Why Drupal introduces swift upgrades and why to perform timely Migrations

Today, Drupal follows a rapid upgrade process. There was just a two and a half years gap between the release of Drupal 10 in December 2022 and Drupal 9 in June 2020. Whereas, past Drupal versions were released with a gap of around four to five years between them. The need for frequent Drupal migration has left a majority of users grumbling and asking why the CMS releases new versions so rapidly. After all, the migration process is usually complicated, and availing of Drupal migration services involves the expenditure of money and time. 

If you are also tormented by the same question, this blog will act as a beacon and help you get acquainted with the answer. 

What Drives Drupal’s Swift Upgrade Policy?

The reason why Drupal CMS is introducing such rapid upgrades is its dependence on Symfony: a PHP framework for web projects. Till Drupal 7, the CMS had no reliance on Symfony. If we talk about Drupal 9, is based on Symfony 4 and CKEditor 4, both of which are destined to reach their end of life in November 2023. This implies that Drupal 9 will also reach its end of life in November 2023. 

Consequently, it won’t receive any Drupal community support from then on which means no security maintenance or bug fixes anymore. Under such circumstances, Drupal had no option but to release its tenth version: Drupal 10 which relies on Symfony 6 and CKEditor 5. Whenever a Symfony dependency approaches its end of life, Drupal has to introduce an upgrade and users have to perform Drupal migration. 

Speaking about Drupal 7, it doesn’t depend on Symfony. That is why it continues to get the desired support from the Drupal community even today and its end of life has been extended to January 2025. 

Has all this information made you ponder over why Drupal is relying on Symfony then if it is the reason behind the need for frequent Drupal migration? Let’s explore together.

5 Reasons Why Drupal Relies on Symfony

1. Support of a large developer community: 

Symfony is a popular PHP framework preferred by a majority of developers worldwide. With its dependence on Symfony, Drupal is getting access to an enormous community of developers who can make valuable contributions to its growth. 

2. Better performance and scalability: 

Symfony possesses lightweight and efficient components, which significantly improved Drupal’s overall performance and scalability. As the CMS focuses on persistent improvement in its already incredible services, its dependence on Symfony supports it in its endeavor.

3. Easier maintenance and extension: 

The usage of Symfony components and conventions has endowed the Drupal codebase with better organization and consistency. This has in turn made the CMS’s maintenance and extension easier. 

4. Better development experience: 

Symfony renders a set of well-documented, reusable components, and tools. Drupal developers can utilize these resources to build Drupal websites quickly and easily. 

5. Improved integration with other systems: 

Symfony employs numerous modern web development techniques like HTTP caching and routing. This promotes better integration of Drupal with other systems and services. 

So, these are some reasons for Drupal’s dependence on Symfony. 

Drupal is Not the Only Software Upgrading Swiftly

If frequent Drupal migration makes you feel frustrated, it is imperative to understand that Drupal isn’t the only CMS undergoing swift evolution. Every software or technological tool in existence is also evolving at a rapid pace. This is primarily because technology is upgrading quickly. Every new dawn introduces a new technological advancement and these software and tools have no choice but to match strides with ever-changing technologies. 

If a CMS doesn’t consistently align itself with cutting-edge technologies and remains outdated, will you choose it as your companion? Obviously, the answer is no. That’s why to remain a preferred choice of its users the Drupal community relentlessly introduces upgraded versions of the CMS and encourages you to avail timely Drupal migration services.

Every higher version of Drupal is equipped with new and incredible features that turn it into a superior CMS. This implies that all the pangs of Drupal migration that you have to suffer are worthwhile. They are the precursors to leveraging the power of a top-notch Drupal version. So, Drupal isn’t the only CMS undergoing rapid upgradation from time to time, and bearing the frustration of Drupal migration is the key to matching strides with futuristic CMS technologies. 

The Dangers Associated with Delayed Drupal Migration 

Your business website is the face of your organization and you cannot afford to have an outdated one. Regular upgradation is essential to ensure top-notch security and performance of your website. Ignoring it is like inviting unwelcome issues to trouble your business and reputation. Visitors never give websites a second chance. If you fail to captivate their hearts on the first visit, they won’t return. Besides, any security issues can lead you to lose customer trust which can be disastrous for your business.

Hence, performing timely Drupal migration is crucial to ensure your business website’s good health. If you feel tormented by the Drupal updates that keep coming your way time and again, you can hire a reliable Drupal migration company to handle Drupal migration for you. Availing of Drupal migration services from a trusted partner can help you upgrade your site seamlessly whenever a new Drupal version is released.

If you stay committed to regular Drupal upgrades, you can rest assured that you’ll reap enormous rewards. Here are the top 7 benefits of regular Drupal migration to encourage you to match strides with Drupal upgrades.

7 Incredible Benefits of Keeping Your Drupal Site Up to Date

1. Top-notch security: 

Every latest Drupal version is empowered with top-notch security features that make your website cyberattack-proof. With regular Drupal migration, you can rest assured that your site possesses advanced security features that can keep your business and customers safeguarded at all times.

2. New and futuristic features: 

With every Drupal upgrade, you get access to new and futuristic features that promote ease of navigation and boost user experience.

3. Exceptional performance: 

The latest Drupal versions are designed to enhance website performance. Hence, with regular Drupal migration, you can keep your site nimble and high performing. 

4. Updated modules with phenomenal functioning: 

New versions of contributed modules are released to exhibit seamless compatibility with the latest Drupal version. These updated modules are empowered with improved functionality.

5. Avoidance of conflicts and complications: 

It is possible that the dependencies between modules change between various version releases. This makes it more challenging to upgrade the core and contributed modules on a business website that hasn’t undergone upgradation for a long period of time. 

For instance, a Drupal module may have been updated to require the latest version of another module that does not exhibit compatibility with the current version installed on the website. 

Resolving all such conflicts is imperative before performing successful upgradation. By keeping your site updated at all times, you can ensure that you don’t face any such conflicts.  

6. Easy access to Drupal community findings: 

Sometimes outdated versions of contributed modules do not exhibit compatibility with novel versions of the CMS. Consequently, you require to perform significant code changes or execution of alternate modules to leverage their existing functionality.

If most Drupal users updated the respective contributed modules long ago, you may have a hard time finding helpful resources to overcome the issues you are facing. 

Whereas, if you upgrade your contributed modules on time, you can get easy access to the related resources shared by the Drupal community. 

7. Less effort required for custom module upgradation: 

With delayed Drupal migration you require more effort for upgrading custom modules. Hence, on-time migration can help you ensure that your custom modules get upgraded with the least effort. 

Let’s Wrap Up 

The bottom line is that Drupal’s dependence on Symfony is responsible for the swift introduction of new versions from time to time. However, Drupal continues to stick to Symfony due to the incredible benefits it provides the CMS Frequent Drupal migration may be frustrating, but it is worthwhile due to the associated benefits. Besides, knowing that Drupal is not the only software undergoing rapid evolution is helpful. Almost all software products are undergoing the same to match strides with the ever-evolving technologies. 

When it comes to streamlining Drupal migration, hiring a Drupal migration company like LN Webworks is the key. We help you perform timely Drupal migration at affordable rates. So, reach out to us today.