Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS Upgrade

UTC | 20:00 - 21:00

Your Timezone | 1:00pm - 2:00pm America/Los_Angeles

 Upgrading from Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS involves migrating your website's content, configuration, and theme from the Drupal 7 platform to Backdrop CMS. Backdrop CMS is a fork of Drupal 7 that provides a more user-friendly and streamlined interface while retaining much of Drupal's functionality. 

Presentation Slides

In this session, we will review and demo migration tools and discuss different aspects of the Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS upgrade process:

1. Evaluate and Plan: Before initiating the upgrade, carefully assess your Drupal 7 website to understand its complexity, modules in use and any customizations. Review the modules and themes you currently have installed and identify their Backdrop CMS equivalents or alternatives. Consider the compatibility of your custom modules and themes with Backdrop CMS.

2. Set Up a Test Environment if you need it: Create a separate development or testing environment where you can perform the upgrade process without affecting your live website. This allows you to test the upgrade and ensure everything works correctly before deploying the changes to the production site.

3. Content and Data Migration: Migrating content from Drupal 7 to Backdrop CMS involves exporting your Drupal 7 database and importing it into a new Backdrop CMS installation. Backdrop CMS provides migration tools and modules to facilitate this process. However, it's important to note that some Drupal 7 modules may not have direct equivalents in Backdrop CMS, requiring alternative solutions or custom development.

4. Theme Migration: Themes in Drupal 7 are not directly compatible with Backdrop CMS. You'll need to update or re-create your theme to work with Backdrop CMS's theming system. Use the Backdrop CMS theme documentation and guides to help you understand the changes needed in your theme code and implement them accordingly.

5. Module Migration if you need it: Backdrop CMS has its own module ecosystem, and while many modules from Drupal 7 have been ported to Backdrop CMS, not all modules have equivalent versions. Assess the modules you currently use in Drupal 7 and identify their availability in Backdrop CMS. Determine if there are alternative modules or solutions in Backdrop CMS for any missing functionality. This step may involve rebuilding or modifying some functionality using Backdrop CMS's APIs and modules.

6. Configuration and Customization: Reconfigure and customize your Backdrop CMS installation to match your Drupal 7 site's configuration. This includes setting up blocks in the layout system, configuring permissions if needed, and adjusting site settings.

7. Testing and Debugging: Thoroughly test your upgraded Backdrop CMS site in the development or testing environment. Check the functionality of modules, customizations, forms, content types, and any other site features. Address any issues or errors that arise during testing, and ensure the site functions correctly.

8. Deployment: Once you are satisfied with the testing results, prepare to deploy the upgraded site to the production environment. Take necessary precautions, such as creating a backup of your Drupal 7 site and its database before proceeding. Deploy the Backdrop CMS site, migrate the latest content, and update the DNS settings to direct traffic to the new site.

9. Post-Upgrade Tasks: After the upgrade, thoroughly test your live Backdrop CMS site to ensure everything is functioning as expected. Pay attention to any performance optimizations or additional configurations required in the new environment. Update any necessary integrations, such as analytics or third-party services, to ensure they are compatible with Backdrop CMS.