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Drupal 7
features an admin strip at the top of the page which was available in previous
versions only through separate module integration. The website controls have
been put into a series of shadowboxes, hence further enhancing ease of use. Improved
image support and fields functionality also add to Drupal 7’s performance. This
version also resolves one of the problematic features of Drupal 6, which was
the inability to simultaneously execute private file handling and CSS
file aggregation.
To make the
maximum of these new features, many website owners are upgrading their versions
of Drupal. If you too have reached a similar decision for your website, here’s
a step-by-step guide to assist you in the migration process:
1. Firstly, it is important to
understand that the update from Drupal 6 to Drupal 7 is a major one, as there
are significant differences in the way both versions use and store data. Still,
if your website is not too complex, and you have backing up your core data on
regular intervals (as recommended by developers), the process must not be too
tricky for you.
2. So now that you are ready for it,
the first step in the process of upgrading your Drupal is to back up your
site’s database. There are some easy tools available online which could assist
you in this process. Or else, if you choose to do the backup manually, you can
use phpMyAdmin.
3. After
backing up your database, you also need to backup all your files and folders to
a secure location. This could be your PC, your hosting control panel, or just a
separate online server.
4. You
need to check the status of your contributed and custom modules to make sure
that you go through the whole update process successfully. Check the Drupal
website drupal.org for information on upgrading your modules.
5. One
of the catches in the Drupal update process is that you cannot jump versions,
that is, you cannot directly upgrade from Drupal 6.1 to Drupal 7 in a single
step. You first need to reach the latest Drupal 6.x before you can migrate to
Drupal 7. To know which version of Drupal you are currently running, check Administer >> Reports >> Status report.
6. Next,
take your site off live internet by marking it as “offline” in the site
maintenance section.
7. Switch
your website’s theme to “Garland” and set it as default.
8. Disable
all the modules, leaving only the core ones.
9. In
your files directory, delete all files and folders except the “site” folder.
10. Download
Drupal 7 and extract the contents in your main directory. If you had applied
any changes to files like robots.txt in your previous install of Drupal,
reapply those changes again.
11. Go to your www.yourwebsitename.com/update.php
and update the database tables.
12. Create a backup of this new and
updated database and then update your modules to the latest versions.
Just to
make sure that the installation went along fine, run a quick report through Administration
>> Reports >> Status report. If everything on the report looks
normal, then you have yourself an up and running Drupal 7 CMS. Mission Accomplished!