Unable to Publish Workflow

Summary

The user is unable to publish a workflow in Jira without a noticeable error on the screen. This error prevents the implementation of new or updated workflows, potentially disrupting project management processes.

Diagnosis

Upon further review of the logs, a NullPointerException error was observed.

message: [Limited to 100 per PT1H] Exception occurred during doFilter for norm_uri: SelectProjectWorkflowSchemeStep2!default. 500 status code set for SFX metrics Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException at com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull(Preconditions.java:889) at com.google.common.primitives.Longs.tryParse(Longs.java:395) at com.google.common.primitives.Longs.tryParse(Longs.java:369)

This error indicates a problem with null values being processed when attempting to publish the workflow.

Cause

The NullPointerException appears to be caused by several Jira issues in the project lacking an associated status. This absence of status information is likely leading to the error when the system attempts to process these issues during workflow publication.

Solution

To resolve this issue, we need to identify and update the status of Jira issues without one. Here's a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Create a filter to identify issues without a status:

• Navigate to Issues > Search for issues

• Click "Advanced" to use JQL

• Enter the following JQL query:

  project = "Your Project Name" AND status is EMPTY

• Click "Search"

• Save this as a filter for future use

Step 2: Update the status of identified issues:

• From the search results, select all issues

• Click "Tools" > "Bulk Change"

• Choose "Edit Issues" > "Next"

• Select "Change Status" and choose an appropriate status.

• Complete the bulk change process.

Step 3: Verify all issues have been updated:

• Re-run the saved filter

• Confirm that no issues are returned

Step 4: Attempt to publish the workflow again:

• Navigate to Project settings > Workflows

• Select the workflow you were trying to publish

• Click "Publish" and monitor for successful completion

Optional: If the error persists:

• Check for any custom fields or plugins that might be causing issues

• Consider temporarily disabling non-essential apps or custom fields

• Attempt the workflow publication again.

By following this process, you should be able to resolve the NullPointerException and successfully publish your workflow. Remember to regularly check for and update issues without a status to prevent this problem from recurring.