End of Magento 2.2.X Support! Key Pointers You Should Remember When Upgrading to Magento 2.3.X Version

One of the most sought after open source e-commerce platforms, Magento, has recently announced the discontinuation of magento 2.2.X support from December 2019. This news has created waves of stress among those merchants who are using 2.2.X version but don’t know how to upgrade magento 2.2 to 2.3 version. The magento 2.2 end of life is for both Magento open-source and Magento commerce platforms. Thankfully, Magento is providing sufficient time for merchants to migrate their sites on a new version. However, the prime reason behind such a drastic move is the myriad of hidden pitfalls that Magento 2.2.X version encloses. Let’s review some major cons of the former Magento version.

Also take a look at Magento Review for eCommerce Development

Major Cons of Magento 2.2.X Version

There is no denying that Magento 2 is a highly robust open-source e-commerce platform. But, numerous Magento 2.2.X versions cons were hampering the efficiency of the platform which led to the magento 2.2 end of life.

1. Magento 2.2.X doesn’t fully support progressive web applications, which is unquestionably a major setback of this version.

2. Magento 2.2.X doesn’t enclosea page builder attribute which makes it difficult for developers to create informative and highly immersive pages for users.

3. One of the biggest setbacks of Magento 2.2.X is the dearth of multi-source inventory (MSI) functionality.Because of the lack of MSI attribute, merchants can’t keep track of all their inventories at one place.This makes the stock management process quite daunting for merchants.

4. GraphQL support is missing in Magento 2.2.X version which makes it strenuous for web applications to deliver and extract the information from Magento platform.

5. Because of the lack of bulk web API attribute, merchants can’t place bulk API requests at a time, as Magento 2.2.X version doesn’t process another request until the previous one is executed completely.

6. Magento 2.2.X version doesn’t support all available extensions which you want to integrate on the Magento platform. It means, every single time, you need to purchase an extension you wish to utilize.

After reviewing all the cons, it would be better for merchants to quickly upgrade magento 2.2 to 2.3 version. We recommend you to hire Magento 2 certified developer who understand the intricacies of Magento 2.3.X upgradation and ensures a glitch-free migration of your Magento platform.

Why Merchants Should Upgrade to The Latest Magento 2.3.X Version?

Magento 2.3.X is a revamped version of Magento 2.2.X and is packed with new functionalities, upgradations, and much-needed improvements.

Let’s have a quick glance at the key features of Magento 2.3.X.

1. It Supports Progressive Web Applications (PWA)

PWA is currently a raging thing in the realm of the e-commerce segment. Progressive web applications provide an immersive experience to users without the need of downloading them. Magento 2.3.X fully supports progressive web apps.

2. Multi-Source Inventory (MSI)

One of the most striking features of Magento 2.3.X isMulti-source inventory. This feature allows merchants to manage all the inventories at one single place without the intervention of third parties. Moreover, MSI allows merchants to keep a painstaking check of the stock management of different locations without any hassle.

3. Addition of Page Builder

You can finally create customized and highly engaging pages in Magento 2.3.X, as the much coveted page builder option is now included in the latest version.Now, there is no need to write a code for creating the page as the drag and drop interface functionality makes the page creation process simpler.

4. Cache Management ACL

With this attribute, you can control which users can view or delete the Magento caches.

5. PHP 7.2 Support

Magento 2.3.X utterly supports PHP 7.2 version which augments the security of the platform and enhance performance manifold times.

6. GraphQL Support

Those who don’t know, GraphQL is a query language devised by Facebook so that progressive web applications can extract and deliver information from Magento platforms in the form of small data packets.

Magento 2.3.X encloses the GraphQL support attribute that allows you to make data requests whenever you need them and send smaller API requests as well.

GraphQL comprises a myriad of development tools that render flexibility and save a lot of your valuable time.

7. Declarative DB Schema

DB Schema is of paramount importance when it comes to installing and updating the Magento versions. Earlier, in the older versions of Magento, developers had to write database scripts with Install Schema and Upgrade Schema to alter the schema of a Magento database.

However, with declarative DB schema attribute at your disposal, you can make the significant changes in database and easily deletethe data whenever you remove the old module.

8. Elastic Search

In the new version of Magento 2.3.X, elastic search (an open-source database management system) is incorporated which can run seamlessly on any dedicated server. The key reason behind incorporating elastic search is, MySQL search engine is not potent, and it comprises a lot of technical issues that are daunting to resolve.

Moreover, the use of MySQL was creating a lot of performance issues when you use it to create features like faceting and full-text search. To eradicate this problem, Magento incorporated elastic search in Magento 2.3.X. Not only this will improve the search relevance of merchants’ online store but also amplify the search results showing speed.

Also Read: Magento 2.4 Installation with Elasticsearch – Step by Step Guide

9. Bulk Web API & Asynchronous

There was a very severe limitation in the Magento 2.2.X version. In this version, if you place any API request, it will not get processed unless the previously placed request is finished.

This clearly means, the more number of requests you will put, the longer it will take to process all requests and clear them, one at a time. However, with the inclusion of Asynchronous bulk web API in Magento 2.3.X, you can make multiple API requests at the same time and don’t have to wait long for requests to be completed.

This attribute of Magento 2.3.X is quite beneficial for those websites who have a great number of API requests to make. Waiting for the server to respond on placed API requests have become thing of the past.

10. Two Factor Authentication and Google recaptcha

Magento has released two formidable layers of protection for the Magento 2.3.X version. The first is two-factor authentication, and the second one is Google Recaptcha. Let’s talk about two-factor authentication first.

To protect the website from malicious attacks, a user has to enter a username and the password for logging in. After that, they need to provide additional information sent by the Google authentication feature to access the website.

To solidify the Magento 2.3.X version security furthermore, Google Recaptcha has been incorporated in the platform which detects whether the individual who is accessing the website is a human or a robot?

11. Message Queue

Though message queue is already a significant part of the Magento commerce edition, recently, it has also been introduced in the Magento 2.3.X open source edition.

Message queue allows uninterrupted communication between different systems at a time. It offers an ideal platform for seamless communication.

12. WYSIWYG Upgrade (From Version 3 to 4)

WYSIWYG, the acronym stands for “What You See Is What You Get” is an editor that allows developers to edit descriptive codes in a manner that highly resembles the end product.

In the new Magento 2.3.X version, the WYSIWYG editor has been upgraded from version 3 to version 4. The upgraded version has state-of-the-art features that make the editing part more seamless.

To harness all these attributes of Magento 2.3.X, you must consider hiring a Magento 2 development company that can migrate your platform from Magento 2.2.X to Magento 2.3.X without any glitches.

Key Pointers to Consider When Updating from Magento 2.2.X to Magento 2.3.X

It’s not like you have to build a new shop when you upgrade from an obsolete version to the newest version of the Magento. However, there are some noteworthy pointers which should be considered to make the upgrade magento 2.2 to 2.3 version process hassle-free.

1. Does your website have a great number of customized codes? If yes, you need to check whether these custom codes are allowed to function on Magento 2.3.X or not?

2. Before fully rolling out the migration process, we recommend you to do the testing on Dev server first. Test the changes first, then only continue with the upgradation process.

3. Ensure that all the third-party extensions are compatible with Magento 2.3.X or not. There is quite a chance you will have to update the extensions and the theme as well.

If you want to perform the Magento migration without committing glitches, you should consider hiring EmizenTech experts Magento 2 migration services.