On 4th August, the beta version of WHMCS 8.0 was released. This is a major version release since v7.0 in Oct 2016.

WHMCS 8.0 includes primarily new features and improvements to existing features. However, major version releases such as this could break backward compatibility due to core changes in codebase.

Here at Bobcares, we help web hosts, digital marketers and other online service providers keep their apps and servers up-to-date through our Professional Server Management Services.

Today we’ll go through the top 5 considerations to prepare for a major version upgrade.

1. Mind changes in system requirements

The most common errors post an application upgrade is caused by incompatible libraries or function calls.

These are characterized by blank pages or 5xx errors.

We prevent these issues by closely following the system requirements, and making sure the virtual host on which the app is hosted has the right versions of system libraries.

For eg. WHMCS 8.0 requires PHP 7.2 or above with a matching IonCube compatibility matrix.

2. Look for changes in themes, templates or module support

Many websites customize their billing area with custom interfaces or functionalities which depend on underlying themes, templates or modules to work.

Major upgrades sometimes deprecate or remove these components that can result in errors.

Well coded customizations with independent template directories, modules and hooks should be immune to these changes, but it is always safe to test before to avoid unpleasant surprises.

3. Check for changes in APIs or other service integrations

API calls and integrations with 3rd part services could also change in a major version release.

This could affect work-flows such as sending confirmation emails, auto-provisioning, data retrieval, and more.

So, it is important to review with your developer that none of the listed API/3rd party integration changes will affect your business.

4. Update tutorials, FAQs and communications to match changes in the interface

Major releases often include changes in user-interface. You might also decide to include new features with new user-flows (eg. for 2-factor authentication).

So, it is important to review the documents used by your staff and customers well ahead of time with the latest screenshots or videos.

5. Test firewall compatibility (eg.mod_security)

Firewalls often filter malicious traffic by looking at the URLs or content posted by the app interface.

During upgrade URLs or POST messages could change, causing the firewall to block transactions.

We prevent such issues by setting up an exact replica of production (including firewall rules), and regression testing all workflows before deploying the upgrade in production.

Other considerations

There are a lot more you need to take care of when you plan an upgrade. This includes testing integrations with your website or external apps, taking backups, updating your custom code, planning a release schedule, and so on.

If you need help with auditing your systems for upgrade preparedness or to 100% manage your WHMCS upgrade, we can help.

Click here to talk to a WHMCS expert.

Conclusion

Here we have taken a quick look at the top 5 considerations when upgrading an application, with a special focus on upgrading to WHMCS 8.0. We covered system compatibility, app compatibility, 3rd party integration, interface changes, firewall testing, and more.