Innoppl – Blog

Drupal 8 Release: How To Get Ready

The buzz is all around. The wait is over. Drupal 8 release is almost here!

The much awaited Drupal 8 comes with a lot of exciting features and some interesting modules. With mobile responsiveness, multilingual capability, RESTful features, incredible themes with Twig, Symfony2 adaptation, CKEditor, explicit Views, better marking with HTML5, external libraries, Drupal 8 can’t be more promising.

If you haven’t gotten the memo, it’s high time to get your preparation chart ready to welcome Drupal 8.

To help, take a look at our tips on how to get ready for Drupal 8 release!

Tip 1: Your Site And Content Needs A Thorough Audit

Audit each module’s page and see if they’re on par with Drupal.org. Understand which parts of your site needs an update, document every detail, analyze any dead links or for any incomplete workflows. Check if there are any unpublished content or those which should be archived. Ensure you’re on Drupal 8 only when the Core and Contrib modules are up to date. Identify existing modules that aren’t compatible with Drupal 8 or those that will need custom updated. Evaluate your site’s infrastructure and maintain regular backups of user files and database.

Tip 2: Ensure You Have The Right Drupal Developers

Since a large part of Drupal’s core and API are being replaced by completely newer ones, it will be a challenge for your Drupal developers to keep up with the pace. Most importantly, they need to get the hang of the new plugins and the extensive set ups for a smoother migration. Also, ensure if the current web site is compatible with PHP 5.5.9. It’s an added asset if your Drupal developers are well versed in,

• OOPS concept
• Symfony 2 framework
• Following the latest PHP Standards
• Good knowledge in external libraries like Zend, Composer, Guzzle, etc.
• Factory Pattern
• Module development
• API series

Tip 3: Decide If You Should Migrate Or Rebuild?

If you’re on Drupal 6, you’ll need an upgrade ASAP, as Drupal 6will only be supported for another three months. Trust us, you don’t want to be at the risk with an unsupported platform. With the new configuration management initiative (CMI), you can effortlessly import or export to Drupal 8. With the out of the box configuration techniques, developers can make various changes in the test site itself before they’re ready for live site. They can familiarize on Migrate Plus and Migrate Upgrade modules for testing purposes.

Another option is to completely rebuild your site to Drupal 8 from the scratch. You can make use of the complete package while doing this instead of having a few extended features alone. Need some help? You can take the expert advice on how to go about migration with our Atlanta Drupal developers. The team can help you audit your site and accordingly give you a perfect solution to your needs.

Tip 4: Organizing Your Team

Your team should be fully equipped in order to tackle all the challenges. Splitting a team and assigning them manageable tasks can make your work much easier. Coordinate with your team on a regular basis and make sure you fill up the gaps wherever required. Your team should be capable of handling any extreme situation. With adequate knowledge-sharing among the teammates through regular workshops and other resources can be quite helpful to build a strong foundation for Drupal 8.

Tip 5: Apply Security Updates

It’s better to upgrade your Drupal site to the latest version available (Drupal 7) before transitioning to Drupal 8. Your core or Contrib modules could become easily vulnerable to hackers. Hence, it’s important to apply regular security updates and make it a regular practice.

Tip 6: Incorporate Your Marketing Team

The announcement of Drupal 8 release should excite your digital marketing team. Drupal 8’s integration with a number of web platforms has given fresh hopes to marketers. Evaluate your site usage with Google analytics to know if the site is ready to handle the new developments. Have the team become familiar with the Marketing Automation and CRM integrations. Make sure your team familiarizes themselves with the right tools sustain your SEO rankings.

Tip 7: Create A Decent Budget

Drupal development isn’t cheap! Remember to set apart a decent budget for your project. As mentioned earlier, we can help you if you’re either planning on upgrading or rebuilding your site. However, get your budget approved ahead of time and ensure it’s flexible.

Now is the time to decide on how exactly to migrate to Drupal 8. Doing this now will have you future time, energy and costs. Need some help? Contact our Atlanta Drupal Developers today!