How to Migrate and Sync Drupal Sites with Drush

Migrating and syncing Drupal sites can seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and techniques, it can be a streamlined process. One of the most powerful tools at your disposal is Drush, the command-line shell and scripting interface for Drupal. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the steps to effectively migrate and sync your Drupal sites using Drush, making this process not only efficient but also enjoyable.

What is Drush?

Drush (Drupal Shell) is a command-line interface that allows developers and site administrators to interact with their Drupal sites directly from the terminal. It provides a wide array of commands that can simplify tasks such as updating modules, clearing caches, and, notably, migrating and syncing sites. If you’re not already using Drush, we highly recommend getting familiar with it to enhance your Drupal workflow.

Why Migrate and Sync Drupal Sites?

There are several reasons you might want to migrate or sync Drupal sites:

1. Development to Production: Moving your site from a local or staging environment to a live server.
2. Backup: Creating a reliable backup of your site.
3. Version Control: Keeping your staging site in sync with production for testing.
4. Content Migration: Moving content from one Drupal site to another.

Whatever your reason, Drush makes it easier to manage your site migrations and syncing.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the migration process, ensure you have:

• Drush installed on your local machine and the server.
• SSH access to your Drupal sites.
• Backup of your database and files (always a good practice before any migration).
• Familiarity with basic command-line operations.

Step-by-Step Guide to Migrate and Sync Drupal Sites with Drush

Step 1: Export the Database

To start, you’ll want to export your database from the source site. This can be done using Drush by executing the following command:

drush sql-dump --result-file=../backup/db_backup.sql

This command creates a SQL dump of your database and saves it in a specified location.

Step 2: Transfer Files

If you have specific files (like images, documents, etc.) that need to be transferred, you can use rsync for efficient syncing. Here’s an example command:

rsync -avz /path/to/source/sites/default/files/ user@destination:/path/to/destination/sites/default/files/

Make sure to replace the paths and user accordingly.

Step 3: Import the Database

Now, move to your target site (the destination where you want to migrate the database) and import the SQL dump with Drush:

drush sql-cli < ../backup/db_backup.sql

This command will populate your destination database with the data from your source site.

Step 4: Sync Configuration

If you’ve made any configuration changes on the source site that you want to apply to the destination, use the configuration management features of Drush:

drush config-export --destination=../backup/config_backup

Then, on the destination site:

drush config-import --sync=../backup/config_backup

This ensures that any configuration settings from your source site are replicated on the destination site.

Step 5: Clear Caches

After importing the database and configurations, it’s crucial to clear the caches to ensure that the site operates smoothly:

drush cr

This command will clear all caches, making sure your site reflects the changes.

Step 6: Verify the Migration

After completing the migration, it’s essential to verify that everything is working as expected. Check the following:

• Content: Ensure that all expected content is present.
• File Access: Verify that images and documents are accessible.
• Configuration: Confirm that settings and configurations are correctly applied.
• Functionality: Test key features and functionalities of your site.

Conclusion

Migrating and syncing Drupal sites with Drush can be a straightforward process when you follow these steps. By leveraging Drush, you can save time and reduce the potential for errors that often accompany manual migrations.

At Greenhost.cloud, we understand the importance of efficient workflows and strong site management. We hope this guide helps you take your Drupal site management to the next level. If you have any questions or need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out!

Happy migrating!