Is it necessary to update fine running modules, PS Versions?

[HH Services Limited]

Hi ladies and gentleman,

Updating fine running modules and PS Versions can bring some drama into action (correct me if I´m wrong): Sometimes you need to update the ps version (if it is too old) when updating modules and vicebersa. So if your shop is running fine, why to have a chance to make things worse?  

 

Any comments on this?

 

By the way, this is how my BO is starting to look:

[vekia]

you can always disable module updates

administration > preferences - there is an option to "automatically check for module updates"

 

well, i think that if everything works well, and if you're happy with your actual ps / modules version - it's not necessary to update.

that's my opinion.

[parsifal]

IMHO, you should consider the following, not mutually exclusive, cases:

 

1. New version fixes security problems: You should always try to update

2. New version fixes a bug that doesn't affect you: There is no need to update

3. New version fixes a bug that affects you: in a production server, it's possible you have already adapted your workflow to circumvent this bug. But maybe it is worth to update, if it would increase your productivity

4. New version has new features that you want: you may want to update

 

Always bear in mind that newer versions may introduce new bugs or regressions to older bugs (even if no new features are present), so it is best to have a secondary/development/testing installation where you can test them before updating your primary installation.

Edited September 19, 2014 by parsifal (see edit history)

[HH Services Limited]

The problem is that looking one by one and continuesly is practically mission impossible. In 2 months since my last totally update free date, i need updates on 75% of my modules in 2 shops, not to say from 1.6 0 6 and 1.6 0 8 to 1.6 0 9 and soon to the next 1.7

Trying to monitor all this might ne  super hard, When they came up with the version for moviles it was worth to du a full upgrade, but unless somethin really bright happens again it probably is better to keep things the way they work well

[parsifal]

Yes Anthony, I understand what you mean.

 

There is one other possible way: try to gradually update the modules, at times of day when your shop has few or zero visitors, and test at least for obvious problems (broken FO etc).

 

Personally, I would propose this way ONLY IF you have an easy way for full (files and DB) and rapid (automated) website backups AND restores. I imagine this could be implemented with custom shells scripts on a VPS or dedicated server by a Linux sysadmin or equally knowledgeable person, so it's a solution not suited to most shared hosting packages...

Edited September 19, 2014 by parsifal (see edit history)

[HH Services Limited]

If you dont mind me asking, have you been using your technique? if so, for how long and with how many back fires that you had to restore to a previous back up?

[parsifal]

I have not, but I'm planning to implement it for my next project which started just yesterday.

 

Should my scripting attempt prove successful, I will gladly share the scripts with the community here.

Edited September 19, 2014 by parsifal (see edit history)

[HH Services Limited]

Dont know... seems like too much maintnance if your shop is running fine... I only found once a prob with fbook module in my 4 month experience with ps. but If you update modules you need to update your shop and viceversa... I think than in my case and with 2 shops, I will do it the day they release a version with some must to update your shop issue, and then i will go on to labor, other than that, I will just focus on other issues...