Not sure if it’s time for a Rails Upgrade? Staying current on your frameworks will save you time and prevent problems in the future.
Why Upgrade
Staying current on your frameworks increases:
Security
There are clever people out there who want to do things that aren’t in your, nor your customers’ best interests, and they are scheming up new ways to do so all the time. Keeping to the latest versions of your software stack help you stay one step ahead of them.
Speed
New versions of Rails, and especially new versions of Ruby are a lot faster. Want a noticeable performance boost for your application without writing a lot of new code? Make sure you’re on the latest versions.
Faster development time
Take advantage of all the sophistication and maturity that the latest version of Rails provides to improve your ability to meet changing customer needs faster and more cost effectively.
What is current?
Rails 5 was released on June 30th 2016, and Rails 6 is coming in 2019. Ideally you should be using nothing older than rails 4.2 which is the most recent patch level.
The current stable version of Ruby is 2.6.3 . Ruby 2.0 has reached its end of life and is not being maintained. In order to run a Rails 6.0 application when it is released, you will need to update to Ruby 2.5 or greater.
Help for upgrading
At Notch8 we know how difficult the decision is to upgrade an application. You are in the business of taking care of your customers, and that demands your full attention. When your tools need maintenance, you need a partner to work with that has the experience and knowledge to step in and get the work done without disrupting everything else going on. You need a partner who can clearly explain the path forward, work with you and your development team on a plan, and then deliver the upgraded application. Notch8 is that partner, with more than 10 years experience, we’ve been upgrading Rails applications since version 0.12.
Knowledge is the most important asset you have as a business owner, so we suggest starting with an upgrade audit to determine your applications need and ability to be upgraded. We start by analyzing your current application and outline the upgrade steps, how difficult it will be, and provide an estimate for the upgrade. If you decide to move forward we will credit the cost of the audit to your upgrade. With minimal upfront investment, $150 for the audit, you’ll be back in the driver’s seat with a better understanding of your app, and how to keep it moving forward.
What is included in an upgrade audit
Frameworks:
This will include the Ruby and Rails Versions your app is running, what patches are available, and when the versions planned maintenance ends. We also include the changes new frameworks will bring (both benefits and drawbacks)
Gemfile Analysis:
We will provide a list of every gem used in your application and detail your current version, what the requirements are for upgrading your framework, what the latest version is as well as a recommendation for how to move forward, along with the difficulty for the upgrade.
Test Development Versions:
We will provide a recommendation for upgrading your testing suite along with what packages you are using, what the latest version is, and recommendations for how to move forward and the difficulty to expect.
Test Coverage:
We will review your test coverage and make general recommendations for testing that needs to be added for the upgrade.
Security Analysis:
We will also run a Security Analysis on your application and let you know about any vulnerabilities, provide details on which ones will be removed with an upgrade, and offer suggestions for fixing the rest.
Roadmap:
We will then outline a Plan to accomplish the upgrade with a layout of the time expected and the cost if Notch8 were to complete the upgrade for you. This is typically a 4 step plan, and will take into account your current development process and provide recommendations for continuing development during the upgrade.
Start Today
Notch8 will provide your upgrade audit for $600. If you decide to move forward with the upgrade we will discount the price of the audit from the upgrade itself. Have questions or want to get started? We are waiting to talk with you.