XF 2.3 XenForo Post Upgrade Checklist?

[Vitya]

Hi.

What things must be checked to ensure correct functioning of the site after upgrading XF software?

Is there a checklist of the important front-end / back-end functionalities to check after upgrading?

Likewise, are there any specific precautions to keep in mind before upgrade (apart from backups and turning on the maintenance mode)?

Thanks

 

[beerForo]

(apart from backups and turning on the maintenance mode)?

"Maintenance mode" is not needed for upgrades. FYI.

 

[Mendalla]

I think it would depend on the release level. For x.y.z I would say an x upgrade will require tons of prep (I upgraded from 1 to 2 so been there) and testing in a dev environment, a y upgrade needs lots of testing but probably less prep, a z upgrade you should test in a dev if you can but mostly you can just take a backup and let 'er rip. But I have never put together a formal checklist for any of those, since even within each level there can be variations.

In general, though, your biggest issues with z are going to be add-ons, which do break sometimes, so test those esp. if mission critical. Checking your theme and dealing with templates that are outdated is important, too.

For y you'll want to do that and upgrade any that have new versions out. Ditto your theme(s). For 2.4, for instance, anything affecting the editor will need to be updated and tested since that's when the new editor is coming.

The x upgrades are a whole other beast and you need to look closely to see where the breaking changes are and focus on those. Hard to generalize.

 

[Vitya]

"Maintenance mode" is not needed for upgrades. FYI.

I read somewhere on this forum that XF automatically shuts the board and re-opens it once the update is finished.

However, manually closing the board (especially for critical upgrades) will provide a buffer of time to resolve possible issue(s) with functionality.

I think it would depend on the release level. For x.y.z I would say an x upgrade will require tons of prep (I upgraded from 1 to 2 so been there) and testing in a dev environment, a y upgrade needs lots of testing but probably less prep, a z upgrade you should test in a dev if you can but mostly you can just take a backup and let 'er rip. But I have never put together a formal checklist for any of those, since even within each level there can be variations.

Thank you for an insightful response.

We’re only using XF first-party add-on and a custom theme (updated by developer). So, I’d assume we have lesser work in that case?

I’m curious how do XF Cloud users manage to keep up with the pace for third-party customizations when XF is automatically updated for them.

 

[Mendalla]

We’re only using XF first-party add-on and a custom theme (updated by developer). So, I’d assume we have lesser work in that case?

Yes, first and second level updates for the first-party add-ons usually ship with the new version and have their own testing process vs. third party, which you might need to wait on. That said, I don't use them so someone else with experience might know better.

My theme is custom based on a theme by the developer I use for styling and they (Pixelexit) generally ship updates fairly quickly after a major release. For patch releases (so the z in my x.y.z), themes often don't even need patching, just possibly some merging of templates.

 

[Vitya]

Thanks. Is it also recommended to disable the addons (including official ones) before initiating the upgrade?

 

[Mendalla]

Thanks. Is it also recommended to disable the addons (including official ones) before initiating the upgrade?

Not sure about about official but third party, yes, for first and second level. I don't usually bother for third level and it has never been a problem. But since I test in a dev first, I would adjust my process based on that testing.