Upgrades: the bigger, the harder

You've probably noticed that your CiviCRM alerts will let you know now and then when there's a new version available.

So you might ask, "Do I need to take every upgrade?"

The short answer is “no.” I don't usually recommend that you do. (Upgrade strategy is a bigger topic that geeky people like to sit around and talk about while normal people are out having fun, but in general it's just not worth chasing version numbers.)

But here's something to think about:

The longer you wait, the more work that one upgrade can be.

A small upgrade, say from 5.65.1 to 5.65.2, contains very few changes. Naturally, a larger upgrade, say from 5.65.1 to 5.74.1, will include many more changes to CiviCRM’s — both in its inner workings and in its visible features.

The more changes an upgrade contains, the more you may need to deal with certain challenges, such as:

• The need to upgrade various extensions

• The need to test and modify any custom features you've built

• Configuration changes

• Training in new or different functionality

• Compatibility with your website infrastructure (PHP, MySQL, WordPress, etc.)

Usually, there's no problem, and no extra work is needed. But it's good to be aware that the chance of needing extra work will increase together with the amount of time between upgrades.

What does this mean for you?

In general, I still don't advocate taking every available upgrade. The benefits of that approach don't usually justify the effort and expense.

But when you know you have a time-sensitive security update on the horizon (as CiviCRM does right now), understanding this fact can help you be ready to perform that upgrade in a timely manner.

More on that tomorrow.

All the best,
A.