En este artículo
Migrating Govimentum is not just about updating a single module. The right path depends on the Drupal version, the distribution's components, custom code, the content model, and each entity's integrations. The goal must be reaching a supported foundation without losing URLs, information, editorial traceability, or GOV.CO requirements.
Govimentum was an initiative of Bogotá's Alta Consejería Distrital de TIC to make it easier to build public portals on Drupal. That's why two installations with the same origin may have evolved differently. Before estimating anything, you need to inventory the actual site.
Upgrade or Migration?
| Current state | Typical path | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Modern Drupal with compatible modules | Progressive core and dependency updates | Compatibility of custom code and configuration |
| Drupal 8 or 9 with technical debt | Staged modernization and retirement of obsolete modules | Accumulating changes without a verifiable baseline |
| Drupal 7 or legacy distribution | Migration to a new site on a supported version | Mapping content, files, users, aliases, and integrations |
1. Technical and Editorial Inventory
We record the Drupal and PHP version, contributed and custom modules, themes, content types, taxonomies, files, users, cron, search, forms, analytics, and integrations. We also identify which functions are still needed. Migrating code without validating its usefulness just carries the debt over to the new platform.
2. Target Architecture
We define the supported Drupal version, hosting, caching strategy, search engine, environments, deployment, and observability. Visual components are compared against the GOV.CO design system and the entity's accessibility needs. When there is an integration with Java, Solr, identity services, or other systems, contracts and owners are documented.
3. Data Mapping and Migration
Drupal's Migrate API lets us model sources, transformations, and destinations. Every migration must be repeatable in a clean environment. We test counts and content samples, relationships, media, dates, authors, and publication states. Files aren't considered complete until their existence and accessibility are verified at the destination.
4. SEO Preservation
- Keep useful aliases or create one-to-one 301 redirects.
- Avoid redirect chains and loops.
- Review titles, descriptions, canonical tags, robots, and sitemap.
- Validate internal links, documents, and images.
- Compare indexed pages and errors before and after the change.
5. Testing, Security, and Go-Live
We run several test migrations with recent data, measure duration and editorial freeze time, and agree on a rollback plan. Testing covers permissions, forms, search, accessibility, performance, headers, and critical routes on desktop and mobile. After cutover, we monitor logs, 404 errors, indexing, and business metrics.
What a Migration Project Should Deliver
Beyond the site itself, the entity needs a record of decisions, a migration map, testing evidence, a deployment and rollback procedure, and a clear list of pending items. This reduces dependency on specific people and makes future maintenance easier.
See the information on Govimentum at Gobierno Abierto de Bogotá, the official Migrate API documentation, and the Drupal upgrade guide.
Need to assess a Govimentum installation?
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