What is a Jira Instance | How to Create, Back up, Import & Restore, and Delete a Jira instance?

What is a Jira instance?

In the context of Jira, an instance refers to a single installation of the Jira software. This can be either a cloud-based instance hosted by Atlassian or a self-hosted (on-premises) instance installed on a company's own servers. (Atlassian soon going to revoke support for the servers)

Each Jira instance is unique and is typically used by a single organization or team. It can be configured and customized to meet the specific needs of that organization, such as custom workflows, issue types, and user permissions.

A Jira instance can have multiple projects and users associated with it. Each project is a collection of tasks, issues, and other work items that are related to a specific goal or objective. Users can be assigned different roles and permissions within an instance, such as project administrator, developer, or tester.

In summary, a Jira instance is a single installation of the Jira software that can be used by a single organization or team. It can be customized to meet the specific needs of that organization and can have multiple projects and users associated with it.

How to Create, Backup, Import/Restore, and Delete a Jira instance

• To create a Jira instance you will need to follow these steps:

1. Go to the Atlassian website and choose the Jira product you want to use ( Jira Software, Jira Service Desk) under the option of Try now or Buy now
2. Select the deployment as a cloud by clicking Try cloud
3. Create an account with Atlassian
4. Once the instance is ready, you can start customizing your Jira instance to suit your organization's needs. This can include setting up projects, configuring workflows, and adding users

• To back up a Jira instance you will need to follow these steps:

1. Go to the Jira instance you want to back up and log in as an administrator
2. Go to the Jira settings > System and navigate to the Backup manager section under Import and export
3. Select the checkbox if you want to include attachments, avatars, and logos in the backup
4. Click on Create backup of cloud

• To import/restore a Jira instance you will need to follow these steps:

1. Go to the Jira instance you want to import/restore and log in as an administrator
2. Go to the Jira settings > System and navigate to the Import Jira Cloud section under Import and export
3. Click Import for cloud

• To delete a Jira instance you will need to follow these steps:

1. Go to the Jira instance you want to delete and log in as an administrator
2. Go to Jira Settings > Billing ( this will open a new tab for Atlassian admin)
3. Select Manage Subscriptions from the left-hand menu
4. On the relevant product box (Jira for this blog), select the 3-dots icon > Delete

It's important to note that deleting a Jira instance is a permanent action, it's crucial to have a backup of all the data before proceeding with deletion.

It's also possible to deactivate or cancel the subscription of a cloud instance, but it's different from deleting it.