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Salsa Digital conducted a comprehensive upgrade of four websites for this federal agency client, from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10. The project involved updating modules, addressing vulnerabilities and transitioning to PHP 8.1 to ensure continued security and efficiency. The original engagement was for three sites, but when these were delivered well under budget an extra site was upgraded.

Describe the project (goals, requirements and outcome)
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The federal agency’s challenge — outdated websites

A federal agency (that can’t be named for corporate communication reasons) had several websites operating on Drupal 9 with varying PHP versions — all were facing imminent end-of-life for Drupal 9 support. This posed potential security risks and limited the sites' ability to leverage the latest Drupal 10 features and performance improvements. The agency had identified three higher priority sites for upgrade.

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The agency’s transformation — comprehensive website upgrades

Salsa embarked on a comprehensive rebuild and upgrade of the agency's three websites. The transformation process included:

  1. Upgrading all sites to Drupal 10 and ensuring compatibility with PHP 8.1

  2. Updating all modules on each website to their latest versions

  3. Addressing any vulnerabilities identified in the Drupal security report

  4. Resolving errors or warnings highlighted by the Drupal status report

  5. Conducting comprehensive regression testing to ensure key functionalities like form submissions and internal search operated flawlessly post-upgrade

For the site closest to the upgrade threshold, Salsa quickly addressed a limited number of non-compatible modules with Drupal 10-ready updates or patches, ensuring a smooth upgrade process.

The second site underwent a more comprehensive upgrade due to its reliance on Bootstrap 5 and various custom modules. Before tackling Drupal 10, it was first transitioned to Drupal 9.5 and PHP 8.1.

For the third site, given its use of premium themes and modules, Salsa recommended procuring upgraded, Drupal 10-compatible versions from the vendors to streamline the process. Where this wasn't feasible, Salsa approached the upgrade adhering to Drupal 9-to-10 best practices, committing to exhaustive testing to ensure full functionality.

Throughout the process, Salsa worked closely with the agency's in-house developer, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption to the websites’ operations.

By following these best practices, Salsa was able to complete the website upgrade for these sites well under the proposed budget. This then led the agency to request an upgrade for an additional site, bringing the total number of sites upgraded to four.

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The outcomes — modernised, secure and efficient websites

The transformation led to several positive outcomes for the federal agency:

  1. Modernised websites: All four sites were successfully upgraded to Drupal 10, ensuring they remain current and supported.

  2. Enhanced security: The websites' security was significantly improved by addressing vulnerabilities and updating to the latest versions of Drupal and PHP.

  3. Improved performance: The upgrades resulted in more efficient websites, enhancing the overall user experience.

  4. Future-proofed systems: The upgrades ensure the websites are well-positioned for future enhancements and continued support.

  5. Seamless transition: Despite the complexity of the upgrades — particularly for the sites with custom modules and premium themes — the transition was managed with minimal disruption to the agency's operations.

  6. Maintained functionality: Comprehensive testing ensured that all key functionalities, including form submissions and internal search, continued to operate flawlessly post-upgrade.

  7. Cost-effective upgrades: By leveraging Salsa's expertise in Drupal upgrades and experience with government websites, the agency successfully modernised its digital presence, ensuring its websites remain secure, efficient, and ready to serve its users effectively.

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Why Drupal was chosen

These four websites were already on Drupal but the sites needed to be upgraded to the latest version, Drupal 10. 

Technical Specifications

Drupal version:

Why these modules/theme/distribution were chosen

These modules, themes, and configurations were not selected as part of a new build but inherited from the existing Drupal 9 websites. The upgrade exercise focused on bringing the current implementation up to Drupal 10 standards. The websites were built on native Drupal rather than a distribution, and all core components — including a number of custom modules — were already in place. As part of the upgrade, these custom modules were updated for compatibility, and the site’s custom theme — built as a child theme of Bootstrap 5 — was also reviewed and modernised where necessary to ensure a seamless transition to Drupal 10.