A maintenance record needs more than a note saying updates are enabled. PHP branches have support deadlines, Drupal CMS combines core with an editing and configuration package, and Joomla's automated core updates have release and access limits. Start with the versions and settings for the installation being maintained.
Record the CMS and Runtime
Make a short maintenance entry with fields for the CMS release, PHP branch, support deadline, update settings and planned manual work. For a Drupal CMS installation, include the underlying Drupal core version as a separate field. For Joomla, record whether the site is publicly accessible and whether Automated Updates is enabled. Add a planned review date before making a version change. Give the active-support end date and security-support end date separate entries for PHP, rather than using one undifferentiated support field.
Use the record to assign the next actions: check the runtime's support window, identify the scope of the CMS update and note any compatibility questions to resolve. Record the existing values before changing settings, then leave space for the versions and settings confirmed afterward.
Check PHP Support
The PHP support policy gives each branch two years of active support from its initial stable release. Reported bugs and security issues are addressed through regular point releases during that period. The following two years cover critical security issues only. Releases in that second period are made as needed, so there may be several point releases or none, depending on reports.
After the support period, the branch reaches end of life and is no longer supported. PHP 8.2 was initially released on December 8, 2022; its active support ended on December 31, 2024, and its security support ends on December 31, 2026. Enter the security-support end date in the maintenance calendar and schedule any compatibility review before it.
Separate Drupal CMS From Core
The Drupal CMS 2.0 release announcement, dated January 28, 2026, identifies Drupal Core 11.3 as its foundation. Drupal Canvas is the default editing experience, with components dragged onto pages, live preview and real-time editing. Its Mercury library supplies cards, heroes, menus, accordions and testimonial components.
Project Browser discovers and installs modules, recipes package and share configurations, and automatic updates cover security patches. The package carries forward the installer with smart defaults and the Gin administrative interface from Drupal CMS 1, released in January 2025. It also includes accessibility checking, data privacy features and SEO tools. The release also introduces a component system and the first site template. List the components and configurations used by the site as part of the maintenance notes.
Set Joomla Update Boundaries
The Joomla core update options make automated updates available from Joomla 5.4 onward for sites accessible publicly on the internet. The setting is optional. When set to Yes, it applies the latest minor or patch release, including security patches, as soon as that release becomes available. Major releases are outside its scope.
Give any proposed major upgrade its own task rather than marking it as covered by that setting. Record the release type being considered alongside the automation choice.
Rehearse the Change
A Joomla installation behind a firewall or otherwise unavailable publicly, such as a local test environment, needs manual updates. Include that manual step when planning a rehearsal. The update options can show a pre-update checkbox when an installed extension is potentially incompatible with the target Joomla version; this applies when moving to a minor or major version family. Note any potential extension incompatibility flagged by the check and the Joomla version being proposed before confirming the change.
A separate option shows confirmation that a backup has been taken and the site is ready at the final step before applying the update. Resolve the compatibility questions and take the backup before confirming readiness.
Check the Published Site
After the change, check the published pages and the editing tasks affected by the work. For a page assembled with Canvas, include its components in that review. Record the versions now installed, the update options in use and any manual work still outstanding. Set the next review against the support deadline recorded for the PHP branch. Leave the backup confirmation and any unresolved extension questions in the maintenance record alongside that review date.