Migration from Liferay 6.1 CE to Liferay DXP 7.4

Migration from Liferay 6.1 CE to Liferay DXP 7.4

Introduction

This White Paper explores the benefits and key takeaways of migrating from Liferay 6.1 Community Edition (CE) to Liferay Digital Experience Platform (DXP) version 7.4. As organizations evolve and digital transformation becomes imperative, older systems such as Liferay 6.1 CE can create limitations in scalability, performance, and security. Migrating to Liferay DXP 7.4 unlocks significant advantages, enabling enterprises to enhance their digital experience delivery, modernize infrastructure, search capabilities and meet user expectations in today’s fast-paced digital world.

Background

Problem Overview

Challenges faced in Liferay 6.1 CE

1. End of Support: Liferay 6.1 CE is no longer supported, which leads to vulnerabilities and an inability to receive updates or security patches.

2. Performance Bottlenecks: As the platform scaled, performance issues emerged, affecting the user experience.

3. Limited Integrations: Liferay 6.1 CE lacked the ability to integrate with modern, cloud- based services.

4. User Experience: The UI/UX was outdated, and mobile responsiveness was minimal, reducing user engagement.

5. Complex Upgrades: The need to adopt new features like modularity, headless architecture, and advanced personalization was not possible with 6.1 CE.

6. Enhance Search Capabilities

7. Security Vulnerabilities: Being a legacy system, Liferay 6.1 CE posed significant security risks that could expose the business to potential data breaches.

Objectives of Migration

The main objective of migration is to enhance performance, User Interface and other features as outlined below:

Migration Process

The migration followed a structured approach to minimize risks, optimize time, and ensure a smooth transition from Liferay 6.1 CE to DXP 7.4

Assessment and Planning

1. Initial Audit: A comprehensive audit of the existing Liferay 6.1 CE environment, including an analysis of content, customizations, and third-party integrations.

2. Compatibility Check: Ensured all existing features, plugins, and customizations could either be migrated or replaced.

3. Data Cleanup: Identified redundant content and cleaned up unnecessary data to avoid performance bottlenecks during the migration.

Data and Content Migration

1. Migration Tools: Utilized Liferay’s migration tools and custom scripts to move existing

data, documents, and portal configurations to DXP 7.4

2. Content Mapping: Re-mapped legacy content to Liferay DXP’s new content structure

and format, ensuring no loss of data.

3. Elasticsearch Setup: Installed and configured Elasticsearch to handle indexing and search operations, replacing the legacy Lucene search engine.

Customization Migration

1. Modular Approach (OSGI): Converted customizations (legacy portlets and hooks) into OSGi modules for improved flexibility and maintainability in Liferay DXP 7.4.

a. Portlet --> OSGI Modules

b. Hooks --> Fragments

2. Portlets and Widgets: Migrated legacy portlets to Liferay DXP’s modern widget

architecture, improving reusability and scalability.

Testing and Validation

1. Performance Testing: Conducted stress tests to ensure the platform could handle increased traffic post-migration.

2. Compatibility Testing: Ensured that all integrations, such as CRM and ERP systems, worked seamlessly with the new Liferay version.

3. User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Involved end-users in testing the new features and functionality to ensure the migration met business needs.

Deployment and Go-Live

1. Used docker implementation rather standalone server deployment.

a. This process helps to improve high availability and

2. Staging Environment: Deployed Liferay DXP 7.4 in a staging environment to test the final implementation.

3. Production Roll out: Ensured zero downtime during the final migration by implementing a blue-green deployment strategy.

Key Benefits

Improved Performance and Stability

1. Modular Architecture: Liferay DXP 7.4 uses OSGi (Open Service Gateway Initiative), which allows for better modularity.

2. Optimized Caching: Enhanced caching mechanisms allow the platform to handle larger volumes of traffic and deliver content faster.

3. Better Resource Management: DXP 7.4 optimizes CPU, memory, and other resources more efficiently, reducing server loads.

Improved Search and Indexing

1. High-Speed Search: Elasticsearch’s distributed architecture allows for incredibly

fast searches across large data sets.

2. Advanced Filtering and Queries: Provides enhanced filtering, query options, and faceted searches, improving user experience.

3. Scalable Indexing: Elasticsearch handles large-scale indexing, enabling instant results even with growing data volumes.

4. Real-Time Search Updates: With Elasticsearch, search results are updated in real- time as new content is added.

Enhanced Security and Compliance

1. Regular Updates: Liferay DXP is fully supported, ensuring continuous security updates and patches to prevent vulnerabilities.

2. Enterprise-Grade Security: Built-in support for modern authentication protocols (OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect) and GDPR compliance helps safeguard data and ensures legal compliance.

3. Role-Based Access: Enhanced role-based access control (RBAC) allows better control over user permissions.

Modernized User Interface and Experience

1. Responsive Design: Liferay DXP 7.4 offers out-of-the-box responsive design, ensuring a seamless experience across devices (mobile, tablet, desktop).

2. Advanced Personalization: DXP 7.4 enables dynamic personalization, allowing businesses to deliver tailored experiences based on user behavior and preferences.

3. New UI Components: Modern UI/UX tools such as AlloyUI have been replaced with flexible frameworks like React, allowing for faster front-end development.

Integration with Modern Systems

1. Headless CMS: Liferay DXP 7.4 offers headless content management capabilities, enabling businesses to deliver content to any device via APIs.

2. RESTful APIs: Enhanced support for REST and GraphQL APIs simplifies integration with third-party tools, cloud services, and enterprise systems.

3. Commerce and CRM Integration: Easily integrate with eCommerce platforms, CRM systems, and marketing automation tools.

Long-Term Support and Upgrades

1. Liferay Enterprise Support: Liferay DXP offers official support, ensuring that any issues can be addressed quickly and effectively.

2. Cloud Support: Liferay DXP 7.4 supports both on-premises and cloud deployments, making it future proof for organizations looking to migrate to the cloud.

Conclusion (Results and Impacts)

After migrating to Liferay DXP 7.4, we noticed significant improvements in several areas:

? Performance: Page load times were reduced by 30%, and the platform became more stable under heavy traffic.

? User Experience: The modern UI design and mobile responsiveness led to a 20% increase in user engagement.50% Faster Search: Search results were delivered significantly faster compared to the legacy Lucene engine.

? Security: The new platform is now fully supported and compliant with modern security standards, reducing vulnerabilities and risks.

? Integration: The ability to integrate seamlessly with third-party applications streamlined internal processes, reducing manual work by 40%.

? Scalability: The modular architecture made it easier for the client to extend their platform with new features as the business grows.