Summary

In Advanced Roadmap (formerly known at Portfolio), it is possible to configure a hierarchy between issue types as per the documentation Configuring initiatives and other hierarchy levels. Based on how issue types are ranked, it will be (or it will not be) possible to link 2 issues together via the Parent Links field, in order to establish a parent-child relationship between them.

This KB article lists a few scenarios where it is not possible to link 2 issues together via the Parent Link field. For example, let's assume that we are trying to add SCRUM-71 to the Parent Link field of the issue SCRUM-72, but SCRUM-71 is not found in the dropdown and instead the message "To set an Epic as the parent, use the epic link instead". This KB is meant to troubleshoot this specific kind of issue.

Environment

• Jira Software Server / Data Center on any version 8.0.0
• Advanced Roadmap (formerly called Portfolio) on any version compatible with Jira 8.x

Diagnosis

Let's take the example of hierarchy configuration below (which can be accessed via the page ⚙ > Manage Apps > Hierarchy configuration) for diagnosis purpose:

We can see that issues types are ranked in this order:

• Initiative
• Theme
• Epic
• All other standard issue types
• All sub-task issue types

With such configuration, it is possible to link:

• an Epic Type issue to a Theme Type issue via the Parent Link field
• a Theme Type issue to an Initiative type issue via the Parent Link field

For example:

• The Epic Issue SCRUM-72 is linked to the Theme issue SCRUM-70 via the Parent Link field
  
• The Epic issue SCRUM-72 is displayed as a child issue, when opening the Theme issue SCRUM-70
  

However, with such hierarchy configuration, there will be a few scenarios where issues cannot be linked together via the Parent Link field.

Please refer to the Root Cause section to see these scenario.

Cause

Root Cause 1 - The issue we are looking for in the Parent Link field is of type Epic

Even if the Epic type is listed above other types in the hierarchy configuration, it is not possible to use the Parent Link field to link a story issue to an epic issue. Instead, the Epic Link field needs to be used. This is expected by design.

Root Cause 2 - The type of the Parent issue is not ranked directly above the type of the Child issue

The options presented in the Parent Link field respect the rank of the types listed in the Hierarchy configuration. An issue type can only be linked to another issue type via the Parent Link field if the type of the parent is ranked directly above the type of the child.

Going back to the hierarchy configuration in the example provided in the Diagnosis section of this article, we have the following issue type order:

• Initiative
• Theme
• Epic
• All other standard issue types
• All sub-task issue types

Which such configuration:

• Epic issues can only be linked directly to Theme issues
• Theme issues can only be linked directly to Initiative issues
• However, Epic issues cannot be linked to Initiative issues, since there is a type in between

Root Cause 3 - A partial search is performed in the Parent Link field and we are facing a feature limitation

Due to the feature limitation that is reported in the public ticket https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/JPOSERVER-2432, the Parent Link dropdown menu will behave as described below:

• the Parent Link field will show some suggestions if:
  • nothing is entered in this field
    
  • or a full issue key is entered in the field
    
• however, the Parent Link field will not show any suggestion if only part of the issue key is entered
  

Root Cause 4 - The user does not have the permission to view the issue that is searched in the Parent Link field

To be able to select an issue in the Parent Link field, the user needs to have the permission to view this issue (via the Browse Projects permission configuration, and the Security Levels configuration in case the issue is associated to a Security Level). If the user is not able to view that issue, this issue will not be searchable in the Parent Link field.

Root Cause 5 - The issue where we are trying to edit the Parent Link field is already at the top of the hierarchy

If an issue is of type that is located at the top of the hierarchy levels, the Parent Link field will not be editable, since no issue can be ranked above it, and the following message will be displayed in the UI:

An issue at the top of the Portfolio for Jira hierarchy cannot have a parent set.

Solution

Solution for Root Cause 1

If you are trying to link an issue to an Epic type issue, use the Epic Link field instead of the Parent Link field.

Solution for Root Cause 2

If you are trying to link an issue of type 1 to an issue of type 2 via the Parent Link field, you will need to modify the hierarchy configuration so that the issue type 2 is ranked directly above the issue type 1.

Solution for Root Cause 3

When searching into the Parent Link field:

• either do not enter any character (leave the dropdown empty)
• or enter the exact key of the issue key you are trying to add to the Parent Link field

Solution for Root Cause 4

Make sure that the user has the permission to view the issue that's being searched in the the Parent Link field.

Solution for Root Cause 5

There is none, since the Parent Link field is behaving as expected due to the Hierarchy Level configuration.