Overview
Background
EdWeb is based in Drupal’s version 7 (D7), which was released in 2011 and is the current production standard. There are two main sources that contribute functionality in a Drupal system: core and community contributed modules. The second source can be used as an option to develop bespoke functionality by introducing new modules. EdWeb development has progressed by exploring both of these sources to accommodate system requirements.
- Drupal 8 (D8) now has a stable production release with the current version 8.3.6 (August 2017).
- Drupal 8’s fundamental architecture is different than D7. This will affect any future system and content migration, so it is very important to evaluate the changes to be prepared of the challenges and the actions that are going to be needed to achieve the best possible results.
- Currently there is no facility to delete content from the EdWeb system. Planning for a transition to Drupal 8 would be a good time to also research detailed requirements for a full archival and deletion process. This must comply with current legislative requirements and University guidelines on data protection and retention.
After planning , this project will start in September 2017 with a visit to DrupalCon to research and investigate the technical and management options for a move to D8. The information gathered will then feed into a strategy for an implementation project the following year.
Scope
The scope of this project is to map out a strategy to allow an implementation project to develop and migrate the current EdWeb based on Drupal 7 to EdWeb V2 based on Drupal 8. This project should also complete user research to liaise with EdWeb users to identify any pain points with the current system in order to look for opportunities to improve the overall user experience.
The deliverables from this project have been prioritised using MoSCoW
- Must have - requirements that are critical to the delivery and success of this project.
- Should have - requirements are important but not critical to the success of this project
- Could have - requirements are desirable but not necessary for the delivery of this project
- Won't have - requirements agreed but will not be delivered by this project
Objectives, Deliverables, Success Criteria and Priority
| Nr. | Objective/Deliverables | Success Criteria | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 |
Implementation Strategy To deliver collection of documents that can be used by the implementation project to upgrade EdWeb from D7 to D8. |
||
| D1.1 | Conduct a big picture review of D8. Analysing what D8 offers out of the box. | Gap analysis is completed and documented | Must |
| D1.2 | Complete a module review covering our custom modules, which contrib modules are in D8 core. | All contrib modules used in EdWeb are reviewed, highlighting which modules are in D8 core and identifying modules that need replaced. All custom module are reviewed. | Must |
| D1.3 | Create the Technical Architecture Document | TAD is signed off by all technical stakeholders | Must |
| D1.4 | Review of Information Architecture (IA). |
Areas for improvement in the IA have been identified with an options appraisal for changes to the IA. The reason for the IA review is that the most heavily customised area of EdWeb is the menu structure and associated permissions. That is the area which poses the greatest challenge for any migration in terms of complexity because customisations need to be migrated to D8. An IA review that can bring EdWeb's IA closer to the way content is organised in vanilla Drupal will be a significant help. |
Must |
| D1.5 | High-level implementation plan (including resource estimate). | An implementation plan and estimation for the move to D8 is delivered and signed off by the project team | Must |
| O2 |
Opportunity and Risk Analyse and document areas of opportunity and risk. |
||
| D2.1 |
Create a Risk Log with as much detail as possible covering potential risks and threats to the upgrade as well as opportunities that the upgrade presents. For example:
|
Risk Log is created. All log entries are clearly identified as risk or opportunity with information when risk/opportunity may arise, the options for dealing with it and who will is responsible for risk/opportunity. | Must |
| O3 | Service Management Identify areas where service improvements can be achieved. | ||
| D3.1 | Review the deployment process for EdWeb and the Distribution to identify opportunities to increase efficiency (time) and reduce costs when deploying security patches and/or code updates. | Opportunities are identified and we have a clear idea if these are achievable with our structure. | Should |
| D3.2 | Analysis of the impact of any changes on the Service | Analysis completed with areas for improvement identified | Should |
Benefits
The key benefits of this project will be realised in the work to move to D8:
- Reduce risk of moving to D8 by identifying problem areas prior to implementation
- Review the Information Architecture to opportunities in D8
Project Milestones
(Please copy and paste from Milestones log)