As of 2023, there are over 1.7 million websites using Drupal, underscoring the significance of acquiring Drupal tips and tricks. The migration process can be crucial and challenging for newcomers.
Drupal is one of the most popular solutions for creating and personalizing websites. Today, this system is used by various businesses from different industries, from small start-ups to world-famous large enterprises. Thus, more than 1 million websites around the world are powered by Drupal.
At the same time, technology does not stand still. This means that if a business is interested in its stable development and sustainability, it is imperative to keep up with the times. Drupal, as technology, is constantly improving, providing developers with more tools to implement ideas and companies the opportunity to expand the quality of their service and customer satisfaction using a website.
This is how we come to Drupal migration. The main reason why Drupal migration is an important step is that you can ensure the longest life expectancy of your site, as well as make it more functional with this approach.
In addition, security is among the top priorities for online businesses. Therefore, ignoring system updates means that your website may not receive critical security updates.
Although migrating to newer versions of Drupal often occurs without problems or particular difficulties, it is still a process worth paying attention to and planning. Migrating to another version of Drupal is not only about launching an update but also the APIs, modules, and other core elements that your website includes.
In other words, ensuring that your website does not lose its functionality due to migration and continues to work correctly is essential. Let’s take a look at tips that may help you plan your migration to a new version of Drupal.
Tips For Drupal Migration
Businesses are encouraged to consider upgrading to the latest version of Drupal for several reasons, the main ones being additional features, improved security, and higher website performance.
Sometimes migration can be challenging, but if you plan the process well, migrating to a new version of Drupal can be done efficiently and with no problems in most cases.
Here are some tips on how to make migration to the latest version of the system convenient and smooth:
Plan Your Migration
The first and most important step is planning. It is essential to have a clear migration strategy before starting the process.
To do this, you need to conduct a thorough analysis to determine the scope of migration and understand how best to complete it. Factors to consider when drawing up a plan include:
- workload assessment
- setting migration deadlines
- defining migration stages
- website functionality assessment
- possible impact of migration on the website
It is critical to clearly understand the specifics of how your website functions and to have a migration implementation plan. The more detailed and thoughtful your plan is, the better, as this will avoid unforeseen problems and delays in the process, thereby ensuring a successful and smooth transition of the website to the new version of Drupal.
Make A Backup
Before making any changes, you should always make a backup first. This is a necessary step that should not be ignored because something may always go wrong in the process, so it is essential that you have an “extra life” and can get back to where you started. Therefore, make sure you have copies of all website files and data before the migration process.
In addition, keep a backup copy of the website and its elements in a safe place, which you can also easily access if necessary. Only after you have made a backup can you make changes and experiment with the features of Drupal and your website.
Assess The Existing Modules
Conceptually, Drupal is a system that relies heavily on modules and themes. Due to this approach, Drupal expands the functionality of the system and provides new features.
However, this feature of the system may lead to the fact that some of the modules or themes you use on your website may be incompatible with the new version of Drupal. This is why it is essential to assess existing modules and themes before starting the migration process. This will give you time to replace some models or find other alternatives.
Drupal Core Update
This is the essential step in the migration process. For the migration to be successful and smooth, it is critical to update the system core first.
Therefore, before starting the process, use a tool like the Drupal Upgrade Status module. Its job is to identify issues and dependencies that may affect or hinder the migration of your website to a new version of Drupal.
Thus, update the core first and only then proceed with the system’s changes.
Test The Website
After updating your website, be sure to fully test the website for errors and evaluate its performance.
Factors to consider first include:
- Website features and elements
- Content and its display on the website
- Website forms, modules, and themes
- Third-party integrations and APIs
- User accounts and data
To test a website, you can use the Drupal Functional Testing module. This tool automates the testing process and can quickly find and report errors.
Train The Team
Migrating to a new version of Drupal means that some of the features and modules may work differently. Therefore, be sure to train your team and explain to them the new features and capabilities of the system that they can use from this moment.
This step should not be ignored, as understanding how the new version of Drupal works will allow your team to use the system effectively and avoid mistakes.
Learn more about migration processes and Drupal views data export at ElevatedThird.
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