The final step in planning to move a website to the University's Drupal service is to schedule the content migration. Steps for scheduling a move from external content management systems to Drupal are below.
Process
Prioritize Pre-Launch Work
Typically, when a site is moved to the Drupal service there is more work to do than can be completed before a launch date. Tasks that are required before the site can be launched should be identified and tracked. A ticket management system is useful for tracking tasks with milestones, but is not required.
Identify Post-Launch Work
Some tasks are not required for launch, but still need to be completed. Identify and track these tasks separately from the pre-launch tasks.
Schedule Migration
All of the above tasks can be completed prior to scheduling the migration. It is a significant amount of work, particularly if your site design needs an upgrade.
You can use the Migrate module in Drupal to help with importing content from other sources.
Once content is migrated into your new Drupal site, then you can focus on completing the pre-launch tasks and launching the site.
Make DNS Changes
Site owners should submit Drupal Support Request form to request necessary DNS changes.
Typical Schedule
A typical schedule from top-to-bottom is displayed below. Tasks may take more than one week to complete, obviously, and tasks may overlap, assuming more than one person is helping with the move to the Drupal service.
An estimate for each task, assuming one person is working on it, is provided in parentheses at the end of each task.
Part 1
- Request a Drupal site.
- Review the current functionality provided by the Drupal service (1 week).
- Review the site's current design (1 week).
- Document all of the business logic and functionality of the current site (1 week).
Part 2
- Identify requirements that need additional work once the site is migrated to the Drupal service (1 week).
- Complete the Content Audit Worksheet (3 weeks).
- Prepare for the move to a responsive design (2-6 weeks).
Part 3
- Update your governance plan (1 week).
Part 4
- Review the Migration Workflow (1 week).
- Prioritize work that should be completed pre-launch (1 week).
- Identify additional work that can be completed post-launch (1 week).
Part 5
- Schedule Migration (1-2 weeks).
- Review Imported Content in Drupal (2-4 weeks).
- Complete Pre-launch tasks (1-4 weeks).
- Launch Site!