The content system's major version at the end of the year is set for December 8, how to arrange the upgrade window for hosted sites
The content system's major version at the end of the year is set for December 8th, how should the upgrade window for the hosting site be arranged? The schedule should be divided into three layers instead of being pushed all at once to the end of the year: the current security patch is applied as it is released, major version feature upgrades are placed during business low-peak and rollbackable periods, and additional time is reserved for panel restarts and ready-to-use dependent components in the hosting environment. Mixing the three layers into one window is the most common result, which is that the security items are squeezed out during the holidays.
Split the current patch and the year-end major version open
The major version resolves the replacement of features and default themes, and the security patch resolves the publicly known defects. The rhythm of both is different: the cost of exploitation will quickly decline after the patch is released, and the longer the waiting time, the higher the risk; the major version usually allows you to choose the business off-peak period. When scheduling, first check if there are any high-risk items in the announcement, and if there are, take up a separate recent window, and do not wait until the end of the year to do it together. The content system has also had similar treatment, v3.6.6 is to fix the high-risk issues such as list sorting parameter injection and login credentials that can be forged, and such items are not worth waiting for.
What limitations do the windows of the hosted sites have
It's not just you who is queuing in the hosted environment. When deploying the site upgrade with one-click deployment of the panel, the running environment needs to be restarted, Docker image deployment needs to wait for the image to be built, and Baota panel and aaPanel also involve the switching time of PHP or Node version components. The executable method is to schedule the window during off-peak hours and reserve time for a failure rollback, don't schedule upgrades and domain name resolution adjustments, and activity launch for the same evening.
The three things that must be implemented before the upgrade
The first is to back up, and the static files should be backed up together, only backing up the database will be missing images and attachments during recovery. The second is pre-release verification: running the critical path on a copy of the same version as production, focusing on list page sorting, login, forms, and rich text content. The third is to have a clear rollback path, knowing which step to restore to and how long it will take. The easiest thing to overlook among the three is the third, many sites have backup files but have not verified the recovery time.
The publishing status of self-generated content should also be included.
Control variables within the upgrade window. Freeze the scheduling content to be published first to avoid confusion between version and content changes before and after the upgrade; No major changes are made to the formal documents on the day of the upgrade, and drafts need to be placed in draft status first, with draft links containing preview parameters that can view the effect without affecting the online version. After the upgrade is completed and checked for accuracy, the timing release rhythm is restored.
How to write the schedule table
A schedule table with only five columns: items, type (patch or major version), planned date, preconditions, and rollback method. The December 8th major version at the end of the year should be listed on a separate line. The preconditions should be clearly written when the current patch is completed and the backup has been verified. In case of window conflicts, patches should be prioritized.
Common questions
Question: Can we wait until the end of the year to upgrade all at once?Answer: It is not recommended. High-risk patches at the end of the year mean leaving the disclosed defects on the site for the entire quarter, and patches and major versions should occupy their own windows.
Question: How can we judge whether we can do it ourselves if the hosted site does not have operations and maintenance?Answer: Check if three things are ready: Can roll back to the previous version with one click, there is an available backup, and no additional configuration is required in the upgrade announcement. If one item is missing, complete it first before proceeding.
Question: What should be checked after the upgrade?Answer: First, check if the list sorting and filtering are normal, whether the backend can log in normally, and whether the Sitemap and site map files are still accessible. Then, check if there have been any changes to the static resources and image paths.