ODBC Driver for Jira

Build 22.0.8462

Linux DSN Configuration

This section describes how to set up ODBC connectivity and configure DSNs on several Linux distributions: Debian-based systems, like Ubuntu, and Red Hat Linux platforms, like Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), CentOS, and Fedora.

Minimum Linux Versions

Here are the minimum supported versions for Red Hat-based and Debian-based systems:

OSMin. Version
Ubuntu11.04
Debian7
RHEL6.9
CentOS6.9
Fedora13
SUSE12.1

Installing the Driver Dependencies

Run the following commands as root or with sudo to install the necessary dependencies:

  • Debian/Ubuntu: 
    apt-get install libc6 libstdc++6 zlib1g libgcc1
  • RHEL/CentOS/Fedora: 
    yum install glibc libstdc++ zlib libgcc

Here are the corresponding libraries required by the driver:

Debian/Ubuntu PackageRHEL/CentOS/Fedora PackageFile
libc6glibclinux-vdso.1
libc6glibclibm.so.6
libc6glibclibrt.so.1
libc6glibclibdl.so.2
libc6glibclibpthread.so.0
libc6glibclibc.so.6
libc6glibcld-linux-x86-64.so.2
libstdc++6libstdc++libstdc++.so.6
zlib1gzliblibz.so.1
libgcc1libgcclibgcc_s.so.1

Installing the Driver

You can use standard package management systems to install the driver.

On Debian-based systems, like Ubuntu, run the following command with root or sudo: 

dpkg -i /path/to/driver/setup/JIRAODBCDriverforUnix.deb

On systems that support the RPM package format, run the following command with root or sudo: 

rpm -ivh /path/to/driver/JIRAODBCDriverforUnix.rpm

Licensing the Driver

Run the following commands to license the driver. To activate a trial, omit the <key> input. 

cd /opt/cdata/cdata-odbc-driver-for-jira/bin/
sudo ./install-license.sh <key>

Connecting through the Driver Manager

The driver manager loads the driver and passes function calls from the application to the driver. You need to register the driver with the driver manager and you define DSNs in the driver manager's configuration files.

The driver installation registers the driver with the unixODBC driver manager and creates a system DSN. The unixODBC driver manager can be used from Python and from many other applications. Your application may embed another driver manager.

Creating the DSN

See Using unixODBC to install unixODBC and configure DSNs. See Using the DataDirect Driver Manager to create a DSN to connect to OBIEE, Informatica, and SAS.

Connecting to Jira

To connect set the URL to your Jira endpoint; for example, https://yoursitename.atlassian.net.

Accessing Custom Fields

By default the driver surfaces only system fields. To access the custom fields for Issues, set IncludeCustomFields to true. Or, you can extend the driver schemas to configure access to custom fields; see Custom Fields. Please note that the server response time can be significantly slower when custom fields are included.

Authenticating to Jira

OAuth 2.0

You can leverage Jira's "three-legged" OAuth 2.0 support (3LO) to connect to data without providing your login credentials.

AuthScheme must be set to OAuth in all OAuth flows.

Desktop Applications

CData provides an embedded OAuth application that simplifies OAuth desktop Authentication. Alternatively, you can create a custom OAuth application. See Creating a Custom OAuth App for information about creating custom applications and reasons for doing so.

After setting the following, you are ready to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to GETANDREFRESH. You can use InitiateOAuth to avoid repeating the OAuth exchange and manually setting the OAuthAccessToken.
  • OAuthClientId (custom applications only): Set this to the client Id assigned when you registeredcation.
  • OAuthClientSecret (custom applications only): Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
  • CallbackURL (custom applications only): Set this to the redirect URI defined when you registered your application.
  • Url (custom applications only): Set this to the URL to your JIRA endpoint, for example, https://yoursitename.atlassian.net.
  • OAuthVersion (custom applications only): Set this to 2.0.
When you connect, the driver opens Jira's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application. The driver refreshes the access token automatically when it expires.

Headless Machines

To configure the driver to use OAuth with a user account on a headless machine, you need to authenticate on another device that has an internet browser.

  1. Choose one of two options:
    • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value as described in "Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code" below.
    • Option 2: Install the driver on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow, as described in "Transfer OAuth Settings" below.
  2. Then configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtain and Exchange a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL.

Follow the steps below to authenticate from the machine with an internet browser and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  1. Choose one of these options:
    • If you are using the Embedded OAuth Application, call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
    • If you are using a custom OAuth application, set the following properties:
      • InitiateOAuth: Set to OFF.
      • OAuthClientId: Set to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
      • OAuthClientSecret: Set to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
      • OAuthVersion: Set to 2.0.
      Then call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure with the appropriate CallbackURL. Open the URL returned by the stored procedure in a browser.
  2. Log in and grant permissions to the driver. You are then redirected to the redirect URI. There is a parameter called code appended to the redirect URI. Note the value of this parameter. Later you need this to set the OAuthVerifier connection property.
Next, you need to exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens.

On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuth authentication values:

  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to REFRESH.
  • OAuthVerifier: Set this to the noted verifier code (the value of the code parameter in the redirect URI).
  • OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the client Id in your custom OAuth application settings.
  • OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the client secret in the custom OAuth application settings.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to persist the encrypted OAuth authentication values to the specified file.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then re-set the following properties to connect:

  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to REFRESH.
  • OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the file containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. Make sure this file gives read and write permissions to the driver to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.

Option 2: Transfer OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you need to install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described in "Desktop Applications" above.

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to connect to data:

  • InitiateOAuth: Set this to REFRESH.
  • OAuthClientId: (custom applications only) Set this to the client Id assigned when you registered your application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: (custom applications only) Set this to the client secret assigned when you registered your application.
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: Set this to the path to the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. Make sure this file gives read and write permissions to the driver to enable the automatic refreshing of the access token.

OAuth 1.0

To connect to Jira you have to follow the steps below:

  1. Generate an RSA public/private key pair. In your terminal, run the following commands: 
    -openssl genrsa -out jira_privatekey.pem 1024
-openssl req -newkey rsa:1024 -x509 -key jira_privatekey.pem -out jira_publickey.cer -days 365
-openssl pkcs8 -topk8 -nocrypt -in jira_privatekey.pem -out jira_privatekey.pcks8
-openssl x509 -pubkey -noout -in jira_publickey.cer  -out jira_publickey.pem
  2. Create application links in your account. Go to Settings > Applications > Application links.
  3. Enter a test URL for the url field, click Create new link.
  4. Ignore the error and click continue. You need only configure incoming calls (from the application to Jira).
  5. In the Link applications window, filling in the fields is optional, since they are not relevant to this task. But make sure to select Create incoming link. Click Continue. to go to the next page.
  6. Fill in the required fields:
    • Consumer Key: Use any string you want. This is required for the OAuthClientId connection property.
    • Consumer Name: Use any string you want.
    • Public key: Enter the key from the jira_publickey.pem file you generated earlier.
  7. Click Continue.
To connect set the following properties:

  • URL (for example: https://yoursitename.atlassian.net).
  • OAuthClientId to the Consumer Key of your application.
  • OAuthClientSecret to any value (such as 'testClientSecret').
  • CertificateStore to the location of your private key file.
  • CertificateStoreType to the appropriate option based on the private key file being used. If using the generated PEM key file, set CertificateStoreType to PEMKEY_FILE.
  • InitiateOAuth to GETANDREFRESH.

API Token

You can establish a connection to any Jira Cloud account by setting the AuthScheme to APIToken and providing the User and APIToken.
An API token is necessary for basic authentication to Cloud instances. To generate one, log in to your Atlassian account and navigate to Security > Create and manage API tokens > Create API token. The generated token will be displayed.

Basic

You can establish a connection to any Jira Server instance by setting the AuthScheme to Basic. To connect to a Server Instance provide the User and Password.
(Note: Password has been deprecated for connecting to a Cloud Account and is now used only to connect to a Server Instance.)

LDAP

You can establish a connection to any Jira Server instance by setting the AuthScheme to LDAP. Additionally provide the URL, User and Password of the Jira instance. (Note: LDAP Authentication is not currently supported for Cloud accounts.)

Crowd

Set the AuthScheme to Crowd. The following connection properties are used to connect to Crowd:

  • User: The CROWD user account.
  • Password: The password associated with the Crowd account.
  • SSOLoginURL: The login URL associated with the Crowd account. You can find the IDP URL by navigating to your application -> SSO -> SSO information -> Identity provider single sign-on URL.
  • SSOAppName: The name of the application in which SSO is enabled.
  • SSOAppPassword: The password of the application in which SSO is enabled.
  • SSOExchangeUrl: The URL used used to exchange the SAML token for Jira cookies. This URL may have the following formats:
    • https://<authority of Jira instance>/plugins/servlet/samlconsumer
    • https://<authority of Jira instance>/plugins/servlet/samlsso

The following is an example connection string: 

AuthScheme=Crowd;Url=https://yoursitename.atlassian.net;SSOLoginURL='https://<authority>/crowd/console/secure/saml/sso.action';User=crowdUserName;Password=crowdPassword;SSOExchangeUrl=https://<authority of Jira instance>/plugins/servlet/samlconsumer;SSOAppName=CrowdAppName;SSOAppPassword=CrowdAppPassword;

Okta

Set the AuthScheme to Okta. The following connection properties are used to authenticate through Okta:

  • User: Set to your Okta user.
  • Password: Set to your Okta password.
  • SSOLoginURL: Set to the login URL used by the SSO provider.
  • SSOExchangeUrl: The URL used used to exchange the SAML token for Jira cookies. This URL may have the following formats:
    • https://<authority of Jira instance>/plugins/servlet/samlconsumer
    • https://<authority of Jira instance>/plugins/servlet/samlsso
If you are:

  • using a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request
  • configuring MFA

then you need to use combinations of SSOProperties input parameters to authenticate using Okta. Otherwise, you do not need to set any of these values.

In SSOProperties when required, set these input parameters:

  • APIToken: When authenticating a user via a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request context, set this to the API Token the customer created from the Okta organization.
  • MFAType: Set this if you have configured the MFA flow. Currently we support the following types: OktaVerify, Email, and SMS.
  • MFAPassCode: Set this only if you have configured the MFA flow. If you set this to empty or an invalid value, the driver issues a one-time password challenge to your device or email. After the passcode is received, reopen the connection where the retrieved one-time password value is set to the MFAPassCode connection property.
  • MFARememberDevice: Okta supports remembering devices when MFA is required. If remembering devices is allowed according to the configured authentication policies, the driver sends a device token to extend MFA authentication lifetime. This property is, by default, set to True. Set this to False only if you do not want MFA to be remembered.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=Okta;Url=https://yoursitename.atlassian.net;SSOLoginURL='https://example.okta.com/home/appType/0bg4ivz6cJRZgCz5d6/46';User=oktaUserName;Password=oktaPassword;SSOExchangeUrl=https://<authority of Jira instance>/plugins/servlet/samlconsumer;

Refreshing OAuth Values

The driver can refresh the temporary OAuth access tokens obtained during the browser-based OAuth authentication exchange. By default, the driver saves the encrypted tokens in the odbc.ini file corresponding to the DSN. Access to this odbc.ini file can be restricted in the case of System DSNs.

To enable the automatic token exchange, you can give the driver write access to the system odbc.ini.

Installing Dependencies for OAuth Authentication

The OAuth authentication standard requires the authenticating user to interact with Jira, using a web-browser. If the first OAuth interaction is to be done on the same machine the driver is installed on, for example, a desktop application, the driver needs access to the xdg-open program, which opens the default browser.

To satisfy this dependency, install the corresponding package with your package manager:

Debian/Ubuntu PackageRHEL/CentOS/Fedora PackageFile
xdg-utilsxdg-utilsxdg-open

Set the Driver Encoding

The ODBC drivers need to specify which encoding to use with the ODBC Driver Manager. By default, the CData ODBC Drivers for Unix are configured to use UTF-16 which is compatible with unixODBC, but other Driver Managers may require alternative encoding.

Alternatively, if you are using the ODBC driver from an application that uses the ANSI ODBC API it may be necessary to set the ANSI code page. For example, to import Japanese characters in an ANSI application, you can specify the code page in the config file '/opt/cdata/cdata-odbc-driver-for-jira/lib/cdata.odbc.jira.ini': 

[Driver]
AnsiCodePage = 932

Copyright (c) 2023 CData Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Build 22.0.8462