In preparation for your upcoming automatic migration, the following document provides an overview of the process and what to expect.

On this page:

Helpful Definitions As You Review This Documentation听

Before diving into the details, it is important to understand what some common terms mean:听

  • The Web Express team is the SRC team that will execute automatic site migrations and provide support during the migrations.听

  • The site team is the primary site owner (the person who was identified as the primary contact in the migration path form) and any of their site editors who may be assisting them with the migration. In short, if you鈥檙e reading this, you are probably part of the site team!

  • A cohort is a group of sites scheduled for a specific migration date and window. We use cohorts to create a manageable grouping of sites migrating at a given time. This aids in the ability to track, support and scale the migration of 1100+ sites.听

  • A migration window is an assigned 2 week period in which sites will undergo the migration process. We will refer to week 1 and week 2 of a migration window to explain the different phases of the process.听

  • The technical migration is the backend processing for migrating your site content and files from the current version of Drupal to the new version of Drupal.听

  • The migration review is when the site team will get access to the migrated site and have the opportunity to make changes before the site goes live.

  • An extension is the option provided for site teams to extend their migration review period. There is a limit of 3 one-week extensions per site and they must coincide within a given cohort鈥檚 migration window. They can鈥檛 be pushed or scheduled for another period of time. We will refer to extension #1, extension #2 and extension #3 of a migration review period to explain the different phases of the process.

Mark Your Calendar: Your Assigned Cohort & Migration Window

Sites submitted for an automatic migration path received their assigned cohort group and migration window听via email on July 10, 2024.听

Where to find your dates:

  1. Email Inbox:听You can search your email inbox using one of the following data points from the email:
    • By subject line: 鈥淎ttention: Migration date for colorado.edu/听 | Web Express Migration 2024鈥�
    • By date: July 10, 2024
    • By sender email:听websupport@colorado.edu
  2. Calendar Invites:听We are sending calendar invites for each cohort to mark the start of your migration window.
  3. Spreadsheet:听You can view a听听and the assigned cohort migration date.

Reschedule Options & Criteria

If your assigned migration window impacts your department/unit's business needs, you may request a reschedule.

Due to the large number of migrations and the scale of the effort, we have carefully assigned sites to specific cohort groups and dates to ensure service integrity and support.

Rescheduling is only considered for:

  • Significant business impact (e.g., application or transaction deadlines).
  • Conflict with a major event your unit is hosting.
  • The primary site manager is out and unavailable to perform the migration review.

As part of the request, we will need the contact information of your department chair/director or site team authority for approval confirmation.

How to Reschedule a Migration Window

How to Prepare

Get a head start on the new Web Express. Before your site migrates, you can explore the changes coming with the new Web Express platform.

Learn More The Web Express Changes

We've created a guide that explains the key differences in the new Web Express, built on the latest version of Drupal. This guide includes:

  • A high-level overview of what's new
  • Links to tutorials that show you how to use the new features

Review changes to Web Express

听

Training Opportunities

We want to make sure you and your team feel comfortable with the new system. Here are two ways to get hands-on training:听

  1. Training Sites:
    • What it is: A practice site of the latest Web Express version.
    • What you can do: Test features, explore the interface, and get comfortable with the new system.
    • How to access: We'll send a unique link to your website's primary contact, who can then share it with other team members. This will allow everyone to get familiar with the new platform.鈥�
    • Timing:Training sites will be created and prioritized by the cohort groupings. Websites assigned to Cohort 1 & 2 will receive training sites on July 15 & 16.
  2. Training Programs:听
    Choose your learning style:
    • Self-paced: Learn at your own speed with a comprehensive online course. (Available starting July 22)
    • Live Demo: Join a 2.5-hour instructor-led session covering the fundamentals of Web Express.听(Starting July 16th)

Explore Training Options & Dates

Planning Resources听

While we've worked hard to minimize disruption, the new system works differently, and some content adjustments will be needed.

The following resources will help you prepare for the migration review process and ensure a smooth transition for your site.

Pre-Migration Planning Session (Highly Recommended)

What is it?听We'll hold a live Zoom session (recorded for later viewing) to walk you through the migration steps, show you a preview of a migrated site, and highlight areas you might need to adjust.

Why attend?

  • Learn what to expect during the migration process.
  • See what a migrated site will look like.
  • Get tips on common adjustments needed by site managers.
  • Access tutorials and how-to guides for making changes.
  • Ask questions specific to your site.

How to attend:

  • You'll receive an email and calendar invite at least three weeks before your migration window.
  • The session will be held two weeks before your migration.

Who:听Primary site contacts will receive an email invite and can share with the site team helping with the migration review.

Can't attend live? No problem! A听recording will be available for those who can't attend live.

Create Your Migration Review Plan

What is it?听We'll provide a checklist to help you plan your review of the migrated site.

How will it help?

  • Use the checklist alongside the planning session recording to create a personalized review plan.
  • Ensure you check all important aspects of your migrated site.

What's next?听We'll provide more details about the migration review process and checklist closer to your migration date.

Migration Window Steps

Each website is assigned a specific cohort migration window. Migration windows are 2 weeks by default and the process at a high level is:听听

  1. Site lock of current site (Friday at 5p before migration): Current version of the live site will be locked from content edits to enable the technical migration process to begin.

  2. Technical Migration (Monday-Thursday): The Web Express team performs the technical migration and reviews your site's integrity post migration.

  3. Migration Review (Starts Wednesday of Week 1): Primary and secondary contacts will receive access to their migrated site on either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday morning of Week 1 to start your review and changes.

  4. Launch Day (Every Thursday): Your site will default to launch on the Thursday of the second week unless you request an extension.

Requesting Extensions:

  • Primary contacts can request up to 3 one-week extensions starting the second week of your migration window (each Wednesday by 11:00 a.m.) to extend their review window.

  • With extensions, you get up to four weeks to review and prepare your migrated site before it goes live.

  • Extensions are only provided within your cohort window and can鈥檛 be rescheduled or pushed to another time.

Important: While your migrated site is under migration review with extensions, your live site will remain locked and cannot be edited. For this reason, we recommend only requesting extensions when absolutely critical.听

Step by Step of Migration Window

  1. Site content locked for edits

    • Timing: Friday 5 p.m. MT before your window (week 0)

    • Site team action needed: No action is needed from the site team.听

    • What will happen:听The current version of the live site will be locked from content edits to enable the technical migration process to begin.

  2. Technical migration and Web Express team review

    • Timing: Beginning Monday and going through Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of week 1

    • Site team action needed: No action is needed from the site team; the current version of the site will remain locked from content edits.

    • What will happen:听

      • The Web Express team will execute the technical migration, provide an initial review of the site, and create a report for site teams to use to understand how their migration went.听

      • The Web Express team will work to provide site teams with their migrated site as early in the week as possible to give them the greatest amount of time possible to make edits before it goes live. Given the number of factors outside of our control, we can not guarantee which specific day during week 1 that we will be able to get your site to you.听

      • Once the technical migration and Web Express Team review are complete, you will receive a link to your migrated site, links to resources, as well as a migration report to help you focus your time during the site owner review.

  3. Migration Review (Site team review and edits)

    • Timing: Beginning Wednesday, Thursday or Friday of week 1 and going through Wednesday of week 2. (or extension requested for another week)

    • Site team action needed: Site teams will have this time to review their migrated site, log into it, and make edits or fixes if desired. If a site team reviews their site and is satisfied with the migration, they aren鈥檛 required to make any edits during this time.听

    • What will happen: Site owners and editors will be able to log in and make edits to their site before it goes live. They will be provided with a report of their migration that will help focus the site team鈥檚 effort on fixing things that may have not migrated well.听

  4. Migrated sites go live (or extension requested)

    • Timing:听The default is Thursday听of week 2. The site team will need to confirm ready for launch or request an extension by Wednesday at 11:00 a.m..听(Note: The exact听launch timeframe is still TBD and will be posted once confirmed with our server hosting provider.)

    • Site team action needed:听 Submit the following selection by Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. during week 2:

      • Confirm launch for Thursday; or听

      • Request Extension for review听

      • No response by 11:00 a.m. defaults to launch on Thursday

    • The launch process:听

      • The launch process starts for confirmed sites on Thursdays.听(Note: The exact听launch timeframe is still TBD and will be posted once confirmed with our server hosting provider).

      • The site team needs to听pause on edits.听(Note: The exact听launch timeframe is still TBD and will be posted once confirmed with our server hosting provider. This timing will inform the pause on edits time).听

      • The primary contact will receive a confirmation email on Friday morning; sites will open for edits again.

      • The primary contact will receive the archive site of the D7 site on Friday morning.听听

What the extension process looks like:

If you find that you have a critical need to extend your site edit period, the primary contacts can request up to 3 one-week extensions starting the second week of your migration window:

  • During Week 2 of the migration window, the site team must either:

    • Confirm the site is ready for launch, or

    • Request a 1-week extension (submit by Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.).

    • No response from the site team defaults to launching on Thursday of week 2.

  • During Extension #1 (week 3): Confirm launch or request a 2nd extension (submit by Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.).

  • During Extension #2 (week 4): Confirm launch or request a 3rd and final extension (submit by Wednesday at 11:00 a.m.).

  • During Extension #3 (week 5): The site will launch on Thursday.听No more extensions will be possible.