Upgrade Version of TYPO3
Upgrading of TYPO3 CMS is an uncomplicated process, yet it is necessary good planning. First step is to maintain the current environment and set up a timetable for the TYPO3 website upgrade. Two steps that follow are actual upgrades - first on development server and second on the live website.
Assert current environment
First step of the upgrade process is analysis of the current situation. These are the questions to answer:
Q : What version of TYPO3 CMS your website is utilized right now?
A : Most probably it is TYPO3 6.x or 4.x
Q : To which version do we need to upgrade?
A : Current LTS versions are TYPO3 7.6 / 8.7. LTS stands for long-term support. The choice is always the latest version but it takes more attempt to improve it.
Q : Which public extensions is your website utilize?
A : Some extensions are outdated and should be restored, some just need an upgrade and some can be removed.
Q : Are there some custom programmed extensions?
A : Most websites have some separate needs or characteristics. Developers create custom extensions to meet these needs. Such extensions are unique to your website and they need to be partially re-programmed to work on newer TYPO3 versions.
Upgrade on development server
The first point is making a development server – an exact, self-made copy of the live website. It will present as a test server for the upgrade.
Programmers are working on the development server without inhibiting the live website. After the upgrade is finished, a detailed quality commitment check is performed on the server to secure that everything is working just fine after the upgrade.
Website should work the same and look the same in the front-end after the upgrade.
Upgrade of the live website
Everything is already upgraded and tested on the server. Now fast and secure for developers to just reproduce the upgrade on the live website.
Tips and tricks
A backup should be created before upgrade of live website starts. This way, if anything goes wrong, it is easy to revert to a stable version.
Newer versions of TYPO3 CMS sometimes have different server requirements. This must be resolved before an upgrade can start.
Avoid doing upgrades and redesigns or feature changes in parallel. By doing things one by one, we reduce complexity.