Create a backup of your Drupal Website

Before starting your migration from Drupal to WordPress, it’s important to do a backup to secure your content and avoid any data loss during the process. Creating a backup of your Drupal site is crucial to minimize downtime if any issues arise during the migration process. Be sure to make secure copies on external storage, and keep an off-site backup for added security. 

A Drupal CMS backup involves three key components: the database, the root directory, and media files.

1. Backup the database

Your Drupal database contains essential information such as content, configurations, user data, settings, and log history. To back it up, you can use tools like phpMyAdmin or command-line options like MySQL dump to create a compressed .sql file.

2. Backup the Drupal root directory

The root directory includes core files, module directories, themes, and custom code libraries. Follow these steps to back it up:

• Access your server through an FTP client or your hosting control panel.
• Navigate to the directory where your Drupal site is installed.
• Download all files and folders from this directory to your computer.
• Store this backup securely on an external hard drive and a reliable cloud storage service.

3. Backup media files

Media files are typically located in the sites/default/files directory. To back these up:

• Access your server via SFTP or SSH.
• Download the media files directory to your local machine using tools like FileZilla or terminal commands like scp or rsync.
• For extra protection, consider making an additional backup of your media files using a Digital Asset Management (DAM) service or cloud storage like Amazon S3. This is particularly beneficial if you have a large collection of media files, as it adds an extra layer of security.

Backup components and security best practices

Data loss can be a major concern during a CMS migration.  While creating backups, ensure you include the entire file system—this means themes, modules, uploaded content, and configuration files. To safeguard your code, consider using version control systems like GitHub. 

Start with a full backup before the Drupal to WordPress migration, and schedule incremental backups to capture any ongoing changes. Establish a retention policy, such as maintaining daily backups for a week and weekly backups for a month.

It’s essential to regularly test your backups by restoring them in a staging environment to confirm their integrity. Document the process for easy reference by your team. For added security, encrypt sensitive data within your backups.

Always store backups in a location separate from your live site, clearly labeling them with the date and version information. Regularly verify your backups to ensure they are current and reliable.