What you need to plan for a SQL to Laravel Migration

Change is constant in the web development world. As new frameworks and technologies emerge, we’re often tasked with upgrading systems so our customers can stay competitive. One of the most common upgrades for companies reliant on traditional SQL-based systems is a migration to the Laravel framework. If you’ve never done this migration before, here’s everything you need to plan for before SQL to Laravel migrations.

Laravel brings an impressive suite of features tailored for scalability, security, and efficiency. By migrating from a raw SQL setup to Laravel, you can streamline your development process, improve application performance, and reduce maintenance costs.

With Laravel’s Eloquent ORM, database interactions become more intuitive, reducing raw SQL use through a fluent, object-oriented syntax. The framework’s MVC structure improves code organisation, while built-in features like automated migrations, authentication, and security protections handle common risks, making code easier to maintain.

Laravel also supports scalable API development, with tools like Passport for secure, token-based authentication. Its strong community and ecosystem offer additional packages, reducing development time and enhancing functionality further. All of which makes Laravel a powerful choice for modern, secure, and efficient web applications.

So, that’s why your clients should migrate to Laravel, now let’s tackle the how.

Before diving into the migration, some groundwork needs to be done to ensure a smooth process. Here’s what to do:

Audit the current SQL system – Document your existing database schema, data types, and SQL queries. This step helps identify what can be transferred directly and what may need adjustments.

Identify migration goals – Define what you (or your client) hope to achieve. Are you aiming for better code readability, faster performance, or easier data manipulation?

Data backup – Always, always, always back up your data before starting the migration to prevent any loss.  

Database compatibility – Ensure the SQL database structure aligns with Laravel’s Eloquent ORM and assess any complex database relationships that might need adjustment. Foreign key constraints, for example, can pose problems because Laravel handles data relationships a bit differently than SQL.

Choose a migration method – Decide between a phased migration or a single large migration. Depending on the size of your database, you might need to split your existing tables into multiple migration files.

Laravel’s Eloquent ORM simplifies data manipulation by representing tables as models. This is a great time to start ironing out foreign key constraint issues in your production database. Here’s how to get started:

Creating models – Laravel’s `artisan make:model` command generates models for each SQL database table, providing a clear structure for data.

Defining relationships – Map SQL relationships (e.g., one-to-many or many-to-many) using Eloquent’s relationship methods, like `hasMany`, `belongsTo`, etc. If you assign default values now, database configuration will be easier later on.

Setting up timestamps – Add `created_at` and `updated_at` fields to enable Laravel’s automatic timestamp management.

Model factories and seeders – Use factories to generate sample data for testing, while seeders can help populate your database for real-time testing.

Implementing soft deletes – Enable  soft deletes for models where data shouldn’t be permanently deleted, allowing easy recovery if needed.

Once you’ve mapped the database schema, it’s time to move data:

Using Laravel migrations – Convert your SQL tables into Laravel migrations. Once you have a Laravel migration file, things become a lot easier. Laravel migrations can handle setup, modification, and rollback of tables.

Class extends migration can come in really handy here. It inherits methods from the base migration class to keep things organised.

There are a few ways to transfer the data from a SQL server to Laravel:

Direct SQL import – Export data as SQL scripts and import them into the new setup.

ETL processes – If dealing with a complex or large database, consider an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process to ensure data is migrated accurately. This method is particularly useful for users table structures that have a lot of complex data.

Data validation and cleaning – Before going live, confirm all data meets new requirements and validate it against the Laravel model schema.

Next, translate raw SQL queries into Eloquent ORM. This simplifies syntax and improves readability.

Simple queries – Convert basic SQL commands (like SELECT, INSERT) to Eloquent equivalents, improving readability and performance.

Complex queries and joins – Eloquent’s relationships can replace complex joins, and query scopes enable cleaner code for intricate conditions.

Raw SQL vs. Eloquent – In some cases, raw SQL queries are faster. Use raw SQL when necessary, but keep most operations within Eloquent for maintainability.

Laravel provides tools to ensure data accuracy throughout the migration:

Database transactions – Use transactions to wrap complex operations, ensuring either full success or rollback.

Error handling – Laravel’s error handling can address common issues like constraint violations or duplicate entries.

Version control for database – Use migration files as version control for your database, ensuring consistency across all environments.

Migrating to Laravel is also an opportunity to fine-tune performance:

Caching – Laravel’s caching tools (e.g., Redis, Memcached) can significantly boost query speeds.

Eager loading – Reduce query load by using Eloquent’s eager loading to fetch related data in fewer calls.

Indexing – Add indexes to frequently queried fields to speed up data retrieval.

Queuing – Offload time-consuming tasks using Laravel’s queues, freeing up resources and improving response times.

After you’ve run the PHP artisan migrate command, it’s time to test. As you know, testing is essential to ensure the migration’s success:

Unit and integration testing – Test each model and database interaction for data accuracy and reliability.

Performance benchmarking – Compare pre- and post-migration performance to confirm improvements.

Data accuracy checks – Verify that all data was migrated without issues.

User acceptance testing (UAT) – Let stakeholders validate the new setup before going live.

For deployment, follow these steps to ensure minimal downtime:

Deployment strategy – Opt for zero-downtime deployment solutions, like Laravel Forge or custom CI/CD pipelines.

Environment-specific configurations – Configure environment variables for production, staging, and development.

Rolling back – Set up a rollback plan in case issues arise post-deployment (which won’t happen, of course, because all migrations go smoothly). We’ve got an entire blog post about Laravel migration rollback, which you might find useful.

Post-migration, you know the drill, it’s time to keep your application running smoothly with these steps:

Database maintenance – Regularly optimise tables and indexes.

Monitoring – Set up error tracking and performance monitoring (e.g., Laravel Telescope, Sentry).

Iterative improvements – Continue to refine and improve the code as new features are needed or as your application grows.

Migrating from SQL to Laravel can be a seamless and enjoyable experience – as long as you plan the move accordingly. Laravel’s clean syntax, scalability, and developer-friendly ecosystem allow for a faster, more maintainable application that’s ready to grow alongside your business. By following the steps above, you’ll be set up for a successful migration that boosts efficiency and positions your client’s website for the future.

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