BreadcrumbHomeResourcesBlog PHP Upgrades: How To Plan and Execute Your Next Upgrade August 26, 2024 PHP Upgrades: How to Plan and Execute Your Next UpgradeMigrationPHP DevelopmentBy Adam HessEven though new PHP releases include improved security provisions and an exciting mix of new features, many developers dread starting the process to upgrade PHP. And, with PHP versions only community supported for four years, teams need to upgrade PHP versions frequently – or face the reality of deploying unsupported versions.In this blog, I look at some of the benefits and challenges involved with upgrading PHP. I then walk through the basics of how to update PHP to make the process as streamlined as possible, providing tips and expert advice along the way to simplify your next PHP upgrade.Table of ContentsWhat Are the Benefits of a PHP Upgrade?What Are the Key Challenges of a PHP Upgrade?How to Update PHP VersionsFinal ThoughtsAdditional ResourcesTable of Contents1 - What Are the Benefits of a PHP Upgrade?2 - What Are the Key Challenges of a PHP Upgrade?3 - How to Update PHP Versions4 - Final Thoughts5 - Additional ResourcesBack to topWhat Are the Benefits of a PHP Upgrade?Working to upgrade PHP brings many benefits to your web application. These advantages include improved security, newer capabilities, community and long-term support options, and much more.PHP Upgrade Benefit 1: Improved PerformanceMost new PHP releases include significant jumps in application performance. These performance gains can translate into faster response times for users and improved service levels. In addition, application performance gains can sometimes make significant hardware consolidation possible, which can result in thousands of dollars of monthly savings.PHP Upgrade Benefit 2: Improved SecurityAs with all languages, updated versions of PHP bring updates to security. New CVEs are found over time, and defenses to these are incorporated into updates. Failure to maintain a current PHP version means missing out on defenses against new CVEs as they are uncovered.This isn't for PHP only, but related libraries. The libraries and tools we use in the PHP environment are also tied to PHP versions and generally require a supported version of PHP to be updated. Sticking with an outdated version of PHP can expose your system to numerous security vulnerabilities beyond those expressly in PHP itself.PHP Upgrade Benefit 3: Active Community SupportThis aspect ties into what we just discussed about PHP's interactions with different libraries and tools. Each library and tool will only maintain compatibility with select versions of PHP. An example of a common package is the Symfony Filesystem. The current version (7.1.2) only supports PHP 8.2 and above. While PHP 8.1 will continue receiving updates through the end of 2025, some package maintainers are only focusing on PHP versions in active support. Additionally, new and exciting tools and updates are usually only designed with the current and community supported versions of PHP in mind.Visit the PHP Version HubFor more information on the most updated PHP versions, be sure to check out the Zend PHP Version Hub. It includes resources discussing various PHP versions and the benefits they can bring your organization.Learn More About PHP VersionsBack to topWhat Are the Key Challenges of a PHP Upgrade?Typically, the biggest challenges people face with a PHP upgrade relate to justification, planning, and cost. It’s not unusual for PHP applications to have several million lines of code, and the scope of manually upgrading PHP versions to a new release can be daunting, especially when it comes to scheduling updates around an already busy schedule. PHP Upgrade Challenge 1: Developer Time and Skill SetUpgrading an application to a newer version of PHP simply takes a lot of time. It requires developers to comb through the application and replace or alter working code to make it compatible with the upgraded PHP version. This can be more complicated as it sounds, as updating PHP can open all sorts of closets full of skeletons. Those dangerous parts of the code that are very complex? Changing them can lead to a number of side effects.For larger applications, you will require skilled PHP developers to understand exactly what is happening before a change is made. If your developers are unfamiliar with the code or PHP, you may experience extreme unintended consequences. This includes increasingly troublesome time constraints due to poorly documented code.PHP Upgrade Challenge 2: Web Application Downtime During MigrationAs with any update, major PHP upgrades to new versions will require a period of system downtime. This can be avoided through the use of multiple web servers behind a load balancer. Your amount of downtime will vary depending on how your system is set up.PHP Upgrade Challenge 3: Preparing for Potential PitfallsChanging code can always lead to the introduction of new bugs. Some changes to prepare for with a PHP upgrade might simply be a direct replacement of a deprecated function, while others are more complex.Adjusting your code base for a PHP version upgrade can require changes that are not limited to a certain portion of the code base. While these risks can be mitigated with appropriate testing and time, therein lies the issue - time. While your developers are preparing for the PHP upgrade, they are not working on other known issues or developing new features. Thus project management needs to prepare expectations for development time dedicated to neither features nor issue resolutions. Need Help on Your PHP Upgrade or Migration?Stay compliant and supported with expert PHP migration and upgrade support from Zend. Boost performance, minimize costs, and improve user experience with help from our PHP professionals.Discover Migration ServicesBack to topHow to Update PHP VersionsEach version of PHP is only under active development for two years before it drops to only security fixes for an additional two years. Given this fast lifecycle, PHP teams are tasked with upgrading and migrating to the latest PHP version more often than ever before. To help make the transition as smooth as possible, we've compiled this list of tips for how to upgrade PHP versions.Plan ExtensivelyThere are two things I always stress when it comes to planning a PHP upgrade:Schedule Extensive Tests - Testing goes alongside migration success. Be sure to fully test your application using a variety of PHP testing techniques.Migrate Code in Small Sprints - Break your migration into small sprints for better results.To help make your migration planning a success, we have assembled a free white paper. It details the best practices teams need to consider when planning and executing PHP upgrades and migrations.Download Your Free Copy >>Complete Application Testing in a Staging EnvironmentIs testing a necessary step to update PHP? Yes, it is extremely necessary. Any change to your PHP application should always go through the testing process, including but not limited to unit tests, integration testing, and end-to-end testing. A strong QA and testing environment is necessary for trouble-free deployments.Testing becomes more feasible if you do it as you make changes. Waiting to run all your tests until you are done with your code migration will make it much more difficult and time-consuming to pinpoint issues and their causes. I recommend making one change, and then testing it. Repeat this cycle until the upgrade is complete.Update PHP Packages and LibrariesA PHP upgrade to a more current version may require updates to many of the packages and libraries your applications uses. Some might simply not work with the newer version, as they are coded to only work for specific versions of PHP.Planning ahead is essential as you might run into instances where a package you are using is not supported anymore and cannot be upgraded to a newer version. Proper planning will identify the situations where replacement of the library will be required.Update PHP Versions GraduallyIf the application being upgraded is many versions behind, a common and safe technique is to do a series of smaller jumps. Moving from PHP 5.6 to PHP 8.3 all at once would be a huge change, and the larger the change, the more opportunities there are for both bugs and problems to arise.Gradual updating will also give you better control over time and cost. The complexity and time commitment for each update is smaller, and the opportunity for disruptions to occur is lessened with smaller changes.Back to topFinal ThoughtsThere is no one-size-fits-all answer for the best way to plan and execute your next PHP upgrade, as exact requirements and steps will vary depending on the needs of your application, your developer team's skill sets, and many other factors. One solution is to partner with a team of PHP migration experts, such as Zend. We offer a full suite of professional services designed to guide you through how to upgrade PHP versions and offer consultation services and ongoing support throughout your migration process. Our experienced professionals work with your cadences, processes, tools, and teams to ensure no detail is missed, help you consolidate infrastructure, and much more.Plan Your PHP Upgrade With Zend Professional ServicesWhen it's time to carry out your PHP upgrade, Zend is here to help. Discover your best option today with help from our expert team.Explore Professional Services Talk With an ExpertNote: This blog was originally published February 21, 2020, and has been expanded to include updated information.Back to topAdditional ResourcesWebinar - Modernizing Legacy Web Apps: Strategies For a Seamless JourneyWebinar - Are CMS Ecosystems Keeping Pace With PHP?White Paper - Planning Your Next PHP MigrationBlog - How to Build a Backup and Recovery Plan for PHP AppsBlog - How to Migrate Zend Server to ZendPHPBlog - PHP Migrations: When Is Migrating PHP Versions the Right Choice?Blog - The DevOps Approach to Updating PHPBlog - An Easier Way to Upgrade PHP and Secure Your AppsBack to top
Adam Hess Technical Support Engineer, Zend by Perforce Adam Hess is a full-time technical support engineer for Zend by Perforce. He has many years of experience developing with php (v4 through v8), and a variety of php frameworks like Zend Framework, Cake, and Symphony. He has also worked with a variety of other programming languages and frameworks - including Python, Django, ViewJs, and other Javascript.