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Use Composer to resolve and test Drupal updates away from production, commit the tested composer.lock, deploy that exact lock file, and run database updates and cache rebuilds under a controlled release process. A normal Drupal database update enters maintenance mode, so a literal zero-downtime release requires infrastructure around Drupal: blue-green or rolling traffic management, health checks, and database changes that let old and new application code coexist. Drupal itself does not provide a universal zero-downtime switch.
The safest pattern is therefore a tested, repeatable release rather than running an update command on the live host. You prepare the code and dependency graph on a development or staging copy, exercise real user journeys, back up production, promote the identical build, perform required update hooks, shift traffic only after validation, and keep the previous release and database backup ready for rollback.
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What “without downtime” means for Drupal
There are two different goals that are often conflated:
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- Zero user-visible downtime: requests continue while the new release is prepared and traffic moves between application pools.
Drupal’s documented update procedure puts the site in maintenance mode while code and database updates run. That boundary matters because update hooks can alter schemas, data, caches, or plugin definitions in ways that must not be interrupted. Keeping users online during the whole operation is an infrastructure and database-design problem in addition to a Drupal problem.
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For genuine zero downtime, run a blue-green or rolling deployment: keep the current (“blue”) pool serving requests, build and test a new (“green”) pool, apply compatible schema changes, pass health checks, and shift traffic gradually. During the transition, old and new code must safely use the same database. If an update requires an incompatible schema change, schedule a maintenance window instead of claiming zero downtime.
Before changing a version: inventory and release review
Confirm how the site is managed
Inspect the repository and deployment process first. A Composer-managed Drupal project normally contains composer.json and composer.lock; the lock file records the exact dependency versions that must be promoted. Identify the Drupal major and minor version, PHP version, database engine, web server, enabled modules and themes, and whether configuration management is used.
Sites with Composer-managed third-party dependencies should not have their core or module files replaced by hand. Manual file replacement is appropriate only for a non-Composer site that has no Composer-managed third-party dependencies, and even then it is harder to reproduce and roll back.
List available updates
On the development or staging copy, run:
composer outdated "drupal/*"Review each core and contributed-module release note before selecting a version. Check PHP and Drupal compatibility, required dependency changes, update hooks, deprecated APIs, known issues, and whether a theme or another module needs changes for a new core minor release. Resolve existing errors in Drupal’s status report before adding another variable to the release.
Decide whether it is a patch, minor update, or major upgrade
A security or bug-fix patch within the supported compatibility range is usually a normal maintenance release. A core minor update can require contributed modules or themes to change. A major-version upgrade is a separate project: Drupal’s manual-update procedure is intended for the same major version, and major dependency changes normally belong in a major release unless required for security or a critical bug.
Back up for a real rollback
Before modifying production, create and test a restorable database dump and a backup of the files and code that are part of the deployed release. Drupal documents Drush commands such as:
drush sql:dumpand:
drush archive:dumpKeep the previous release directory or artifact, its matching composer.lock, and the backup identifiers together. A code-only rollback is unsafe if update hooks have changed the database; recovery may require restoring both the prior code and the corresponding database state. Record where backups are stored, who can restore them, and how long restoration takes before starting the release.
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The Composer-first release runbook
1. Resolve dependencies in development or staging
Never discover new dependency versions on the live server. For a project using drupal/core-recommended, update core with:
composer update "drupal/core-*" --with-all-dependenciesFor a contributed module, substitute its Composer package name:
composer update drupal/modulename --with-all-dependenciesUse --dry-run first when you want to preview the dependency graph and transitive package changes. Review the resulting diff in both composer.json and composer.lock; do not accept unrelated upgrades simply because they appear in the solver output. If the solver proposes a downgrade, a removal, or a new PHP extension requirement, stop and investigate rather than forcing the transaction.
2. Build the exact release artifact
Commit the tested composer.json and composer.lock together with any application code, configuration changes, theme changes, and deployment scripts. Build from that commit so every environment receives the same dependency set. A production install should use:
composer install --no-devThe install command honors the committed lock file; it does not resolve a newer set of versions. Run it in a clean build environment or release directory, not over the files currently serving requests.
3. Apply database updates and rebuild caches on the test copy
With the new code deployed to staging, run:
drush updatedbThen rebuild caches:
drush cache:rebuildIf the project uses configuration management, inspect and export the intended configuration changes:
drush config:export --diffReview the update output for skipped, failed, or destructive operations. Database updates can enable maintenance mode; that behavior is expected during the operation and is one reason a production run must be planned as a controlled release.
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4. Test behavior, not just command exit codes
A successful Composer or Drush exit code does not prove that the site works. Test both anonymous and authenticated journeys that represent how the site is actually used:
- Home page, key landing pages, navigation, search, and representative content types.
- Login, password reset, account editing, permissions, and at least one important authenticated workflow.
- Forms, file uploads, media handling, emails, payment or identity integrations, and webhooks where applicable.
- Queues, cron jobs, scheduled tasks, imports, and background workers.
- Module-specific functions affected by the release, including custom plugins, field widgets, and event subscribers.
Review Drupal’s status report and recent logs for PHP errors, deprecations that became fatal, broken handlers, missing plugins, failed queue items, access errors, and cache warnings. Test with the same PHP extensions, database mode, reverse proxy, and environment variables used in production. A test environment that differs materially from production can hide a release failure.
5. Promote the tested lock file
After testing, promote the same commit or immutable artifact to production. Verify the deployed checksum or commit identifier before running application commands. On the production host or release container, run:
composer install --no-devDo not run composer update on production. Updating there can select versions that were never tested and can leave the server with a dependency graph different from every reviewed environment.
6. Run required production update operations
Apply the database updates required by the promoted code, then rebuild caches. If configuration changes are part of the release, import the reviewed configuration through the project’s established process. The exact command sequence depends on the deployment tooling, but the required outcomes are consistent: all update hooks complete, caches are rebuilt, and the active configuration matches the tested release.
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7. Shift traffic only after health checks
In blue-green or rolling deployment, start new application instances with the promoted artifact and warm their caches. Health checks should cover more than a process responding on a port: verify that Drupal can connect to the database, read required configuration, load a representative route, and reach essential services. Route a small share of traffic first when your load balancer supports it, watch logs and error rates, and then complete the shift.
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Keep the old pool available until the new pool has passed the observation period defined by your operations team. Do not terminate it immediately after the first successful page load; delayed queue failures, cron errors, cache stampedes, and integration callbacks can appear later.
8. Verify and record the release
After traffic has moved, repeat the critical checks from staging against production:
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- Drupal status report has no new errors.
- Recent logs show no release-related exceptions or missing plugins.
- Anonymous pages, authenticated journeys, forms, search, uploads, and integrations work.
- Cron and queues run successfully, and scheduled jobs are not duplicated by multiple workers.
- Cache headers, reverse-proxy behavior, sessions, and file delivery remain correct.
Record the deployed commit, lock-file hash, database update result, configuration change, monitoring observations, and the point at which rollback is no longer needed. Retain the previous release until the agreed rollback window expires.
Core updates, contributed modules, and major upgrades
| Change | Composer action | Additional review | Operational treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drupal core patch or minor update | composer update "drupal/core-*" --with-all-dependencies |
Core release notes; PHP and dependency requirements; module and theme compatibility | Test update hooks, caches, configuration, and representative journeys before promotion |
| Contributed module update | composer update drupal/modulename --with-all-dependencies |
Module release notes, issue queue, schema changes, permissions, plugins, and integration behavior | Apply the module’s update hooks, rebuild caches, and review module-specific documentation |
| Major-version upgrade | Not a routine patch command | Upgrade path, deprecated APIs, contributed-module availability, PHP and database support | Run as a dedicated project with a migration plan, rehearsal, and explicit rollback strategy |
| Non-Composer site without Composer-managed dependencies | Manual file replacement may be used | File ownership, removed files, libraries, and update instructions | Back up first and use a maintenance window unless an equivalent tested release system exists |
Do not treat a major upgrade as a larger version of a patch. Compatibility, data migrations, and contributed-module readiness can require application changes that cannot be safely mixed into a routine release.
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Blue-green deployment
Blue-green keeps the current pool serving while a separate pool is built from the tested artifact. Apply only backward-compatible database preparation while both pools are live, validate the green pool, switch the load balancer, and keep blue available for rapid application rollback. This model offers a clear traffic switch but requires duplicate capacity and reliable session, file, and cache handling.
Rolling deployment
Rolling deployment replaces instances in batches. Remove one batch from service, deploy and warm it, run health checks, and return it to the pool before continuing. The database must support a mixed fleet during the rollout, and the load balancer must stop sending traffic to an instance that fails checks. Rolling releases use less spare capacity than blue-green but make partial-version states last longer and can complicate rollback.
Use expand-and-contract schema changes
To let old and new code share a database, separate a schema change into compatible phases:
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- Expand: add nullable columns, tables, or indexes without removing or renaming structures used by the old release.
- Deploy compatibility code: write data in a form both versions understand, or dual-write while backfilling.
- Backfill and validate: migrate existing rows in controlled batches and monitor locks, replication lag, and application latency.
- Switch reads or behavior: enable the new path only after the required data is present.
- Contract later: remove old columns or constraints only after the previous code is no longer able to use them.
This pattern is an operational inference from Drupal’s maintenance-mode boundary, not a promise that every module update can be made compatible. If an update hook renames or drops a structure immediately, blue-green traffic shifting cannot make that release safe for simultaneous old and new code.
Control sessions, files, and caches
All application instances must see user-uploaded files through shared or replicated storage, or requests can fail after a traffic switch. Sessions need a shared store or deliberate stickiness; otherwise a user can appear logged out when the next request reaches another instance. Purge or warm reverse-proxy and Drupal caches consistently, and ensure only the intended worker pool runs cron or queue consumers during the transition.
Rollback when a release fails
Application failure before database changes
Stop routing traffic to the new pool and switch back to the previous release artifact. Because the database schema is unchanged, this is usually the fastest rollback. Preserve logs and the failed artifact for diagnosis rather than rebuilding it from memory.
Failure after update hooks ran
Do not assume that restoring old code reverses database changes. Follow the tested recovery plan: restore the matching database backup when the data change is incompatible, or use a documented forward fix if the schema was designed for backward compatibility. Drupal’s manual-update guidance treats database and code recovery as a coordinated operation.
Partial or interrupted update
Keep the site in a controlled state, capture the Drush output and database error, and prevent additional traffic from reaching an inconsistent pool. Restore the last known-good code and database according to the runbook, then verify status, logs, caches, queues, and representative user journeys before reopening traffic.
Common mistakes that create avoidable downtime
- Running Composer update on production: it resolves untested versions and makes the live server differ from the reviewed build.
- Backing up only the database: code, uploaded files, private files, and configuration can also be required for restoration.
- Skipping update hooks or cache rebuilds: new schema and plugin definitions may not be active even though new files are present.
- Testing only an anonymous home page: permissions, forms, queues, integrations, and authenticated paths often expose failures first.
- Switching traffic before health checks: a running PHP process can still lack database access, configuration, or required services.
- Calling any traffic shift “zero downtime”: incompatible schema changes still require a maintenance window.
- Deleting the old release immediately: you lose the quickest application rollback while delayed errors are still emerging.
- Combining unrelated dependency updates: a smaller, attributable change is easier to test and recover than a broad solver transaction.
Choosing the right deployment model
| Decision factor | Maintenance-window release | Blue-green or rolling release |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Users see maintenance mode during database updates | Users remain on the old pool while the new pool is prepared and traffic is shifted |
| Schema compatibility | Can tolerate an update that requires old code to stop first | Requires expand-and-contract or another design that supports mixed versions |
| Rollback speed | Restore the prior release and, if needed, database backup | Switch traffic back quickly for code-compatible failures; database incompatibilities still require recovery |
| Traffic control | One application endpoint is placed in maintenance mode | Load balancer or CDN health checks and controlled routing are required |
| Sessions and caches | Fewer concurrent-version concerns | Shared sessions, files, cache strategy, and worker coordination must be designed |
| Operational complexity and cost | Simpler and usually cheaper, but includes a planned outage | More capacity, automation, monitoring, and expertise are required |
Choose the simpler maintenance-window process when the business can tolerate a short, announced interruption or when a module’s database update is not backward-compatible. Choose blue-green or rolling deployment when continuous service is a hard requirement and your team can operate the traffic, schema, storage, and rollback controls it demands.
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