Prepare for the Future: Upgrade from Drupal 7 to 10 with Acquia Migrate Accelerate and Code Engine Studio, an Acquia Partner

August 28, 2024
9 minute read

Introduction
What is Acquia Migrate Accelerate
Key Features and Benefits
How Acquia Migrate Accelerate (AMA) Can Help
CES: Your Partner in Migration
The Migration Roadmap
Detailed Migration Roadmap

Introduction

Are you prepared to undertake the upgrade journey? Recent data indicates that a significant 47% of Drupal websites are still operating on the D7 version, surpassing all other versions in terms of prevalence. The impending Drupal 7 end of life is on the horizon, necessitating attention and likely an upgrade from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10. Are you fully aware of the risks associated with delaying this crucial upgrade?

The consequences of delaying the upgrade include:

Inability to leverage the latest innovations and functionalities
Heightened vulnerability to security breaches due to the community ceasing to release security updates
Extended risk as some migrations may span 3-6 months to ensure a smooth transition

To explore how Acquia and Code Engine Studio can facilitate a seamless migration, check our comprehensive services. The open source community offers an advanced migration tool (Acquia Migrate: Accelerate) to accelerate basic upgrades between Drupal 7 and 10. While AMA is open source and doesn't require hosting on Acquia Cloud, navigating the migration process can still be challenging. For more complex migration requirements, we recommend partnering with experts like Code Engine Studio, who can provide the necessary guidance and support to ensure a successful upgrade.

What is Acquia Migrate Accelerate?

Acquia Migrate Accelerate (AMA) is a suite of tools designed to streamline the migration of websites from Drupal 7 to the latest version of Drupal. Unlike traditional upgrades, which involve lengthy downtimes and potential issues with live sites, AMA allows you to build and migrate your new site while keeping your existing site operational until the final switch.

Key Features and Benefits

Leverage the recently open-sourced AMA as your guide to the necessary system requirements and modules for Drupal 10, helping you to streamline the upgrade process. The tool scans your existing Drupal 7 modules and automatically recommends and installs their Drupal 10 counterparts, including necessary patches, ensuring compatibility and reducing manual work. With its user-friendly interface, even less technical users can easily manage the migration process through a React-based, JavaScript-driven UI.

To ensure data accuracy, AMA allows you to preview and validate data before finalizing the migration. This feature helps prevent data integrity issues and ensures a smooth transition. The comprehensive migration dashboard provides an overview of the entire process, including records imported, errors encountered, and the status of each migration step, giving you full visibility and control.

AMA also includes advanced error handling, with a filterable message console that highlights issues and suggests solutions. Its smart dependency management ensures that migrations occur in the correct order, minimizing errors and ensuring a seamless process. If any mistakes are found, you can easily roll back migrations, allowing for corrections without starting over.

Moreover, the module auditor identifies issues in contributed modules, while the content refresh feature ensures you are always migrating the most current data from your Drupal 7 site. This robust, efficient, and user-friendly solution minimizes risks and downtime, maximizing the benefits of upgrading to Drupal 10.

With Acquia Migrate Accelerate, you can confidently migrate from Drupal 7 to Drupal 10, leveraging the latest features and improvements while ensuring a smooth and secure transition.

How Acquia Migrate Accelerate (AMA) Can Help

Anyone in the Drupal community still running Drupal 7 can leverage AMA to facilitate the migration process. As mentioned, AMA automates much of the migration, making it faster and less error-prone. However, there are some limitations that may require additional support:

AMA may not handle all modules seamlessly. You’ll need to manage and update custom or complex modules.
Custom code often requires manual intervention to ensure it works correctly with Drupal 10 and modern versions of PHP.

Code Engine Studio (CES): Your Partner in Migration

Helping you to solve the limitations

As an Acquia partner, Code Engine Studio (CES) specializes in providing the additional support needed for a successful migration. If you're considering a migration and are unsure whether your needs are simple or complex, Code Engine Studio is specifically equipped to help you assess the situation. CES provides aModules: AMA may not handle all modules seamlessly. You’ll need to manage and update custom or complex modules. Custom Code Management: Custom code often requires manual intervention to ensure it works correctly with Drupal 10 and modern versions of PHP. CES offers a free detailed audit to determine the complexity of your migration, helping you make an informed decision about whether to proceed on your own or seek professional assistance. This preparatory step ensures that you understand all aspects of the migration process and your specific Migration Roadmap.

CES unique methodology includes:

Free Pre-Migration Audit: A comprehensive free audit process to identify potential challenges and prepare a customized migration plan.
Module Management: Assistance in updating and managing modules to ensure compatibility with Drupal 10.
Custom Code Solutions: Expertise in handling custom code to prevent issues during the migration.
Post-Migration Support: Ongoing support to address any post-migration issues and optimize your new Drupal 10 site.

The Migration Roadmap

Here is a simple roadmap to guide you through the whole migration process:

Pre-Migration Audit: Conduct a free detailed audit to understand your current setup and identify potential challenges.
Migration Plan: Develop a tailored migration plan, including timelines and resource allocation (see Detailed Migration Roadmap below).
Module and Code Management: Handle the migration of modules and custom code.
Migration Execution: Perform the migration using AMA and manual processes as needed.
Testing and Optimization: Thoroughly test the new site and make necessary optimizations.
Post-Migration Support: Provide ongoing support to ensure smooth operation and address any issues.

Detailed Migration Roadmap

Theme Migration

Existing Themes: If your theme exists in Drupal 10, the update is straightforward.
Custom Themes: Custom themes may require redevelopment, providing an excellent chance to modernize your site's appearance. This is also an opportunity to improve the user interface and user experience, aligning with modern design trends and user expectations.

Module Migration

Streamlining Modules: It's an ideal time to evaluate which modules are essential, removing any that are redundant.
Updating Custom Modules: Custom modules may need adjustments to align with Drupal 10's architecture, or they might need to be replaced altogether. This ensures all functionality remains optimized and secure within the new environment.

Data Migration

Standard Content: Blogs, articles, and similar content types are typically migrated smoothly.
User and Media Data: Adjustments might be necessary, especially if you’re using specialized modules that affect how your data is stored. Considering the integration of modern media management solutions may enhance how you handle large media files, such as:
- Content Types: Standard content like blogs, articles, and pages usually migrate easily. Check any custom content types unique to your site for any needed changes.
- Media Management: Consider upgrading to a better media management system to handle images and videos more efficiently.
- User Data and Taxonomies: Ensure user information and site categorizations transfer correctly, adjusting roles and permissions as necessary.

With the end of life for Drupal 7 approaching, now is the time to plan your migration to Drupal 10. Site owners can benefit from the AMA tool, and additional support from Code Engine Studio can ensure a seamless transition. Don’t wait until it’s too late – start your migration journey today and future-proof your website.;