Hi everyone,
I know we just completed the latest migration to the new servers that I put in place 3 months ago, but now I need to upgrade the software version of PHP we are running on these servers. Don't worry, this is quick and easy, but as with everything, we need to make sure that your website is setup to run on this new version of PHP.
Not sure what PHP is or don't care? I understand, but I still have to let you know what it is so you can understand why it’s important to stay as close to the latest version as possible.
First, start here if you are interested in knowing more about PHP (caution, dry ready).....http://php.net/manual/en/intro-whatis.php
Second, you can read this page if you would like to understand the support for the versions of PHP that are available and their support end of life timeframes...http://php.net/supported-versions.php
PHP is the language that runs a lot of websites, specifically on the LINUX operating system which is what I use. We are running PHP version 5.4 which will soon be unsupported by the developers of PHP. This means no more updates to fix things like security holes, etc....
Now, the most important part. Your website. If you are running any special software, You need to know if that software is ready for PHP 5.6 specifically. There is a big difference even going from PHP 5.5 to 5.6 so if your software providers says that their software is good for PHP 5.5, this doesn't mean it is ready for PHP version 5.6.
If the software that runs your website is not ready for PHP 5.6 you will need to find out if there is a patch or update you can apply to the site to bring it up to speed for this version of PHP.
If your website is managed specifically by me, then you have nothing to worry about. WordPress is safe going to this new version. One of the things I love about WordPress is that it is ready for most things. So, if I provide your WordPress updates on a regular basis, I will make sure you are set once the conversion to PHP 5.6 takes place. Please understand that if there are any plugins that break your site due to incompatibility, we will need to get this updated as with any other software. WordPress itself will be okay.
So with all that said, if you are managed by me (pay a monthly fee to have your site specifically managed) you can stop reading now and go about your Monday. Just having a hosting account does not qualify you to have your website managed by me automagically.
If you are not managed by me and you are using WordPress you can also go on about your day but make sure you keep an eye on my ANNOUNCEMENTS page as I will be updating this and all new UPDATES with your service in the future rather than sending out mass emails. You can point your browser to the following web address to keep up with the latest news and information including the upgrade to PHP 5.6.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
http://argonhosting.com/announcements.php
You can subscribe to an RSS News feed reader from this page as well so you can get updates immediately when they happen. You may need to login to access this URL.
TIME FRAME
I do not have a specific date for the upgrade to PHP version 5.6. The upgrade itself only takes a few minutes to accomplish. I will post the upgrade date and time on the ANNOUCEMENTS page and will give at least a week notification before I perform the upgrades if not longer. This just depends on the feedback I get.
As always if you have any questions, please open a support ticket or call me directly. Remember, you can now open a support ticket by emails support@argonhosting.com using the email address you have on your account profile. If you email support@argonhosting.com from a different email address other than that on your account, the ticket will not get created as this service is only for clients of Argon Hosting.
Regards,
Shannon Cox
ArgonHosting.com
407-814-1942
Monday, August 1, 2016
