[support] Best way to deploy Drupal

[David Christensen]

support at drupal.org:

I've been searching for a comfortable CMS for years.  I deployed a
personal Drupal site ~20 months ago and have been fumbling my way along,
learning as I go (http://holgerdanske.com/).  I recently worked my way
through "Using Drupal", and have come to realize Drupal's GUI CMS RAD
nature.  Slick, but...


My current development-test-deployment process is as follows:

1.  Log in to the production server and take a backup using Backup and
Migrate.

2.  Lock out the users.

3.  Hack.

4.  Do some manual testing.  If testing fails, either:

    a.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 until I succeed, then let the users back
in.
 
    b.  Restore.


I'm now running Drupal sites for other people, and need a better
process.  I'm looking for Drupal features/ tools that allow me to:

1.  Export settings, content, uploaded files, etc. (e.g. everything
"dynamic") from the production server and import the same into a
development machine.

2.  Export additions, changes, fixes, etc., as deltas from the
development machine and import them into a test/ staging machine.

3.  Import validated delta(s) into the production server, quickly and
easily, with the ability to revert.  (Referential integrity will need to
be solved, or precluded.)


I would prefer that exports and imports be in the form of a directory
tree of files in suitable standard formats, so that the full range of
command-line tools can be brought to bear -- version control, backup,
archive, mv, cp, diff/patch, hand editing, scripting, etc..


I would prefer that the export/ import functionality be available via
both a Drupal administration control panel and via command-line
utilities.


STFW, this is not a new issue:

    http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/support/2009-July/012439.html


I'm wondering what the Drupal project has in mind for solving it, when,
and for who (e.g. 4.x? 5.x? 6.x? 7.x?)?


TIA,

David