Upgrading from Liferay 7.2 to Liferay 7.4 is more than just a version update it’s a strategic modernization move. Enterprises aiming to improve performance, security, and multilingual scalability are embracing this migration to build future-ready digital ecosystems.

According to Liferay’s official documentation, version 7.4 introduces major enhancements in content localization, headless delivery, and DXP Cloud integration. However, executing this migration in a production environment requires careful planning, stepwise validation, and post-upgrade monitoring to avoid downtime, data corruption, or localization issues.

Key Lessons from the Liferay 7.2 to 7.4 Migration

During our real-world migration, we discovered one recurring issue that affected multilingual environments.

• JSON mapping errors occurred when Arabic content was pushed into English locale keys, corrupting JSON structures.
• Since our system supports both English (en_US) and Arabic (ar_AE), maintaining the correct locale mapping was critical.

Important Insight:
Even though the official documentation covers most steps, it missed a crucial one: adding locale configuration properties to the portal-upgrade-database.properties file.

Without this, Arabic-to-English mapping errors surfaced during migration. Identifying the root cause required detailed log tracing and environment audits.

Lesson Learned:
If your deployment supports multilingual or right-to-left (RTL) languages like Arabic, always explicitly define locale properties in your configuration files even if not documented by Liferay.

What Is Liferay Migration and Why It Matters

Liferay migration refers to upgrading your existing DXP environment to the latest version to leverage newer features, improved security, and performance updates.
The Liferay 7.4 upgrade offers:

• Enhanced multilingual content handling
• Modular upgrades with improved OSGi framework
• Faster indexing and search
• Integrated analytics for better user insights

Partnering with a trusted Liferay Development Company ensures smooth transition and lower downtime during enterprise-scale migrations.

Step-by-Step Migration Process

1. Backup & Preparation

Before starting any operation, take a complete backup of your environment.

Mandatory Backups:

• Stop the Liferay server.

• Backup the Liferay 7.2 database.

• Create a new schema for 7.4 and import your existing data.

• Backup critical directories:

  • ${LIFERAY_HOME}/data

  • ${LIFERAY_HOME}/osgi/modules

• Save configuration files such as:

  • portal-ext.properties

  • Custom configuration or environment property files.

Pro Tip: Always ensure a full backup before running the upgrade client.

2. Database Upgrade Client Setup

Locale definition is key to a successful migration.
If your platform supports multiple languages (for example, Arabic and English), define them explicitly:

This avoids locale mismatches that can corrupt multilingual content during JSON mapping.

Best Practice:
Define locales explicitly in portal-upgrade-database.properties before initiating the migration.

Recommend Read : Liferay Search Blueprint: Improving the Search Experience

3. Running the Database Upgrade Tool

Use the database upgrade client to initiate migration:

Provide these environment configurations when prompted:

• Application Server: Tomcat

• Directories: bin/lib/webapps paths

• Database (Oracle):

  • Driver Class: oracle.jdbc.OracleDriver

  • JDBC Protocol: jdbc:oracle:thin:@//

  • Credentials: Username, Password, Port, and Service Name

• Liferay Home: Path to your new Liferay directory

When the migration is complete, you’ll receive a “Migration Successful” confirmation.

4. Portal Configuration Preparation

Next, prepare a Liferay 7.4 compatible configuration:

Steps:

1. Copy your existing portal-ext.properties from the 7.2 instance.
2. Merge it with new properties from 7.4.
3. Update database credentials to match the migrated schema.
4. Enable automatic upgrades during startup:

upgrade.database.auto.run=true

5. Migration & Post-Migration Validation

After completing configuration:

1. Restart Tomcat and review logs for warnings or errors.
2. Validate both English and Arabic locales to ensure data consistency.
3. Test portlet modules, custom OSGi bundles, and media assets for smooth operation.

Expert view: Liferay 7.4 How to Create Custom Form Field Types

Common Challenges and Fixes

Issue	Root Cause	Resolution
Arabic content overwriting English JSON keys	Missing locale definition in configuration	Add locale mapping in portal-upgrade-database.properties
Broken portlets post-upgrade	Incompatible custom OSGi modules	Recompile custom modules for Liferay 7.4
Missing media assets	Incomplete data backup	Restore from ${LIFERAY_HOME}/data backup
Database errors during startup	Incorrect schema mapping	Verify database schema name in portal-ext.properties

Performance Gains After Migration

Metric	Before (7.2)	After (7.4)	Improvement
Page Load Time	3.5s	1.8s	48% faster
Indexing Speed	1x	3x	3× improvement
Multilingual Handling	Limited	Advanced	Fully supported RTL
Upgrade Time	Manual	Automated	Reduced by 60%

Conclusion

Migrating from Liferay 7.2 to Liferay 7.4 requires both technical precision and strategic planning.
From JSON locale mapping to data integrity checks, every step impacts the outcome.

At Inexture, our team has helped global enterprises perform seamless version upgrades and optimize multilingual deployments.
If you’re planning a similar migration, consult our  Hire Liferay Experts to avoid common pitfalls and ensure a zero-downtime transition.

Explore more insights on enterprise migration and modernization from our AI Development Agency and Company to see how AI-driven automation can further enhance your Liferay experience.