Jira Cloud Migration Checklist: Moving from Server or Data Center
Atlassian ended support for its Server products on 15 February 2024, and its long-term investment is focused on Atlassian Cloud. If your teams still run Jira on Server or Data Center, a move to Cloud is likely on your roadmap. This checklist covers what to prepare before, during and after the migration so that your teams keep working without disruption. For Data Center, check Atlassian's current roadmap for dates that apply to your licence.
Before you start: why plan carefully
A Jira instance that has grown over many years usually contains custom fields, workflows, automation rules, Marketplace apps and integrations that teams depend on. Not all of these move to Cloud in the same form. A careful plan avoids lost data, broken workflows and frustrated users on the first Monday after go-live.
Phase 1: Assess
- Inventory the instance: projects, issues, custom fields, workflows, schemes, filters, dashboards and boards.
- List Marketplace apps: check whether each has a Cloud version, whether its data migrates, and whether a native Cloud feature can replace it.
- Map integrations: CI/CD tools, Confluence, Bitbucket or GitHub, service desks, reporting tools and custom scripts using the API.
- Review users and groups: clean up inactive accounts and decide how identity and single sign-on will work in Cloud.
- Check data residency and compliance: confirm the Cloud plan and region meet your regulatory requirements.
- Choose a Cloud plan: Standard, Premium or Enterprise, based on user count, limits and admin features you need.
Phase 2: Clean up
Migrating unused configuration only moves the clutter to a new home.
- Archive projects that are no longer active.
- Merge duplicate custom fields and remove unused ones.
- Simplify workflows and schemes where teams use near-identical versions.
- Remove or replace apps nobody relies on.
- Fix data quality issues such as missing required values or broken links.
Phase 3: Plan the migration
- Pick a method: Atlassian's Jira Cloud Migration Assistant handles most standard migrations; very large or complex instances may need additional tooling or a phased approach.
- Decide the order: migrate everything at once, or project by project in waves.
- Document the target state: how fields, workflows and permissions will look in Cloud (a "to-be" design).
- Agree a freeze window: when changes in the old instance stop, and for how long.
- Prepare a rollback plan: what happens if validation fails on the day.
- Plan communications: who needs to know what, and when.
Phase 4: Test in a sandbox
- Run at least one full trial migration into a test Cloud site.
- Validate issue counts, attachments, comments, history and links.
- Test workflows, automation rules, permissions and notifications with real users.
- Confirm each integration works against the Cloud APIs.
- Record how long the migration takes to size the production window.
Phase 5: Migrate and validate
- Freeze changes in the source instance.
- Run the production migration using the rehearsed steps.
- Validate data against the checklist from your trial run.
- Switch integrations and update bookmarks, links and documentation.
- Keep the old instance read-only for a defined period for reference.
Phase 6: After go-live
- Provide short training on what changed for users and admins.
- Monitor support requests closely in the first two weeks.
- Rebuild reports and dashboards that depended on removed apps.
- Review Cloud-native features, such as Atlassian's built-in automation, that can replace old customisations.
- Decommission the old instance and its infrastructure once the reference period ends.
Common pitfalls
- Underestimating apps: app data and behaviour often differ in Cloud; test each critical app early.
- Skipping the trial run: the first migration almost always reveals issues worth fixing before production.
- Ignoring user adoption: small interface and workflow changes generate support load if users are not prepared.
- Moving everything: clean-up before migration shortens the project and improves the result.
Key takeaways
- Assess apps, integrations and users before choosing a migration method.
- Clean up first, rehearse in a sandbox, and validate against a written checklist.
- Plan communication and support for the first weeks after go-live.
If you are planning a move from Jira Server or Data Center to Cloud, our Atlassian team can assess your instance and run the migration with you.