{"id":7328,"date":"2026-01-12T12:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T12:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=7328"},"modified":"2026-02-16T09:48:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T09:48:41","slug":"mariadb-pre-upgrade-steps","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/articles\/mariadb-pre-upgrade-steps\/","title":{"rendered":"MariaDB Pre Upgrade Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Support for MyISAM tables and MariaDB 10.6.x and below ends in <strong>June 2026<\/strong> on AlmaLinux 8.<br>Before we can upgrade your server to MariaDB 11.8, all databases on all sites must be<br>using the InnoDB storage engine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide explains how to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Back up your databases safely<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check for MyISAM tables<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Convert them to InnoDB using phpMyAdmin in Plesk<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 1: Back up all databases (Important!)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before making <strong>any changes<\/strong>, you must take a backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Log in to <strong>Plesk<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to <strong>Websites &amp; Domains \u2192 Backup Manager<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a backup for each subscription and save a copy locally<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>\u26a0\ufe0f <strong>Do not skip this step.<\/strong> Changes to database engines are permanent unless restored from backup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 2: Identify all databases<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A server may host <strong>multiple sites<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each site may have <strong>more than one database<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Every database must be checked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In Plesk, go to <strong>Websites &amp; Domains \u2192 Databases<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Note all databases listed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Each one must be checked individually<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 3: Open phpMyAdmin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For each database:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>phpMyAdmin<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select the database<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Open the <strong>Structure<\/strong> tab<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Engine<\/strong> (Storage Engine) column shows the type:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>InnoDB<\/strong> \u2192 OK, no action needed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MyISAM<\/strong> \u2192 Must be converted<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 4: Convert MyISAM tables to InnoDB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option A \u2013 Using the phpMyAdmin interface<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click the MyISAM table<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click on the &#8216;<strong>Operation<\/strong>&#8216; tab<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use the drop-down next to &#8216;<strong>Storage engine<\/strong>&#8216;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Choose InnoDB<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Go<\/strong><br><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>See this image for guidance:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"635\" src=\"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-8-1024x635.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-8-1024x635.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-8-300x186.png 300w, https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-8-768x476.png 768w, https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-8-50x31.png 50w, https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-8.png 1283w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option B \u2013 Using SQL (advanced users)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>ALTER TABLE table_name ENGINE=InnoDB;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Repeat for <strong>every MyISAM table in every database<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 4a: Benefits of InnoDB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Switching to InnoDB provides several advantages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Crash Recovery &amp; Reliability<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Supports transactions and automatic recovery if the server stops unexpectedly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Foreign Key Support<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Maintains data integrity between related tables<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Row-Level Locking<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Only affected rows are locked, improving performance on busy websites<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Better Concurrency &amp; Performance<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Multiple users can read and write simultaneously<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Future-Proofing<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>MyISAM will no longer be supported; InnoDB continues to receive updates and security fixes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 5: Verify Conversion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Refresh the <strong>Structure<\/strong> tab in phpMyAdmin<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm <strong>all previously MyISAM tables now show InnoDB<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Repeat for <strong>every database on every site<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 6: Check websites &amp; restore if needed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Visit each website and test functionality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If issues occur:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Backup Manager<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restore the backup made in Step 1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This ensures you can safely revert your sites to their previous state if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step 7: Contact us to schedule MariaDB upgrade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once <strong>all tables are converted successfully<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Contact us to confirm completion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Schedule MariaDB upgrade to <strong>11.8<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important information<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Upgrade takes <strong>approx. 30 minutes<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Websites will be <strong>offline during this period<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upgrades can be performed <strong>Monday\u2013Thursday, 9am\u20135pm<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Optional cleanup<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If possible, remove <strong>any domains or sites no longer in use<\/strong> from Plesk.<br>This helps us complete the MariaDB upgrade efficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>After the upgrade<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Test all websites<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm admin areas load correctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report any issues promptly<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If required, databases can be restored from the backups taken earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2705 Notes \/ Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Always <strong>backup all databases<\/strong> before conversion<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test <strong>all websites<\/strong> after conversion; older plugins may require MyISAM<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>InnoDB improves <strong>performance, reliability, and crash recovery<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Contact your <strong>web developer<\/strong> if any issues appear after conversion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Support for MyISAM tables and MariaDB 10.6.x and below ends in June 2026 on AlmaLinux 8.Before we can upgrade your server to MariaDB 11.8, all databases on all sites must beusing the InnoDB storage engine. This guide explains how to: Step 1: Back up all databases (Important!) Before making any changes, you must take a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[172,163,140],"ht-kb-tag":[],"class_list":["post-7328","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-linux","ht_kb_category-managed-servers","ht_kb_category-servers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>MariaDB Pre Upgrade Steps - Support Centre - names.co.uk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.names.co.uk\/support\/articles\/mariadb-pre-upgrade-steps\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"MariaDB Pre Upgrade Steps - Support Centre - names.co.uk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Support for MyISAM tables and MariaDB 10.6.x and below ends in June 2026 on AlmaLinux 8.Before we can upgrade your server to MariaDB 11.8, all databases on all sites must beusing the InnoDB storage engine. 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