Achieving 80% Performance Optimization with Liferay Upgrade from 7.2 to 7.4 DXP

Successfully upgraded the Liferay 7.2 to Liferay 7.4 DXP within six months, delivering an optimized and modernized platform. The upgrade resulted in an 80% improvement in performance, significantly enhancing user experience and operational efficiency.

Our client, a global technology company utilizing Liferay for various digital operations, including their intranet, partner portal, and website, sought to upgrade their Liferay portal from Liferay 7.2 to Liferay 7.4 DXP 2024. This success story highlights the seamless transition to the latest version of Liferay, ensuring compatibility with new features, enhanced scalability, and robust security improvements while achieving significant performance optimization.

Project Brief

The client decided to upgrade their portal from Liferay 7.2 DXP to Liferay 7.4 DXP 2024 to enhance performance and introduce new features for their users.

This upgrade encompassed a database migration, updating the content management usage to adapt the latest Liferay standards, and improved search functionality for the portal. Additionally, the project included updating custom portlets, removing deprecated functions, and integrating a new UI library to modernize the platform’s interface.

Beyond the upgrade, the project also focused on addressing existing issues and enhancing key functionalities to boost performance and deliver a superior user experience.

Business Needs & Challenges

Seamless Liferay DXP Upgrade

The project aimed to upgrade the portal from Liferay 7.2 DXP to Liferay 7.4 DXP 2024 Q3.4 while ensuring that custom functionalities remained intact. The goal was to guarantee compatibility with new technologies and establish long-term support, all while preserving critical business operations and functionalities.

Standardizing CMS Tools Usage in Liferay

Over time, the portal’s content repository had become complex and mismanaged due to deviations from recommended CMS practices. As part of the upgrade, the client sought to streamline and standardize the use of CMS tools, simplifying the repository and ensuring better content management moving forward.

Bug Fixes

The partner portal faced recurring issues, including malfunctions in custom portlets, suboptimal search functionality, and UI inconsistencies. These issues were addressed as part of the upgrade to enhance performance and improve the overall user experience.

Performance Challenges

With increasing user activity, the portal experienced significant slowness, particularly during peak traffic periods. The upgrade aimed to address these performance challenges, ensuring a faster and more reliable portal for all users.

Technology Stack & Tools

Implementation Overview

Liferay DXP Upgrade

The Liferay DXP was upgraded to improve performance, ensure compatibility with the latest portal version, and support new features. We used the Liferay Database Upgrade Tool to streamline the process, ensuring efficiency and reliability. A full backup was performed prior to the upgrade to protect data and facilitate a smooth transition.

Enhanced Search with Elasticsearch

The search performance was upgraded by moving from Elasticsearch version 7.17 to version 8, delivering faster and more accurate search results for an enhanced user experience. Additionally, advanced search issues for users and resources were resolved, further improving search efficiency.

Custom portlet compatibility

Compatibility issues with custom portlets were resolved following the upgrade, and their functionalities were enhanced. UI-related issues were also addressed, leading to a more polished and user-friendly experience.

Streamlining with Common Components

Certain Java and JSP files were replaced with common React portlet components, customized as needed to meet specific requirements. This streamlined the codebase, improved maintainability, and standardized components across the portal.

Efficient Exception Handling

Robust exception handling mechanisms were implemented while doing the code upgrade to ensure seamless operations and minimize disruptions. On the UI side, clear and actionable error messages replaced generic ones, enhancing user experience. On the backend, improved exception handling reduced system crashes and enhanced debugging capabilities, significantly boosting portal reliability and performance.

Code Enhancements with Upgrade

Several code improvements were introduced to enhance portal performance and maintainability. Deprecated functions were removed and replaced with updated APIs and frameworks. Java code was optimized to increase processing speed and reduce overhead, while existing methods were refactored for better readability and performance.

Business Impacts

Enhanced Performance and Efficiency

The upgrade from Liferay 7.2 DXP to Liferay 7.4 DXP 2024 Q3.4 delivered a remarkable 80% improvement in processing efficiency. This resulted in smoother and faster portal operations, even during peak usage periods, ensuring a seamless experience for all users.

AI-Driven Content Generation

The upgrade introduced AI-powered content generation, empowering the marketing team to create and manage content automatically. This innovation has streamlined workflows, increased personalization, and delivered a 50% boost in marketing efficiency, enabling the team to focus on strategic activities while reducing manual effort.

Optimized Search Functionality

By upgrading Elasticsearch alongside the Liferay DXP platform, the portal now offers faster and more accurate search and filtering capabilities. This improvement has significantly enhanced user experience, making it easier for users to find the information and resources they need quickly.

Accelerated Issue Resolution

Enhanced exception handling at both the UI and backend levels has improved the ability to trace and resolve user issues efficiently. Portal admins and the support team can now identify and address unique problems more effectively, leading to faster issue resolution and improved user satisfaction.

Upgraded Security Measures

The migration to Liferay DXP 7.4 ensures the portal is equipped with the latest security fixes and updates, protecting the platform from vulnerabilities and enhancing data security.

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