How to migrate 1800 Drupal 7 sites

Migrating 1,800 Drupal 7 sites poses a significant challenge, especially for organizations like Harvard Web Publishing (HWP), which manages a diverse portfolio ranging from personal professor pages to high-traffic departmental sites. The complexity of this undertaking is magnified by the need to ensure that all functionalities, content structures, and user experiences are preserved during the transition to a newer platform.

Over a meticulous 17-month period, HWP developed a streamlined migration strategy that not only addressed the technical intricacies of moving vast amounts of data but also focused on maintaining the integrity of each site’s unique requirements. This involved creating automated workflows and employing robust testing protocols to identify and resolve potential issues before they could impact end users. By leveraging best practices in site architecture and migration techniques, HWP successfully navigated the pitfalls commonly associated with large-scale migrations.