Task Breakdown Template for Jira

Task Breakdown Template: From User Story to Implementation

Use this template to decompose a user story into concrete technical tasks. Each task should be 1-2 days of work.

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Parent User Story

Ticket: PROJ-124
Title: "As a user, I can upload a PDF file from my device"
Assignee: @backend-team
Story Points: 5

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Task Breakdown

Goal: Identify all work required to complete the user story

How to use: List each technical step, dependency, and subtask needed.

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Task 1: Design & Plan API Endpoint

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @backend-lead
Story Points: 2
Priority: High

Description: Design the POST /api/uploads endpoint specification. Define request/response format, file size limits, error handling, and authentication requirements.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] API spec documented in OpenAPI/Swagger format
• [ ] Request payload defined (multipart/form-data with file, user_id, metadata)
• [ ] Response format defined (upload_id, status, url)
• [ ] Error cases documented (file too large, unsupported format, auth failure)
• [ ] Rate limiting rules defined (max 100 uploads/day per user)
• [ ] API spec reviewed and approved by tech lead

Dependencies: None

Blocking: Task 2 (Backend implementation)

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Task 2: Implement Backend Upload Endpoint

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @backend-engineer-1
Story Points: 3
Priority: High

Description: Implement the POST /api/uploads endpoint in Node.js. Accept file uploads, validate format, store to S3, and return upload_id.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] Endpoint accepts multipart/form-data requests
• [ ] File type validation (only PDF, max 50MB)
• [ ] Files stored in S3 bucket (path: uploads//_)
• [ ] Returns 201 with upload_id and S3 URL
• [ ] Returns 400 for invalid file type
• [ ] Returns 413 for file too large
• [ ] Returns 401 for unauthenticated request
• [ ] Rate limiting enforced (100 uploads/user/day)
• [ ] All error responses include descriptive messages
• [ ] Unit tests written (>90% code coverage)

Dependencies: Task 1 (API spec), Database schema for uploads table

Blocking: Task 3 (Frontend integration)

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Task 3: Implement Frontend Upload Component

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @frontend-engineer-1
Story Points: 2
Priority: High

Description: Build React component for file upload. Include file picker, drag-and-drop, and basic validation.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] File input element with accept="application/pdf"
• [ ] Drag-and-drop zone working
• [ ] Client-side validation (file type, size)
• [ ] Shows error messages for validation failures
• [ ] Component is accessible (ARIA labels, keyboard navigation)
• [ ] Component responsive (works on mobile & desktop)
• [ ] Unit tests written
• [ ] Storybook story created for QA preview

Dependencies: Task 2 (Backend endpoint ready)

Blocking: Task 4 (Upload progress)

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Task 4: Add Upload Progress UI

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @frontend-engineer-1
Story Points: 1
Priority: Medium

Description: Add progress bar and upload status messages to the upload component.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] Progress bar shows upload % complete (via XMLHttpRequest progress events)
• [ ] Shows status text ("Uploading...", "Complete", "Failed")
• [ ] Displays file name and size
• [ ] Shows error message if upload fails
• [ ] Can cancel upload in progress
• [ ] Works on slow networks (simulate in Chrome DevTools)

Dependencies: Task 3 (Upload component)

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Task 5: Add Error Handling & Retry Logic

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @backend-engineer-2
Story Points: 2
Priority: Medium

Description: Implement retry logic for failed uploads. Add error tracking and logging.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] Failed uploads trigger auto-retry (exponential backoff: 1s, 2s, 4s)
• [ ] Max 3 retry attempts before giving up
• [ ] Each attempt is logged with timestamp and error details
• [ ] User sees "Retrying..." status during auto-retry
• [ ] Manual retry button available after 3 failures
• [ ] Errors sent to error tracking service (Sentry)
• [ ] CloudWatch logs capture all errors

Dependencies: Tasks 2, 3, 4

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Task 6: Add Security & Validation

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @security-engineer (or backend lead)
Story Points: 2
Priority: High

Description: Add security measures: file validation, virus scanning, rate limiting, CORS headers.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] Files scanned for malware (ClamAV or equivalent)
• [ ] Blocked files logged and reported
• [ ] CORS headers allow only our frontend domain
• [ ] Rate limiting enforced (100 uploads/user/day)
• [ ] Logs show all upload attempts
• [ ] User cannot upload files > 50MB
• [ ] User cannot upload non-PDF files
• [ ] Security review completed

Dependencies: Task 2

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Task 7: Add Monitoring & Alerts

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @devops
Story Points: 1
Priority: Medium

Description: Set up CloudWatch dashboards and alarms for upload metrics.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] CloudWatch dashboard shows: upload success rate, avg upload time, error rate
• [ ] Alert if upload failure rate > 5% in 5 min
• [ ] Alert if avg upload time > 30 seconds
• [ ] Alert if S3 storage exceeds 100GB
• [ ] All metrics exported to Prometheus for long-term analytics

Dependencies: Task 2 (endpoint live)

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Task 8: Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

Ticket Type: Task
Assigned To: @tech-writer
Story Points: 1
Priority: Medium

Description: Document the upload feature for users and internal teams.

Acceptance Criteria:

• [ ] User-facing help article: "How to upload files"
• [ ] Developer documentation: API spec, code examples
• [ ] Troubleshooting guide: common errors and solutions
• [ ] Video tutorial recorded (60 seconds)
• [ ] Internal wiki updated with architecture diagram
• [ ] Team trained on monitoring/alerting

Dependencies: All technical tasks complete

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Task Dependency Diagram

Task 1 (API spec)
  └─→ Task 2 (Backend) ──→ Task 3 (Frontend) ──→ Task 4 (Progress)
          ├─→ Task 5 (Error handling)
          ├─→ Task 6 (Security)
          └─→ Task 7 (Monitoring)

Task 8 (Docs) — starts after all tasks

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Summary Table

| Task | Owner | Points | Status | Depends On | |---|---|---|---|---| | API spec | @backend-lead | 2 | Ready | — | | Backend impl | @backend-engineer-1 | 3 | Blocked | Task 1 | | Frontend component | @frontend-engineer-1 | 2 | Blocked | Task 2 | | Upload progress | @frontend-engineer-1 | 1 | Blocked | Task 3 | | Error handling | @backend-engineer-2 | 2 | Blocked | Task 3 | | Security | @security-engineer | 2 | Blocked | Task 2 | | Monitoring | @devops | 1 | Blocked | Task 2 | | Documentation | @tech-writer | 1 | Blocked | Task 8 |

Total Story Points: 14 (note: parent story was 5 points, but actual work is 14)

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Execution Tips

Start Date: Monday
Timeline: 1-2 weeks depending on parallelization

Parallel work allowed:

• Task 1 (spec) happens first → unblocks all others
• Task 2 (backend) & Task 3 (frontend) can happen in parallel (use mock endpoint)
• Task 5, 6, 7 can start once Task 2 is in progress

Daily Standup Talking Points:

• Which tasks are blocked?
• Any scope creep or new requirements?
• Any technical blockers (API rate limits, dependencies)?
• Are we on track for story completion?

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When a Task Reveals Issues

If a task uncovers new work:

1. Document the new work as a sub-task
2. Estimate if it fits in the current sprint
3. If not, add to backlog for next sprint
4. Inform product owner of timeline impact

Example: During Task 6, security engineer finds that ClamAV requires additional setup (expected 3 days). Options:

• Add to this sprint (slip timeline by 3 days)
• De-scope (use basic file validation only) & add ClamAV to next sprint
• Discuss with product owner

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Acceptance for Entire User Story

Once all 8 tasks are done, the user story is complete when:

• [ ] All task acceptance criteria met
• [ ] All code merged to main branch
• [ ] All tests passing (unit + integration)
• [ ] Code reviewed by 2+ engineers
• [ ] Feature deployed to staging
• [ ] QA testing complete (no critical bugs)
• [ ] Ready for production deployment