Dec 26, 2024
Overview
GitHub’s project management capabilities have evolved significantly over the years. Originally introduced as Classic Projects, GitHub has since developed a more robust and flexible system known as Projects Next (V2). These newer projects offer advanced features, improved customization, and deeper integration with GitHub Issues.
Cloudback currently provides full backup and restore support for Classic Projects and complete backup (with partial restore capability) for Projects Next (V2). As GitHub continues to enhance its APIs, Cloudback will expand its restore capabilities for V2 projects accordingly.
Background
Projects (Classic)
Initially, GitHub’s project management solution centered on Classic Projects — Kanban boards that integrated with repositories and organizations. They facilitated managing issues, pull requests, and notes in a more visual format. However, over time, users demanded greater flexibility and integration with GitHub Issues and other tools, prompting GitHub to develop a more modern alternative.
Projects Next (V2)
Launched in July 2022, Projects Next — often referred to as Projects V2 — introduced enhanced features, including:
Custom fields: Tailor projects to unique workflows and data points.
Multiple views: Easily switch between table, board, and roadmap perspectives.
Advanced filtering & automation: Improve project organization and productivity.
Deeper integration with GitHub Issues: Streamline issue management within the project environment.
Classic Projects Deprecation Timeline
GitHub plans to retire Classic Projects in favor of Projects V2 with the following schedule:
May 23, 2024: Creation of new Classic Projects is disabled; migration tools become available.
August 23, 2024: Classic Projects are fully deprecated and automatically migrated to Projects V2.
Early 2025: The REST API for Classic Projects will be removed, completing the deprecation.
For more details, see the official sunset notice.
Cloudback’s Current Support
Classic Projects
Cloudback fully supports both backup and restore operations for Classic Projects. This support will remain fully functional until GitHub completely deprecates Classic Projects. We will continue to maintain compatibility and provide assistance throughout the migration period.
Projects V2
Personal Project V2
Not supported - Currently, GitHub App integration does not support access to personal projects, which prevents Cloudback from accessing and backing them up. This limitation may change if GitHub updates its permissions to allow GitHub Apps access to personal projects in the future.
Organization's Projects V2
Cloudback supports backing up an Organization's Projects V2 data. Our backup process captures project configuration, issues, and other relevant details without any known issues.
However, the restore functionality is currently limited. While our developers have made significant progress, certain critical APIs required to completely restore Projects V2 are not yet available from GitHub. Notably, as of December 4, 2024, the following GraphQL APIs are missing or incomplete:
View creation: No API endpoints exist to programmatically create or restore project views.
Workflow creation: No endpoints support automating workflow restoration.
For more information, refer to the GraphQL schema changes as of 2024-12-04.
Next Steps and Ongoing Work
Our team is closely monitoring GitHub’s API developments. We are prepared to implement comprehensive restore support for Projects V2 as soon as the necessary APIs become available. Until then, Projects V2 backups from Cloudback will remain intact, and partial restore functionality will be provided where possible.
Conclusion
While Cloudback fully supports Classic Projects, we are committed to delivering a complete backup and restore solution for GitHub’s Projects V2. As GitHub continues to enhance its GraphQL APIs, we will integrate these new capabilities into Cloudback, ensuring a seamless, end-to-end project management backup and restore experience.
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