How to Calculate the Sum of Asset Objects in Jira Using Automation and LookupObjects

Summary

A customer required a way to calculate the sum of variables that contain asset objects using Jira Automation. The initial approach encountered issues with correctly calculating the size of specific asset attributes within a custom field. A workaround was implemented using lookupObjects and size functions to correctly calculate the total number of objects in the custom field.

Environment

• Jira Cloud

• Automation Rule: Jira Automation using smart values

• Custom Field: "Affected Services (Assets - 10084)" contains asset objects

• AQL (Assets Query Language): Used for querying objects within Jira Assets

Diagnosis

The initial approach used to calculate the sum of asset objects in the custom field "Affected Services (Assets - 10084)" failed because the “Sub-Services” attribute was not calculated correctly. The size function, when applied directly to the "Sub-Services" attribute, did not return the expected result due to the specific structure of the asset data.

Cause

The issue occurred because the "Sub-Services" attribute in the "Affected Services (Assets - 10084)" field is a complex list, and the size calculation was not functioning as expected when directly accessed. The raw values in the field required additional formatting and manipulation to be processed correctly by the automation rule.

Solution

A workaround was implemented using lookupObjects and the size function. The automation rule was designed with the following components:

• Create Variable: SubServicesList

  Retrieves the raw values of the "Sub-Services" field:

This step extracts the list of "Sub-Services" associated with the custom field, providing a view of the raw values for debugging.

• Create Variable: SubServiceSingle

  Converts the list into a JSON string array format and applies replacements to clean up the data:

• LookupObjects Query

  Use lookupObjects to retrieve all objects of the "Sub-Services" type that match the values in the list:

• Calculate Object Size

  The lookupObjects.size smart value was used to calculate the total number of objects:

If/Else Condition

The final automation rule uses the lookupObjects.size value to manipulate the issue ticket based on the number of objects identified.

This approach ensures that the size is calculated correctly by handling the complex structure of the asset objects and processing them through lookupObjects.