Azure DevOps Connector
The Azure DevOps connector in SyncNow allows users to synchronize or migrate various entities such as features, user stories, bugs, and more between Azure DevOps and other work systems. This guide provides detailed steps on setting up the Azure DevOps connector, configuring sync processes, and managing synchronization settings.
⚙️ Setting Up the Azure DevOps Connector
To set up the Azure DevOps connector in SyncNow, follow these steps:
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Navigate to the Systems Page
Access the "Systems" page from the main menu. -
Add a New System
Press the "Add System" button to create a new system connector.
Select “Azure DevOps Server” from the "Type" dropdown menu. -
Configure the Azure DevOps Connector
- Name: Enter a unique name for the Azure DevOps connector.
- Allow Self-Signed Certificates: Enable or disable the toggle for self-signed certificates. (Self-signed certificates are not recommended for production environments.)
- URL: Provide the URL to the Azure DevOps Server instance.
- Username: Enter the Azure DevOps username.
- Access Token: Provide the access token for the Azure DevOps instance. (Create an Azure DevOps API token if not already done.)
- API Version (Optional): Add a preferred API version. The default is 5.
- 🔒 Webhook Security: Configure webhook security as explained in the documentation for DevOps Gate and Sync. This includes options for authenticating webhooks anonymously, by IP address/range, or by SyncNow username/token authentication.
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Verify and Save
- Press the "Verify Connection" button to check if the connection is established successfully.
- Press the "Save" button to save the connector settings.
🔄 Creating a Sync Process
After configuring the Azure DevOps connector, follow these steps to create a sync process:
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Navigate to the Sync Processes Page
Access the "Sync Processes" page from the main menu. -
Add a New Sync Process
Press the "Add Sync Process" button to start configuring a new sync process. -
Define Sync Process Name
Enter a unique name for the sync process. -
Select Entity Types and Fields
- Entity Types: Select the Azure DevOps entities such as features, user stories, bugs, tests, test plans, etc., that you want to synchronize.
- Fields Mapping: Map Azure DevOps fields to corresponding fields in the target work system. All standard and custom fields are supported.
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Configure Synchronization Settings
- Real-time Sync: Select this option to use webhooks for real-time synchronization. SyncNow will automatically register the necessary webhooks in Azure DevOps during the activation of the first sync process.
- Timer Sync: Choose this option to synchronize data at regular intervals.
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Save and Activate
- Click the "Save" button to save the sync process settings.
- Activate the sync process to start synchronizing data between Azure DevOps and the target work system.
🗂️ Supported Major Fields for Azure DevOps Synchronization
SyncNow provides support for synchronizing various fields between Azure DevOps entities and other work systems. The following table lists the fields that can be synchronized, specifying whether they support one-way or two-way synchronization.
| Field | Description | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| Title | The title of the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Description | The detailed description of the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Status | The status of the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Assignees | Users assigned to the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Comments | Comments related to the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Rich Text Fields | Fields that contain rich text content. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Links | Links to other entities or resources. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Attachments | Files attached to the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Custom Fields | Custom fields defined in the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Tests | Test cases associated with the entity. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Code TFVC/Git | Links to TFVC or Git repositories. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Work Item Type | The type of the work item (e.g., Bug, Task, Epic). | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Area Path | The area path of the work item. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Iteration Path | The iteration path (sprint) of the work item. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Tags | Tags assigned to the work item. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Priority | Priority of the work item. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Severity | Severity of the work item (if applicable). | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Reason | Reason for the current state. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Created Date | Date the entity was created. | Unidirectional (Azure DevOps → Target System) |
| Changed Date | Date the entity was last modified. | Unidirectional (Azure DevOps → Target System) |
| Closed Date | Date the entity was closed. | Unidirectional (Azure DevOps → Target System) |
| Resolved Date | Date the entity was resolved. | Unidirectional (Azure DevOps → Target System) |
| Story Points | Story points for estimation (if applicable). | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Original Estimate | Original estimated effort. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Remaining Work | Remaining work estimate. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
| Completed Work | Completed work effort. | Bidirectional (Azure DevOps & Target System) |
🏷️ Entity Mapping
The Azure DevOps connector supports mapping all standard and custom entity types (such as features, user stories, bugs, tasks, tests, test plans, etc.) to equivalent entities in other work systems. This allows for flexible and comprehensive synchronization across your tools.
ℹ️ Note:
Ensure that your sync processes are configured to map each Azure DevOps entity type—including custom work item types—to the appropriate entity type in your target system for successful synchronization.
⚠️ Limitations
- Some advanced Azure DevOps field types or customizations may require additional configuration.
- API rate limits or permission restrictions in Azure DevOps may affect synchronization frequency or scope.
description: Azure DevOps Compatibility or Limitations
Azure DevOps Compatibility and Limitations
Compatibility
SyncNow supports Azure DevOps Service and Azure DevOps Server editions from TFS 2019 and above.
⚠️ Limitations for Azure DevOps Server and Azure DevOps Service
- Timer Synchronization: In the default timer synchronization configuration, a field change is required to detect changes in relationships. Azure DevOps does not notify SyncNow when only relations (like links between work items) are added or removed. Sync processes subscribed to WebHooks will handle these changes as expected.
- Entity Type Changes: Changing the type of an entity is not supported.
- Work Item Links: Due to limitations in the Azure DevOps API, adding or removing work item links without changing any other field will not trigger a synchronization event.
- Project Moves: Moving an entity to another project is not supported.
- Test Plans: Synchronizing or migrating test plans is not supported.
- Git Commits and TFVC: When linking commits to Jira Issues, if a commit comment spans multiple lines, only the first line will be taken and set as the remark.
💡 Tip: For best results, ensure your field mappings and webhook security settings are configured correctly in your SyncNow workflow.