This blog post was updated on March 26, 2020, to reflect the fact that Structure 6 has been released.

ALM Works recently introduced Structure 6. This major release includes a number of new features and capabilities — most notably:

• An exciting new addition to our list of Automation features called Effectors
• Now you can share structures with specific named users!
• A new and improved architecture for the Structure Attribute System
• Performance improvements

The new features and capabilities covered in this post are available for Atlassian Jira Server & Data Center users. Cloud customers are not affected.

In addition, there are pricing changes coming on April 1st. These changes will only affect organizations using Jira Server. Structure pricing for Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center remains unchanged at this time.

Selectively Write Calculated Data to Jira Issue Fields

Our customers tell us the ability to easily aggregate Jira data from child issues to parent issues — for example, from sub-tasks to stories — with the “sum over sub-items” feature is one of the things they love most about Structure.

Another is the ability to perform complex calculations on Jira data using a Structure formula column. The Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) formula that’s pictured below is just one example.

We call this Structure-calculated data an attribute. Prior to Structure 6, these attributes existed only within Structure. However, over the past few years, a significant number of our customers have asked us to make it possible to synchronize Structure attributes with the corresponding Jira issue.

Well, now you can with a new feature we call Effectors.

Effectors are a new type of Structure automation. They will selectively write Structure attributes to user-specified Jira issue fields based on business rules you define.

Let’s say we’d like to update the time spent data for a Story using the Structure-calculated time spent across all of its Sub-tasks. And, as the time spent in each Sub-task changes, we’d like to update the total time spent on the Story once again.

Well, with Effectors, users can do exactly that. Easily.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. As I mentioned above, any calculated result contained in a Structure formula column can be written to a Jira field, too. And that’s not all. Very soon there will be a new release of our Agile Gantt solution for Jira, Structure.Gantt. That release will enable you to write Structure.Gantt attributes, such as the Gantt-calculated issue start and end dates, to Jira fields as well.

Learn more about Effectors in the corresponding Structure 6 documentation.

Share Structures with Specific Named Users

Historically, Structure privileges were set using Jira Roles and Groups. With Structure 6 you’ll be able to assign privileges to specific named users, too.

Next-Gen Attributes

Speaking of attributes, in Structure 6 we are introducing a new and improved architecture for the Structure Attribute System. It provides additional control for attribute data and new capabilities that will enable ALM Works, as well as customers and partners who use the Structure APIs, to develop new features in their Structure extensions.

Anyone currently using the Structure Java APIs will be impacted by these changes! The REST APIs will be backward compatible.

You can learn more about the API changes in this section of the Structure 6 release notes.

Performance Improvements

Structure is one of the most widely used Jira apps among Atlassian’s largest customers. Those customers demand peak performance out of their entire Atlassian stack.

As they grow and their project management requirements evolve, more challenging use cases emerge. As a result, ALM Works is continuously improving the performance of its Atlassian apps. Structure 6 includes a number of new performance improvements.

Sure, these improvements were driven by the needs of our largest server and data center customers. However, the changes benefit all Structure customers, large and small.

Pricing Changes

Effective April 1st, prices for the Jira Server edition of Structure will increase. The modest increases will enable us to keep the improvements coming while we continue to provide you with the same levels of award-winning support you’ve come to expect from ALM Works.

A Grandfathering Program will be available for current customers and new customers making near-term purchases.

Everything thing you need to know about the pricing changes is covered in this section of the Structure 6 Release Notes.

The Wrap Up

That’s Structure 6 in a nutshell.

• Effectors — Write the results of aggregated data, formula calculations, and (coming very soon) Gantt chart attributes to Jira issue fields.
• The ability to set Structure privileges by specific named users
• A new architecture for the Structure Attribute System with improved controls and new features. (Those who have used our Java APIs to build their own Structure extensions need to have a close look.)
• Large-customer-driven performance improvements that benefit all Structure customers.

And, there are some modest price increases coming soon for the Jira Server edition of Structure.

I encourage you to try Structure 6 for yourself. The server and data center additions, with Effectors, are available on the Atlassian marketplace. I’d also like to invite you to tell me about your Effector use cases. (I love to learn about the creative ways our customers use Structure for their PPM needs!)