Drupal 7 to BackdropCMS �Migrations for SiteBuilders

�Fall 2023 ��Irina Zaks, irina.zaks@fibonacciwebstudio.com

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Introduction

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Building websites and apps for research and higher education

https://fibonacciwebstudio.com

Irina Zaks

Web Developer ��Feeds Module Co-Maintainer

One of organizers of StanfordWebCamp�irina.zaks@fibonacciwebstudio.com

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My D7 site works great for me

• I like feel and look of my theme
• My content is easy to update
• Content types and views work great for my goals
• I have over 100 pages
• I have business logic for processing submitted information

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Example: https://www.cpqcc.org/

D7 EOL is Jan 5, 2025

When should I plan to begin

migration?

Step 1: Understand Your Needs

Check 1: My D7 site works well for me.

• YES -> Continue to Check 2.

Check 2: My site has complex structured content with relationships between those� AND/OR

My site has workflows (notifications, editorial workflows, custom processes)

• YES -> Continue to Check 3.

Check 3: Run Site Audit module and select D9/10 or Backdrop CMS.

Discovery toolset

• Site Audit module with web UI for D7
• released July 17, 2023
• Backdrop upgrade status (backdrop_upgrade_status)
• Checks to see if the installed modules are ready for upgrade to Backdrop CMS.
• Upgrade Status (upgrade_status)
• Checks to see if the installed modules are available for the next major version of Drupal.

Site Audit module for D7

• Released July 17, 2023
• Set you admin theme to �bootstrap-based
• Select what info blocks you �want to see in settings
• Content
• Blocks
• Users
• Modules
• Views

Review Site and prepare to begin migration

Backdrop Upgrade Status

Prepare task lists for migration

1. Set Up a New Environment
2. Add Modules if needed
3. Add Theme if needed
4. Content and Data Migration
5. Configuration and Customization
6. Testing and Debugging
7. Post-Upgrade Tasks

Migration demo step-by-step

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Step 1: Select your hosting

• Local
• “simple hosting”
• “dev hosting”
• Pantheon
• Try https://backdropcms.org/try-backdrop

Step 1+2: Setup new site

• Install core
• Install contrib modules or add d2b module
• Based on site audit
• Install contrib theme or your custom theme (bootstrap+harris/flexible layout)
• If needed
• install your custom modules

Step 2+3: modules and themes

• Via Project Installer - Web UI, cloud based
• http://fibonacci-backdrop:8888/admin/modules/install
• Via drush - command line, local dev setup

Other options in development

• Composer-based installation for developers is an option
• d2b module will detect and download modules based on your database

Step 4: Import / Backup and Migrate

http://fibonacci-backdrop:8888/admin/config/system/backup_migrate/restore

Step 4 continued: Run upgrade

• Click “Run Upgrade” button to start migration at
• http://fibonacci-backdrop:8888/core/update.php ocore/update.php

Step 4: What is updated “out of the box”

• Users http://cpqcc-backdrop:8888/admin/people
• Content http://cpqcc-backdrop:8888/admin/content
• Views http://cpqcc-backdrop:8888/admin/structure/views
• Blocks content
• Path aliases

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You can write custom migration for your custom modules if needed

Step 5: Set your theme and place blocks

• Various themes are available
• https://backdropcms.org/themes?s=Bootstrap+5+Lite
• https://backdropcms.org/themes
• New in Backdrop - layout system
• https://backdropcms.org/layouts
• Blocks report http://cpqcc-backdrop:8888/admin/reports/blocks

Step 5: New in Backdrop �Working with layouts

• Out of the box layouts
• Add new layout
• Harris Flexible
• Place blocks in the layout

“One-click” Backdrop Migrations using D2B module

Demo using CPQCC website

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Full migration using D2B module

• https://github.com/backdrop-contrib/d2b_migrate/

d2b module �still has some open issues, please contribute

Database analysis

Module and Theme upgrade module

https://github.com/backdrop-contrib/coder_upgrade

Runs conversion of D7 code to Backdrop code where possible

Learining Curve

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Learning curve moving off D7

• Sitebuilding is very similar to D7 (content types, taxonomies, views, etc.)
• Configuration management
• very well documented
• New in Backdrop core
• Layouts - template + path

Demo step by step

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Dec 2 notes

• set up brand new site from distro
• add theme for cmqcc
• https://cmqcc-2:8890/admin/modules/install
• mysql -u pantheon -p rMZoitazp01008JSDHUSsG6rYPexKTKK -h 34.133.28.57 -P 16869 pantheon
• configure file system
• connect to database
• download projects
• login with new admin account
• add admin role
• change theme
• set header
• set blocks

Contribute to Open Source

You don't have to know code to give back!

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Ways to contribute:�

https://backdropcms.org/contribute https://drupal.org/contribute

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