Introduction
San Francisco Bay Ferry, managed by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), plays a pivotal role in public transit, serving nearly 1.8 million riders annually. When faced with critical challenges involving their Drupal 8 multisite website, Pantheon suggested Molly Duggan Associates Creative Technology Agency to navigate the complexities of migration, separation, and upgrade the WETA digital assets.
WebOps Support
Molly Duggan Influence
Site speed increase
Days to migrate, separate a multisite, and upgrade to Drupal 9
The Challenge: Migrate, Separate, Upgrade
San Francisco Bay Ferry, managed by the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), operates as a vital public transit passenger ferry service, catering to nearly 1.8 million riders annually. The motivation behind the website upgrade was driven by the impending sunset of Drupal 8, the content management system that powered their multisite platform. This upgrade became imperative due to a combination of challenges, such as an inefficient load balancing tool, the absence of an integrated dev-test-live environment, and the fact that their hosting platform, Rackspace, was phasing out support for Drupal. Given the urgency of the situation, WETA faced a 30-day deadline to enhance their critical digital business web assets and successfully transition to a more sustainable and future-proof solution.
Thanks to Molly Duggan, we were able to upgrade our digital business web assets in record time, without sacrificing quality. Their expertise and agile team made the process smooth and stress-free.
The Solution: Two websites are better than one
To address WETA’s challenges, Molly Duggan Associates stepped in with their expertise in Drupal migrations, support, and upgrades. WETA was already in discussions with moving the websites to Pantheon. However, in order to move to the Pantheon platform, they had to separate the multisite. The agency proposed separating the Drupal 8 multisite website into two distinct websites and upgrading both to Drupal 9 and upgrading to composer-managed Drupal 9 website(s).
The project presented technical hurdles, particularly the task of separating the multisite into two functional websites while seamlessly upgrading to Drupal 9. Molly Duggan’s profound Drupal knowledge enabled them to overcome these challenges, offering creative solutions that met WETA’s unique needs.
Results: Completed in just 8 days
The team at Molly Duggan accomplished the entire project within 8-days, well ahead of WETA’s initial 30-day target. This efficient execution allowed WETA ample time to review the new sites and ensure they aligned with their requirements. By transitioning to Pantheon, a containerized solution, WETA now enjoys heightened availability and scalability during peak traffic periods. Furthermore, the agency established a robust support structure for disaster response, reinforced by reliable customer service. Automation tools were seamlessly integrated, affording WETA the luxury of concentrating on strategic initiatives and enabling a smooth, stress-free go-live experience.
Molly Duggan’s Drupal expertise, agile team, and 24-hour operation allowed them to complete the project in record time. The agency takes pride in delivering projects ahead of schedule and exceeding their clients’ expectations.
Overcoming technical challenges
- Hosting Platform Phasing Out Drupal: The agency addressed this issue by migrating the Drupal 8 multisite website to Pantheon, a hosting platform that supports Drupal 9.
- Inefficient Load Balancing Tool: The agency separated the multisite into two websites, which allowed them to maximize Drupal capabilities and improve load balancing efficiency.
- Lack of Dev-Test-Live Environment or CDN: The agency implemented a clear support structure for disaster response and established reliable customer service. Automation tools were installed to provide more time for WETA to focus on strategic projects.
- Separating the Multisite into Two Websites: Separating the multisite into two websites was a significant technical challenge that the agency overcame with their Drupal expertise.
A successful upgrade
Molly Duggan successfully upgraded WETA’s critical digital business web assets in a short timeframe, which was crucial for a public transit agency that serves nearly 1.8 million riders per year. The agency addressed several technical challenges and delivered a containerized solution that offered increased availability and scalability. WETA now benefits from reliable customer service and automation tools that provide more time to focus on strategic projects.
If you’re facing similar challenges with your digital business web assets, contact Molly Duggan today. Our team of experts can help you overcome any technical hurdles and deliver the solutions you need to succeed. Don’t wait to upgrade your Drupal website – contact us now to learn more.
