A Lifecycle Approach to Configuration Workflows [NEDCamp 2017]

A Lifecycle Approach to Configuration Workflows will show watchers how Drupal empowers users to build complex site structures and relationships directly in the administrative user interface. In Drupal 7, the Features module was repurposed to manage site configuration deployments across environments. This developer-oriented workflow is now built into Drupal 8 core. But for small to medium-scale projects, strict configuration-based deployment workflows can be cumbersome and require substantial development expertise. So, how do we ensure the benefits of versioned config management after the original developers have moved on to greener pastures?

Fortunately, the configuration system is flexible and supports a wide range of workflows. A database UI-driven workflow is well-suited to rapid site prototyping and content modeling. A config-git-driven workflow pays dividends when scaling up the development team and performing automated tests. A live production site has a wide range of options for balancing rapid delivery with version control. Identifying and communicating the phase of work in a project’s life cycle and shifting workflows accordingly will improve development productivity and increase the diversity of contributors on a project.

Key Concepts:

• History of configuration management

• Competitive pressure within the CMS industry

• Enterprises and Drupal

• Configuration management in version control

• Tricycle manifesto: build - prototype - build - maintain

• Best practices

A Lifecycle Approach to Configuration Workflows