it into a structure that is reflected in the site’s navigation menu. To get help from colleagues, delegate administrator permissions. You can give out permissions for your entire Refined instance or for individuals sites.
Step 4. Manage site settings
Manage the site settings for each of your Refined sites, for example:
Set up a custom domain for each site.
Control which kinds of users can access the sites with Site Access Permissions.
Create a cookie dialog.
Step 5. Create and apply themes
Because it’s not possible to migrate themes, you have to re-create and apply them on Cloud. Note that Refined for Jira Cloud doesn’t support third party themes.
Step 6. Create landing pages
Refined for Jira Cloud lets you customize your site’s landing pages with the what-you-see-is-what-you-get Page Builder. Compared to the Layout Editor from Server/DC, the modules in the Page Builder differ a bit terms of functionalities, looks, and availability. Click the links in this table to see compare the documentation.
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Layout Editor modules
Server/DC
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Page Builder modules
Cloud
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Although the Knowledge Base module doesn’t exist on Cloud, you can use other modules to direct users to your knowledge base. For example, you can add knowledge base links to an Icon module or Image module.
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Add an Image module with the Navigation Content style.
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Add an Image module with the Navigation Highlight style.
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Although the Popular Service Desks module doesn’t exist on Cloud, you can use other modules to direct users to popular service desks. You’ll have to check which service desks are popular, get their URLs, and add these to for example a Links module, Image modules, or Icon modules.
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Page Tree (if you have Refined for Confluence Cloud)
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News (if you have Refined for Confluence Cloud)
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Pages (if you have Refined for Confluence Cloud)
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Activity Stream (if you have Refined for Confluence Cloud)
Need more help?
Have a look at the migration FAQ and the demos & other resources page.
And of course don’t hesitate to contact us:
Migration assistance. Our support team is always there to help you with questions before, during or after migration.
Migration assessment. In a one-on-one meeting, we give personalized advice on how to move and improve your sites.Differences between Server/Data Center and Cloud