Aid Worker Security Database upgrade to Drupal 10
About the project
The Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD) records major incidents of violence against humanitarian aid workers worldwide. Managed by Humanitarian Outcomes, AWSD is the leading open-source database providing critical information for governments, NGOs, and researchers. To maintain security, stability, and compatibility with modern web standards, the AWSD team decided to upgrade their platform from Drupal 9 to Drupal 10. The goal of this migration was to ensure the site remained secure, capable of receiving critical updates, and fully aligned with current best practices in web development.
Given the sensitive nature of the data and the global reach of AWSD, it was crucial that the upgrade process did not disrupt ongoing operations. A smooth transition to the latest version of Drupal would also ensure long-term sustainability, improved performance, and access to modern editing tools and theme structures.
What we did
iTech4Web led the complete upgrade process from Drupal 9.5 to Drupal 10. During the project, we addressed several key challenges:
- CKEditor 5 Integration: The site was previously using CKEditor 4, which is deprecated in Drupal 10. We successfully transitioned all editor configurations to CKEditor 5, ensuring full compatibility and providing a modern, flexible editing experience for administrators.
- Theme Modernization: The AWSD site was using the deprecated Seven admin theme. We replaced it with the Claro theme, offering a more accessible, responsive, and future-proof admin interface aligned with Drupal 10 standards.
- JavaScript Refactoring: The removal of jQuery.once from Drupal core required updates to all custom JavaScript. We refactored the codebase, replacing jQuery.once with the modern Once JavaScript library, improving efficiency and ensuring compliance with Drupal 10’s architecture.
Throughout the migration, we conducted thorough testing to ensure the stability of the platform and a seamless experience for AWSD users. Thanks to careful planning and precise execution, the upgrade was completed smoothly, setting the AWSD site up for secure and sustainable future growth.