Time Tracking on Epic Case

[Marlon Crevelaro]

How can I add the mark option "Include child issues" on Epic issue?

I know I can track the hours I spend on some others issues, but I cannot do the same for the Epic.

I attached two examples, one is an Epic issue and the other one is not.

[Trudy Claspill]

Hello @Marlon Crevelaro 

Welcome to the Atlassian community!

That "include" function applies only to including time tracking from Subtask type issues in their parent issues.

You can look at using third party apps, as suggested by @Markus Fredén .

You could also look at using an Automation Rule to sum up the time logged on child issues to their parent Epic. Here is an article on that topic, from @Alex Koxaras -Relational- :

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-articles/Calculate-the-sum-of-original-estimates-of-all-issue-types-to-an/ba-p/1660572

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Thank you so much for the feedback, I have tried using the Automation provided but didn't work, I'm not sure if I did it wrong or if what I need is kind of different, let's me try explain better the scenario I have.

1. Epic issues is the Customers

2. I have two other issues (Sales and Pre-Sales)

When I have a new customer, I create an Epic for them, after it I create Sales or Pre-Sales tasks for all interfaction or work I have with this customer, in all those Sales and Pre-Sales tasks, that has Epic as Parent, I'm tracking the hours, but I just want to see that same hours (sum) on my Epic issues (that's the customer in my case), that's only available with the Addon ?

[Trudy Claspill]

You don't have to have a third party app for this.

That type of roll up can be done with Automation Rules. If the rule is not doing what you expect, please show us the details of your rule. Also tell us what it did or didn't do that failed to meet your expectations. Lastly show us the details of the rule's Audit Log entry that coincides with the rule execution that didn't meet your expectations.

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Follow below as requested:

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi @Trudy Claspill

By the configuration I sent you, is there any issue on the automation?

Thank you for all support.

[Trudy Claspill]

What are the issue types for CST-380, CST-381, and CST-382?

CST-381 - The Audit Log for processing this issue says it did not pass the condition. Therefore that issue must not be one of the types you specified here.

Next in the rule you have the step to branch to the parent Epic of the issue that triggered the rule. Doe CST-380 or CST-382 have parent Epic issues? Apparently not because no further actions are recorded in the logs. If the issues had parent Epics then the actions in the branch should've attempted to execute and been recorded in the Audit Log.

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

About your questions.

CST-381 is an Epic issues, as you can see below

CST-380 and 382 has Epic as Parent issue

For me the automation rule is set correctly, but it's not working as expected.

Thanks in advance.

[Trudy Claspill]

Did the issues have the parent Epic set at the time the rule executed?

Can you modify your rule as follows, and then try running it again?

1. Insert a Log action with this information:

Parent epic: {{issue.epic.key}}

2. Insert a Log action with this information:

Inside branch Epic key: {{issue.key}}

3a. Insert a Log action with this information:

Count of issues in Lookup Issues: {{lookupIssues.size}}

3b. Insert a Log action with this information:

Sum of Original Estimate of issues in Lookup Issues: {{lookupIssues.Original Estimate.sum.divide(60)}}

3c. Insert a Log action with this information:

Sum of Original Estimate of issues in Lookup Issues: {{lookupIssues.Remaining Estimate.sum.divide(60)}}

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

I just add the changes as requested, but still can't see the tracking on the Epic side, follow below Audit log.

Something is still missing on the rule I guess.

[Trudy Claspill]

Are you working with  issues in a Team Managed project or a Company Managed project? That information will show at the bottom of the panel on the left when you are viewing the project.

If you look at issue CST-392 does it show the Epic name/summary displayed in a field labeled "Epic Link" or "Parent" or "Parent Link"? Or do you see it only at the top in the breadcrumbs?

For issues in a Team Managed project I think you have to use "Parent" instead of "Epic Link"

If you go to the Advanced Issue Search screen and type in the same JQL used in the Lookup Issues action, substituting CST-391 for {{issue.key}}, do you get results? If not try using "Parent" instead of "Epic Link".

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

I'm working as Team Managed project.

Looking at the CST-392 issue I can see CST-391 as Epic or Parent for CST-392.

In the Issues configuration, I see that Epic is already the "Parent" for the others subtasks (subissues).

Going to advanced search I cannot find the CST-391 or CST-392, as below:

So in case I have to create another Epic or Parent issue, how should I do it ?

[Trudy Claspill]

You don't need to create another Epic.

For Team Managed projects, "Epic Link" is not the correct field to use.

In this step use "Parent" instead of "Epic Link". You can double check that this will work by trying it in the Issue Search screen.

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Thanks for the feedback, the search using Parent worked.

Should I only change Epic Link for Parent on this step or is there any others ?

[Trudy Claspill]

In the rule you have shown in this post, it only needs to be changed in the one step.

Originally to search for child issues of an Epic in Company Managed projects you would use "Epic Link". To do the same for issues in Team Managed projects you would use "Parent Link".

Atlassian is currently rolling out changes so that "Parent" can be used in all cases. For more information refer to:

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Software-articles/Introducing-the-new-Parent-field-in-company-managed-projects/ba-p/2377758

(If your issue has been satisfactorily addressed, please consider marking the Answer as Accepted.)

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Sorry for keep pushing this, the Search works, as mentioned before, but the rule still not, I mean, the time tracking is not being increased (summarized) on Epic Cases when I add those hours on the Subtasks.

Maybe I'm missing something?

[Trudy Claspill]

Please show the details of issues CST-399 and CST-400.

Based on the Audit Log it appears neither of these issues had a parent Epic at the time the rule executed, as evidenced by your Log action printing nothing for {{issue.epic.key}}

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Both cases has an Epic issue attached since the beginning.

[Trudy Claspill]

This seems very odd.

Based on the log for the rule the branch to the Epic isn't being executed, which suggests that the issue has no parent Epic.

I have seen some strange cases where a rule that has been edited many times can start behaving in unexpected ways. It is a long shot, but can you try disabling this rule, then creating a brand new rule from scratch and recreate each step from the original rule? Then make a change to trigger the new rule and see if that works as expected.

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Thanks again for the feedback and so sorry to keep on this issue.

I have created again the Rule and still not working, I don't have any error, but the automation rule is not summarizing the time tracked on Epic issues.

Below you can see the config for the new rule. You will also see logs from two issues.

CST-408 - Epic issue

CST-409 - Subtask from CST-408

[Trudy Claspill]

Something I am finding interesting in this latest try with the new rule is that the rule is triggered first for the Epic CST-408 at 09:17:10 pm. Did you make a change directly in the Epic at that time?

16 seconds later at 09:17:36 the rule is triggered for the child issue CST-409.

What is the actual change that you made to CST-409? Did you change the Original Estimate? Did you use the Log Work function? I see the Original Estimate is 0, and there is no Remaining Estimate value shown on the issue.

I'm not sure if the absence of Original and Remaining estimate data on the child issue is a factor in the odd behavior of this rule, but it might be.

Backing up a bit, you originally asked about tracking at the Epic level the time spent (work logged) on the child issues. But in your rule you are updating the Original Estimate and Remaining Estimate fields. So, do you really want to track work logged or do you want to keep the Epic's Original and Remaining Estimates aligned with the sum of those values from the child issues?

A rule to sum up the work logged from child issues to their parent Epic would be a bit different than a rule to synchronize the Estimate fields.

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

My goal here is to sum all the tracking hours I have on my subtasks into the Epic issue (Parent). the idea is to have the hours I spend on those subtasks on my Epic on the Time Tracking field.

[Marlon Crevelaro]

Hi Trudy,

Did you get my feedback? It was possible to understand my needs? That can be provided by the automation rule ?

[Trudy Claspill]

I saw that you posted feedback but I have not had time to investigate this more. I will get back to it when I have a the time.

In the interim another option you have is to ask your Jira Admins to open a support case directly with Atlassian support. I'm not sure what their policy is about helping customers with debugging automation rules, but it doesn't hurt to ask them.

[Markus Fredén]

AFAIK, this is not available in native Jira. You might want to look at the app "Epic Sum Up":

https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/1213091/epic-sum-up-lean-project-management-bulk-editing-in-jira?tab=overview&hosting=cloud

/Markus