How to Migrate Your Magento 1.X Store to Magento 2.X

Magento migration from 1.x to 2.x is essential for the Magento merchants who want to sustain and grow in future. However, the migration process is not easier job that anyone can do it. It needs the assistance of migration experts, and the current post is illustrating how to do it with the desired success.

You have a Magento online storefront for your eCommerce. It is the best platform to run a successful eCommerce business out of several eCommerce platforms prevailing in the market.

Why Should You Migrate from Magento 1.x version to Magento 2.x version?

Unlike fading eCommerce platforms such as OsCommerce, Magento is not retaining much backward version compatibility. Therefore, Magento platform will withdraw its critical supports for previous versions of Magento 1.x at the end of 2018.

It is because it has released the improved, contemporary, and feature-rich next series of Magento 2.x versions. It means your Magento 1.x stores have a very short future to operate it on the web after 2018.

It is the solid reason for that Magento developer, Magento development companies, and Magento consultants are advising all Magento eCommerce merchants to upgrade their Magento 1.x versions to Magento 2.x versions.

Apart from the futuristic vision, Magento 2.x versions offer additional advantages, such as

• Enhanced performance
• The excellent user experiences (UX)
• Easy to use
• Easy to maintain
• Better front-end and back-end with more native features that cut the needs of more extensions than you should have in previous versions
• Mobile-friendly, touch-friendly, and responsive UIs
• Innovative and augmented functionality
• Compatible with self-hosting and PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service)

How to Migrate from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x?

When the Magento merchants make up their minds to migrate from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x version, they leave it to Magento developers who are Magento migration experts.

Therefore, it becomes the sole job of Magento developers or a Magento Development Company with a good reputation in the market like Magneto IT Solutions has. Now, let’s see what Magento migration consultants advise you to do smooth and quick Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x migration.

Prerequisites of Magento Migration

Migration is a critical process where thepossibility of the loss of data or components remains. Therefore, as a precautionary step, you must take early backup of the Magento 1.x store and its databases.

• Take server-side backup as well as client-side backup on your local network/machine for dual security.
• Place Magento store in maintenance mode and stop all activities until the migration process is finishing successfully.

Migrate Magento Components

There are few things to consider during Magento migration process, and those are

1. Magento Server Migration (Upgrade it if needed)
2. Magento Data Migration by installing data migration tool
3. Magento Theme Migration
4. Magento Extension and Other Component Migration
5. Magento Code Customization

Let’s check each component one-by-one.

Magento Server Needs for Migration

Ecommerce websites running on the web servers, and server architecture compatibility becomes a big issue when we think of the Magento ecommerce migration. To know it, we must have prior knowledge of the server configuration for our existing Magento 1.x store and prescribed server configuration needs for the Magento 2.x stores.

The following are prerequisites/standards for server configuration for Magento 2.x versions according to Magento DevCocs.

Matching server configuration for Magento hosting ensures high availability, reliability, performance, scalability, and simplicity in administration during and after the migration. Thus, it cut the server or hosting related issues upfront.

Magento Data Migration

Magento eCommerce stores have a number of products with tons of product attributes in its databases including product names, size, color, categories as well as other critical data like store configuration and settings.

For the successful data migration, Magento developers use Data Migration Tool using Composer. DMT is a CLI for shifting data from Magento 1.x to 2.x store. DMT helps developers to operate the tool in three modes of operations such as:

• In migration of store configuration
• In database migration
• In transition of incremental data

Remember you should install the exact data migration tool according to the Magento 2.x version that you have downloaded.

The following code helps you to install DMT.

Another requirement for running Composer is authentication key you have obtained from the Magento marketplace using your registered account.

After the installation of Data Migration Tool, Magento developer has to configure it by creating configuration (XML) file in a relevant directory.

Data Migration Tool also migrate Magento settings from Magento 1.x to Magento 2.x. Those settings include stores and system configurations such as tax, payment, shipping, and so on.

However, database migration can create issues with database table matching. It is because Magento

2.x database some columns or rows missing that need to add those to make it compatible with the previous version of Magento 1.x.It is possible using EAV step in config.xml file customization.

Migrating Media

Today, most of the Magento stores have multimedia components including product images, audio and video files. During migration, it needs to copy the media files from Magento 1 store and paste on Magento 2 store matching all settings and attributes attached to it.

Magento Theme Migration

Unlike Magento 1.x themes, Magento 2.x themes are responsive in nature to make it mobile-friendly by introducing the latest methodologies and technologies. Remember developer cannot directly migrate from Magento 1.x theme to Magento 2.x theme.

It needs the creation of custom theme in Magento 2 or installs a ready to use Magento 2.x theme from the marketplace and avoid many hassles.

Magento Extension Migration

Despite a lot of efforts to extend the features and functionality in Magento 2.x versions, some extensions still need to install or migrate from previous versions checking the compatibility issues.

For third-party extension, Magento developers have to take help from vendors or agencies/teams who have developed those and migrating or buying new extensions from the marketplaces.

Magento Code Customization

It is true that when Magento 1.x stores have some custom code, it may create compatibility issues and render the store obsolete. Therefore, Magento migration experts use Code Migration Toolkit to mitigate the structural differences persisting between two platforms.

Now, it is time to restore the Magento store from the maintenance mode by flushing the catch and resume the indexing. Use the following code in CLI.

Conclusion:

Now, you have experienced the complexities involved in the Magento migration process. Therefore, it is imperative to hire an expert Magento developer or a company with a decent record.