Upgrading your Magento system is a critical step to keep your e-commerce store secure, efficient, and feature-rich. It is, however, an endeavor that should be approached with thorough planning and rigorous procedures that ensure nothing is broken or lost in the process.

Even when deciding to outsource a Magento migration project, you will have to collaborate and communicate extensively with your partner agency to make the move smoothly. In this article, we will guide you through the different scopes of Magento migrations and tips that will help you tackle a Magento system upgrade successfully.

What are the Different Types of Magento Upgrades?

Magento (Adobe Commerce) system upgrades can be classified according to Adobe’s semantic versioning:

• Major Release: Upgrading from Magento 1 to Magento 2 involves significant changes and is akin to re-platforming.
• Minor Release: Upgrading from Magento 2.3.x to 2.4.x introduces new features and improvements but can include code-breaking changes.
• Patch Release: Upgrading from 2.4.6 to 2.4.7 addresses bugs and security issues without major changes.
• Other Releases: Adobe may release security patches (e.g., 2.4.5-p1), beta patches (e.g., 2.4.7-beta2), and various hotfixes.

Understanding these types of upgrades helps set the stage for planning and managing the scope of your project. A knowledgeable Adobe-certified partner will review the release notes of the target version, providing clarity on the technical changes and time estimation required for the project.

Check out TMO’s Customer Portfolio for successful Magento & Adobe Commerce implementations, system upgrades, and optimization.

Tips for Ensuring a Smooth Magento Migration

1. A Discovery Phase Will Clarify the Project's Scope

Before initiating the Magento upgrade, it’s beneficial to include a discovery phase. This phase helps manage time expectations and provides a more accurate estimation by diving into your existing Magento implementation to identify potential challenges.

• Assess Customizations: Identify if previous customizations by different agencies might require reworking.
• Evaluate Extensions: Determine if existing marketplace extensions are compatible with the new version.
• Collaborate with Your Partner Agency: Provide details about past work and the current environment to facilitate the process.

2. Reviewing Your Current Setup will help anticipate any potential fallbacks

A thorough review of your current setup is crucial for a smooth upgrade:

• Document Data Types: Ensure all content, customers, products, pricing, inventory, and orders are documented for migration.
• Identify Customizations and Extensions: List must-have customizations and extensions currently in use.
• System Integrations: Review integrations needed for payment processing, order management, PIM, ERP, CRM, marketing, and analytics.
• Compatibility Check: Verify compatibility between your target Magento version and existing themes, extensions, and server capabilities.
• Benchmark Metrics: Record your current metrics and KPIs to measure post-upgrade performance.

3. Creating a Full-System Backup is always the norm

Creating a full system backup is a crucial step before performing any major upgrade or changes to your Magento installation.

• Database: The database contains all your store’s data, including products, customer information, orders, and configuration settings.
• Media Folder: All images and media files used in your store.
• Custom Code and Configuration: This includes all custom themes, extensions, and configuration files.
• Document the Backup Process: Keep detailed documentation of your backup process, including steps, schedules, and locations of backups, commands used, and any other relevant information.

4. Plan Deployment and Timelines

Effective planning and coordination are key to a successful upgrade:

• Assign a Project Manager: Designate a person responsible for communicating and coordinating with the agency handling the upgrade.
• Define Timeline and Milestones: Establish a timeline for implementation and set project milestones.
• Communication Plan: Develop internal and external communication or training plans to minimize disruptions and inform stakeholders about potential downtime or workflow changes.
• Roll-Back Plan: Create a contingency plan in case of migration issues.
• Timing: Schedule the upgrade considering scope, seasonality, and resource availability.

5. Provide Access Credentials

Ensure you have documented the necessary access credentials and shared with the external agency if outsourcing the project to avoid idle times:

• Magento Admin Panel
• FTP/SSH Server Access
• Database System (e.g. MySQL)
• Server Log and Configuration Files

6. Be Aware of Downtime

During the upgrading process, your store will be set into maintenance to prevent interference from asynchronous processes such as consumer queues that may cause data corruption.

Consider migrating to a staging environment first will ensure we can help you identify potential issues before going live, effectively reducing downtime.

7. Post-Deployment Activities

Post-deployment activities are vital for ensuring everything functions as expected:

• Standardize Metrics: Update your new metrics and KPIs.
• Test Functionalities: Thoroughly test all functionalities, including navigation, transactions, and links.
• Customer Feedback: Pay attention to customer feedback to address any issues quickly.

Simplifying Your Magento Migration with TMO’s Adobe-Certified Team

Upgrading your Magento system can be complex, and these are some precautions that a good Adobe-certified partner agency should follow. TMO’s team is equipped to handle all aspects of the upgrade, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum performance enhancement when helping you upgrade your Magento system version.

Ready to upgrade your Magento system? Contact us today to discuss your needs and let our team guide you to a successful upgrade.