Action Plan for Magento 2 Platform Upgrade - A comprehensive guide

1.1. System Audit

A complete inventory of the existing system is a non-negotiable prerequisite. This audit forms the basis for all subsequent analysis and planning.

Identifying Current Magento Version

Determine the precise version and edition (Open Source or Adobe Commerce). The command line is the most reliable method:

• Command-Line (CLI): From the Magento root directory, execute:

  php bin/magento --version

• Admin Panel: The version is typically displayed in the footer of the admin panel.
• composer.json File: The root `composer.json` file specifies the installed version.

Inventory of All Modules

Upgrade complexity often stems from third-party and custom modules. Use this command to list all installed modules:

php bin/magento module:status

Documenting Third-Party Integrations

Manually audit all integrations with external systems, which are common sources of complexity. Key systems include:

• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• Product Information Management (PIM)
• Payment Gateways and services
• Shipping and Fulfillment providers
• Marketing automation platforms

1.2. Defining Target Environment Requirements

The target Magento version requires a specific set of service versions. The server infrastructure must be upgraded in lockstep with the application.

A detailed analysis of system requirements is essential, including specific versions for PHP, MySQL/MariaDB, OpenSearch, Redis, Varnish, RabbitMQ, and Composer.

Note: Actual versions must be determined from the official Adobe Commerce documentation for the specific target release.

1.3. Establishing a Production-Parity Staging Environment

All upgrade work must be performed in a dedicated staging environment that is a high-fidelity replica of the future production environment. Key characteristics include:

• Production-Parity Hardware: Same CPU, RAM, and SSD storage as production.
• Target Software Stack: The exact software versions identified for the target environment.
• Network Configuration: Mirroring production's firewalls, load balancers, and CDN.

Process for Data Synchronization

To ensure testing is performed on a realistic dataset, the production database and media files must be cloned to staging:

1. Create a backup of the production database.
2. Transfer the backup file to the staging server.
3. Import the production data into the staging database.
4. Synchronize the `pub/media` directory from production to staging.
5. Update base URLs and other environment-specific configurations in the staging database.

2.1. Mastering the Upgrade Compatibility Tool (UCT)

For Adobe Commerce projects, the Upgrade Compatibility Tool (UCT) is the centerpiece of the analysis phase. It analyzes the codebase against a target Magento version and reports on potential incompatibilities. Note that the UCT is available for Adobe Commerce instances only.

Installation and Configuration

The UCT is installed as a Composer project. Download and make it executable:

composer create-project magento/upgrade-compatibility-tool uct --repository https://repo.magento.com
chmod +x ./uct/bin/uct

Executing a Full Analysis

The primary command runs a check on all custom and third-party modules:

./uct/bin/uct upgrade:check /path/to/magento/instance --coming-version=2.4.7

Interpreting the UCT Report

The UCT report categorizes issues by severity (Critical, Error, Warning) and identifies a wide range of problems, including:

• Use of deprecated classes, methods, and constants.
• Incorrect constructor signatures or dependency injection.
• Changes in Magento's core PHP APIs.
• Breaking changes in the GraphQL schema.

Deep Dive into UCT Commands

The UCT provides several other commands for more targeted analysis:

• dbschema:diff: Compares the database schemas of two Magento versions.
• core:code:changes: Detects modifications to core Magento files.
• graphql:compare: Highlights breaking changes in GraphQL schemas.

2.2. Strategic Third-Party Module Upgrade Plan

Third-party modules are a challenging aspect of any upgrade. A systematic approach to auditing and planning their updates is essential.

Audit and Triage

For each module, check for a version compatible with the target Magento release. If no compatible version exists, a decision must be made to replace, refactor, or remove the module.

2.3. Code Refactoring and Remediation

This stage involves fixing custom code based on the analysis. Use the UCT's automated refactoring for simple fixes, but expect most issues to require manual developer intervention.

Common Remediation Examples:

• Migrating to Declarative Schema: Modern modules use `db_schema.xml` instead of legacy `InstallSchema.php` scripts.
• PHP 8.x Compatibility: Address changes in the PHP language itself, such as stricter type checking and removed features.
• Updating Deprecated Code: Replace calls to deprecated Magento classes or methods with their modern equivalents.

2.4. Leveraging AI Agents for Advanced Code Analysis

AI-powered agents and code review platforms can provide deeper, more context-aware analysis than traditional rule-based scanners. They can identify complex incompatibilities, security vulnerabilities, and performance bottlenecks, and can often suggest or automate the fixes, accelerating the remediation phase.

3.1. The Composer-Driven Upgrade Workflow

The most reliable method for upgrading is through Composer. The core workflow is as follows:

1. Enable Maintenance Mode:

   php bin/magento maintenance:enable

2. Install Composer Plugin:

   composer require magento/composer-root-update-plugin=~2.0 --no-update

3. Specify Target Version:

   composer require magento/product-community-edition=2.4.7-p1 --no-update

4. Run Composer Update:

   composer update

3.2. Post-Update Execution Commands

Once Composer finishes, a series of Magento CLI commands must be executed to finalize the upgrade:

1. Clear Generated Files:

   rm -rf var/cache/* var/page_cache/* generated/code/*

2. Upgrade Database Schema:

   php bin/magento setup:upgrade

3. Compile Code:

   php bin/magento setup:di:compile

4. Deploy Static Content:

   php bin/magento setup:static-content:deploy

5. Reindex Data:

   php bin/magento indexer:reindex

6. Flush Cache:

   php bin/magento cache:flush

7. Disable Maintenance Mode:

   php bin/magento maintenance:disable

3.3. Initial Smoke Testing and Verification

Immediately after the upgrade, perform a quick "smoke test" to catch catastrophic failures:

• Verify Version: Run `php bin/magento --version` to confirm the new version is installed.
• Frontend Check: Load the homepage, a category page, and a product page to check for obvious errors.
• Backend Check: Log in to the Magento admin panel and verify key sections are accessible.

4.1. Building an E2E Testing Suite with Playwright

End-to-end (E2E) testing automates real user journeys. Playwright is a modern tool for this, and pre-built Magento 2 testing suites can significantly accelerate the process.

Critical User Journeys to Test:

• User account creation and login.
• Product search and navigation to a PDP.
• Adding simple and configurable products to the cart.
• Full checkout process for guest and logged-in customers.
• Admin panel order verification.

4.2. Implementing Visual Regression Testing (VRT)

While E2E tests verify functionality, VRT automates the detection of unintended UI changes (e.g., broken layouts, misaligned elements). Tools like Percy or Applitools integrate with Playwright to compare screenshots against a baseline, flagging any visual discrepancies for review.

4.3. User Acceptance Testing (UAT) and Manual QA

Automated testing cannot cover every scenario. A final layer of manual testing is required:

• UAT: Business stakeholders execute test cases that mirror their daily workflows, such as managing promotions or processing returns.
• Manual QA: The QA team tests edge cases, subjective elements, and complex third-party integrations that are difficult to automate.

5.1. The Go-Live Deployment Plan

The deployment plan is a detailed script of actions. The sequence involves announcing the maintenance window, enabling maintenance mode, taking a final production backup, deploying the new codebase, running the final CLI commands, and disabling maintenance mode.

5.2. The Definitive Go-Live Checklist

A formal checklist is non-negotiable for managing the complexity of a go-live window. It should be broken down into phases:

• Pre-Flight (24h Before): Verify environment requirements, SSL certificates, credentials, and cron jobs. Perform and validate a full backup.
• During Deployment: Execute the deployment plan step-by-step.
• Post-Launch Verification: Place a test order with a live payment method, verify confirmation emails, check analytics, and monitor server logs for critical errors.

5.3. The Rollback Procedure: A Critical Safety Net

Planning for failure is essential. A well-defined rollback procedure is the ultimate safety net. The most reliable strategy is a full restoration from the backups taken immediately before deployment.

Step-by-Step Rollback Guide:

1. Re-enable maintenance mode.
2. Restore the codebase from the pre-deployment backup.
3. Restore the database from the pre-deployment backup.
4. Clear all caches.
5. Perform a quick smoke test and disable maintenance mode.

5.4. AI-Powered Post-Launch Monitoring

AI-powered log analysis agents can automate the process of monitoring for issues post-launch. They establish a baseline of normal activity and provide real-time anomaly detection, automated root cause analysis, and predictive analytics to ensure the long-term stability of the newly upgraded platform.

6.1. Breakdown of Effort by Phase

The bulk of the effort is concentrated in the preparatory and validation phases (Phase 2 and Phase 4), not the technical upgrade command itself. The investment in planning, remediation, and testing is what ensures success.

6.2. Timeline Estimation Models

Projects can be tiered by complexity:

• Small Project: Fewer than 15 third-party modules, minimal custom code, no major system integrations.
• Medium Project: 15 to 40 modules, moderate custom code, one or two major integrations.
• Large Project: Over 40 modules, extensive custom functionality, multiple deep integrations.

Based on these tiers, the following table provides a rough order of magnitude estimation for project timelines.

Note: These are planning estimates. The "Remediation" and "QA" phases have the highest potential for variance.