Managing and deploying configuration with exportables and the Features module

This presentation will look at managing configuration in Drupal using the Features module. We'll look at how to move configuration into code using Features, and how this can make site development and deployment easier.

Problems to be addressed

Because of the huge flexibility that Drupal offers, all of the hard decisions that are made during a site build end up as configuration in the database. This makes duplicating configuration between sites, or from staging to production, a tedious, time consuming and error prone process. We'll look at concrete examples of how this is a problem, and how exporting configuration to code can save time, reduce errors and increase accountability.

Questions answered

The presentation will step through the process of exporting configuration into feature module, and updating the exported configuration over the life-cycle of a project. Additionally we'll look at how to manage feature across many installs, different project and even how to offer update notifications using "feature servers". We'll cover how to extend your own modules to provide exportable configuration and include a brief demonstration of how the Features module works.

Background

• Making and Using Features in Drupal
• The Development -> Staging -> Production Workflow Problem in Drupal
• Five Minute Feature Server: Share Your Features, Themes, and Custom Modules