This case study examines the steps taken by our team to transition a legacy application from Laravel 5 to Laravel 10. The migration posed significant challenges, including incompatible dependencies, deprecated functions, and substantial changes to Laravel’s core features. Tackling these obstacles required careful planning and execution to modernize the codebase, enhance maintainability, and align with current development standards. Throughout the process, our team encountered unforeseen complexities, such as addressing deprecated third-party packages without direct replacements and managing extended timelines due to the intricacy of the legacy codebase. Despite these hurdles, the migration delivered a scalable and future-proof solution, demonstrating the importance of adaptability and strategic problem-solving in addressing legacy application challenges.
Our client, a leading insurance company providing a wide range of services to customers, relied on a mission-critical web application built on Laravel 5 to support its operations. Over time, as the company expanded its offerings and customer base, the limitations of the outdated framework became increasingly apparent. Challenges such as decreased development speed, compatibility issues with modern tools, and growing maintenance complexities underscored the urgent need for an upgrade. Recognizing Laravel 10 as a robust, scalable, and future-proof solution—with its enhanced performance and full compatibility with PHP 8—the client sought to modernize their application to ensure it could continue to meet evolving business demands and deliver a seamless customer experience.
The primary challenge in this migration project was selecting the most effective upgrade strategy to transition from Laravel 5 to Laravel 10 while addressing the client’s evolving needs. This decision was further complicated by the client’s plans to develop a new mobile application, which required a range of new features that were difficult to implement efficiently within the outdated Laravel framework. Adding to the complexity, the existing web application needed to remain fully operational during the transition, while the mobile application would start using a new API. Both the legacy and new APIs had to coexist seamlessly, sharing the same database and user base, until the migration was complete and the web application could also transition to the new API.
One potential approach was an incremental upgrade path, transitioning sequentially through each major Laravel version. While this might have seemed logical, it presented significant drawbacks due to the wide gap between Laravel 5 and Laravel 10. Each step would have required addressing deprecated features, compatibility gaps, and changes to core functionality, adding substantial time and effort. Additionally, upgrading Laravel versions does not happen in isolation; it also requires corresponding updates to other components such as the PHP version, database version, and even the operating system. For example, Laravel 7 might not support the latest MySQL version, whereas Laravel 10 does, meaning incremental upgrades would necessitate step-by-step updates of these components. This not only multiplies the work involved but also results in redundant and often unnecessary effort, as some of these intermediate updates would become obsolete when the final migration to Laravel 10 is complete. Furthermore, interim solutions to address version-specific issues risk creating technical debt and redundant work, making this approach inefficient and impractical for bridging such a large version gap.
Alternatively, a complete migration to Laravel 10 offered the opportunity to build a cleaner, more modern application, aligning with current development standards. However, this approach was not without its complexities. Migrating all functionality from the legacy codebase required a deep understanding of the application, a comprehensive review of every component, and rigorous testing to ensure the new environment replicated existing functionality while leveraging Laravel 10’s advanced features. A significant drawback of this approach was the lack of direct documentation or guidance for jumping multiple versions at once. Frameworks like Laravel typically provide detailed step-by-step upgrade guides—for instance, migrating from version 5 to 6, then from 6 to 7—but no such documentation exists for skipping directly from version 5 to version 10. This gap made the process harder to navigate and required extensive research and problem-solving to address compatibility issues and framework changes without official references. Additionally, the approach demanded careful planning to ensure both the legacy and new APIs could run concurrently, maintaining data integrity and a seamless user experience across web and mobile platforms during the transition. Despite these challenges, this strategy allowed for a complete overhaul of the system, paving the way for a more scalable and maintainable application.
While incremental upgrades are generally suitable for minor version changes, the significant gap between Laravel 5 and Laravel 10, coupled with the need for simultaneous API functionality, made this approach impractical. By adopting a comprehensive strategy, we aimed to minimize risk, avoid unnecessary work, and create a modern, scalable, and maintainable codebase that would serve the client’s current and future needs. This strategic decision not only supported the immediate mobile application development but also laid the foundation for a seamless transition of the web application to the new system.
We chose to implement a fresh Laravel 10 installation and migrate the application’s functionality. This approach allowed us to address the challenges systematically while delivering significant value:
Code Modernization: Migrating to Laravel 10 allowed us to optimize the codebase and adopt modern development practices.
Improved Maintainability: The application was refactored to be more readable, scalable, and aligned with industry standards.
Security and Performance: By adopting Laravel’s latest features, we enhanced both the security and performance of the application.
The legacy application built on Laravel 5 faced significant challenges, including outdated dependencies, limited compatibility with modern PHP versions, and growing maintenance complexities. Adding to this was the client’s plan to develop a new mobile application, which required new features and seamless backward compatibility with the existing web application. Both platforms needed to coexist temporarily, sharing the same database and user base while relying on separate APIs. This created the added complexity of maintaining data integrity and consistent functionality across both systems during the transition. Incremental upgrades were deemed infeasible due to the substantial evolution of Laravel’s core features, which would have introduced redundant work and technical debt, making a comprehensive modernization strategy essential.
We opted to rebuild the application on a fresh Laravel 10 installation, a decision that involved migrating all core functionalities, such as controllers, models, middlewares, routes, and migrations. This comprehensive migration process ensured that every aspect of the application was aligned with the modern capabilities of Laravel 10 and PHP 8.
This process required several key steps:
Conducting a Thorough Codebase Review: Rebuilding the application necessitated a meticulous examination of the existing codebase. This allowed us to pinpoint inefficiencies, redundant logic, and potential security vulnerabilities, ensuring that the new system would address these issues effectively.
Refactoring Outdated Components: As part of the migration, we updated and optimized outdated components to align with Laravel 10’s modern standards. This step not only improved the application’s overall structure but also ensured that it leveraged the latest features and best practices for improved performance and maintainability.
Resolving Dependency Issues: We systematically addressed dependency challenges by replacing deprecated or incompatible third-party packages with supported alternatives. In cases where suitable replacements were unavailable, we developed custom solutions to ensure seamless functionality within the updated framework.
These deliberate and methodical steps were critical to ensuring the application was not just updated but fully modernized and aligned with the current development environment.
The migration process was carefully structured to address the unique complexities of transitioning from Laravel 5 to Laravel 10 while ensuring uninterrupted functionality for both the web and mobile applications. Each step was designed to systematically resolve challenges and lay the foundation for a scalable, maintainable system:
Dependency Management: A critical step in the migration was identifying and replacing deprecated third-party packages that were incompatible with Laravel 10. This involved extensive research to find modern alternatives and, in cases where none were available, developing custom solutions. This ensured that the new application remained fully functional while aligned with current development standards.
Code Refactoring: The migration provided an opportunity to modernize the codebase, leveraging Laravel 10’s features and best practices. Outdated components were refactored to improve readability, maintainability, and performance. This step ensured that the application was not only compatible with the updated framework but also optimized for future development.
Testing and Validation: Robust testing protocols were implemented to ensure the functionality and performance of the migrated application. This included unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing, which were critical to identifying and resolving potential issues before deployment.
Dual Live Environments: One of the most complex aspects of the migration was maintaining two live environments—one for the legacy web application and another for the new mobile application. Both systems shared the same database and user base while operating with separate APIs. Complicating matters further, both platforms were actively adding new features during the migration, making it a “moving target.” This required precise coordination to ensure that new developments in one environment were reflected in the other without introducing inconsistencies. Careful planning and deployment orchestration were essential to maintain data integrity and ensure a seamless user experience across both platforms.
Project Management Complexity: Managing the migration project presented its own challenges due to the need to align two separate Scrum teams—one focused on the legacy web application and the other on the new mobile application. To ensure collaboration and effective communication, we implemented a Scrum of Scrums framework, where representatives from each team met regularly to synchronize progress, resolve dependencies, and address blockers. This structure helped maintain alignment across teams, but it required significant effort in scheduling, decision-making, and maintaining a shared roadmap to ensure all stakeholders were working toward the same goals.
Custom Package Development: The migration revealed that some third-party packages used in the legacy application were deprecated and lacked modern replacements compatible with Laravel 10. In these cases, our team developed custom packages to replicate the required functionality while adhering to the updated framework standards. This added a layer of complexity, as it required both a deep understanding of the original package functionality and rigorous testing to ensure the custom solutions integrated seamlessly into the new system.
Single Database Challenge: From the beginning, it was clear that both the legacy and new APIs would share the same database, which added significant complexity to the migration process. Initially, all existing database migrations from the legacy API were modernized and carried over to the new API. However, as both APIs continued to add new features and modify the database, maintaining bi-directional synchronization of migrations became increasingly complicated and error-prone. To resolve this, we eventually abandoned migrations in the legacy API and consolidated all database changes within the new API’s migration process. This shift required the legacy API team to adopt and rely on the new API’s migrations, ensuring consistency while streamlining database management across both environments. This solution proved effective but required careful coordination and communication between teams to implement successfully.
Balancing Backward Compatibility and New Requirements: Another significant challenge was finding a balance between maintaining backward compatibility for the legacy web application and addressing the unique requirements of the new mobile application. For example, while filter parameters on routes were straightforward to migrate to the new structure, the mobile application required filters to be restructured entirely, which led to minor but necessary changes in the web frontend. Similarly, in scenarios such as claim submission, the mobile and web clients demanded vastly different functionality and behaviors, making it difficult to implement a single agnostic API route. In such cases, we had to create different API versions tailored to each platform’s needs, adding to the complexity of ensuring consistency and maintainability across both environments. This balancing act required close collaboration between teams and thoughtful design to address both current needs and future scalability.
The migration from Laravel 5 to Laravel 10 delivered numerous transformative benefits that not only addressed immediate challenges but also positioned the application for long-term success:
Modern Codebase: By aligning with modern development standards, the updated application leverages Laravel 10’s robust framework, improving code quality and ensuring compatibility with current tools and technologies.
Improved Performance and Security: The new framework takes advantage of Laravel’s latest features, significantly optimizing application performance and incorporating advanced security measures to protect against evolving threats.
Easier Maintenance: The refactored codebase is cleaner, more readable, and easier to maintain, resulting in reduced long-term development and operational costs while allowing teams to focus on innovation rather than patchwork fixes.
Future Scalability: The updated system is designed to handle future growth and new technological demands, making it adaptable for expanding functionality and scaling with the client’s evolving needs.
Unified API for All Clients: The migration provided an opportunity to design a single API to serve both mobile and web clients, streamlining development and ensuring consistency across platforms. This unified approach simplifies maintenance, reduces duplication of effort, and enhances the overall user experience by providing a cohesive and reliable backend for all client interactions.
These advancements collectively ensured that the application not only met current requirements but also provided a solid foundation for ongoing innovation and scalability.
Migrating legacy systems, such as transitioning from Laravel 5 to Laravel 10, is a complex undertaking with no one-size-fits-all solution. The choice of approach—whether incremental upgrades, a full migration, or a hybrid strategy—depends on the unique needs and constraints of each project. This case study underscores the importance of carefully evaluating each situation, considering the specific requirements, and weighing the trade-offs of different strategies.
The challenges outlined, including maintaining dual live environments, managing a shared database, balancing backward compatibility with new requirements, and resolving custom package issues, highlight the multifaceted nature of such projects. Addressing these effectively requires meticulous planning, strategic decision-making, and strong project management to ensure a smooth migration process.
Ultimately, the success of a migration hinges on thorough preparation, including selecting the right approach, aligning teams through effective communication, and anticipating potential obstacles. By keeping these principles in mind, organizations can not only modernize their systems but also build a foundation that supports future scalability, maintainability, and innovation.
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