How to migrate Liferay portal from one windows machine to other? - liferay

Liferay migration from one server to another help required. Can anyone share there steps for migration of Liferay portal 5.2.3 from one server to another. I am using Windows + Tomcat + MySql.
I have uploaded whole tomcat folder to the new windows machine and imported the database too with the corresponding change to the configuration file like Database details.
But after starting the tomcat server it is showing some error like "Unable to load repository http://plugins.liferay.com". Any idea why I am getting this error ?

These are the steps that I have followed and able to migrate the Liferay successfully:
Take the backup of Liferay files and database from first windows machine.
Install the same version of Liferay (Say Liferay 5.2.3) on second windows machine.
Shut down Liferay.
Import the database on new system.
Add portal-ext.properties with relevant entries. (e.g Datbase Name, User Name , Pasword etc)
Add \liferay-portal-5.2.3\data\document_library files from old machine.
Start the tomcat. It will automtically do the rest.
NOTE: In the above method I have not deployed Theme and custom plugins etc, you have to deploy Theme and custom plugins also that are used on old system.

Lifery is trying to connect to plugin repository to find whether there are updates for plugins.
Does your new machine have internet conectivity?
Also you have options to ignore that message or configure liferay not to check for updates.
For later put in portal-ext.properties
plugin.repositories.trusted=
plugin.repositories.untrusted=
UPDATE:
If behind proxy create (if not existent) system-ext.properties (beside portal-ext.properties) and add
com.liferay.util.Http.proxy.host=proxy_host
com.liferay.util.Http.proxy.port=proxy_port
Change proxy_host and proxy_port with your values.
Also remove from portal-ext.properties if you want liferay to check repositories
plugin.repositories.trusted=
plugin.repositories.untrusted=

Related

Unable to change runtime environment on server in Liferay Developer Studio

In Liferay Developer Studio, I am try to set the Runtime Environment for my local server. After selecting a runtime environment from the drop down, I then try to save the change and get the following message:
The server cannot be saved for the following reasons: [Overview] Changing runtime base directories is not supported.
Is this a change I need to do manually in a configuration file, or should I going elsewhere to change the runtime environment?
It seems to be a known issue in Liferay IDE, check the issue.
You may have a clean version of the Liferay-Tomcat bundle given along with the Liferay IDE. What I recommand you is to create a new server that refers to this runtime environnement.
If you don't have a clean version of the Liferay-Tomcat bundle you can download new one from Liferay official site.
I found a way to get the existing runtime evironment changed.
I first had to go to the server properties and select "Switch Location". This moved the server properties from "[workspace metadata] to my workspace/servers/ directory.
Inside the .server file, I just had to change the runtime-id property to one of my predefined runtimes, in my case...
runtime-id="Liferay v6.2 EE (Tomcat 7)"
My Liferay server is now working as expected.

Getting stuck while creating a new plugin project in liferay 6.2, facing some kind of ivy setting issue

I am getting stuck while creating a new plugin project in liferay, eclipse get stuck everytime and console displaying only [ivy:resolve] message
It appears that the Ivy resolve process inside of the Liferay Plugins SDK is failing when it tries to create a new process.
Go into your Liferay Plugins SDK folder and open the ivy-settings.xml file. Notice that it points to some online repositories. It seems that your system is having trouble connecting to those remote repositories. See the log messages about the failing certificates (when its trying to connect to the https:// server of jboss repository ).
Maybe will be any special configuration required for connecting to those repositories, proxy...
Try from here

Liferay With Multiple Server Instances

I'm working with multiple Liferay Projects (different Portal, plugins, user and usergroups etc ) in the same time, and often have to switch between them. This switch requires lots of steps like
Editing the portal-ext.properties (to change the Liferay Database, and edit some custom project-specific properties), and edit 'portal-setup-wizard.properties'
Add/remove portlets themes and hooks from the Eclipse Server instance, sometimes clean the Tomcat's 'data' 'Webapps' and 'work' folder
Go to Liferay's Control-Panel/Server/Plugins Installation and re-index portlets like 'Users and Organizations' or 'Documents and Media'
So, I thought that creating a new Server Instance for each project, with a new tomcat and JRE, would be a nice idea. When I had to switch project, I could just stop the old server and start another. At first, I thought (was adviced actually) that using the same Liferay Plugins SDK (6.1.0), should be ok, as long as the Server instances are the same version.
Practically this doesn't work 100% perfectly. While most of the work is getting done, there are some problems here and there, like a theme not getting deployed propertly, hooks not beeing applied etc. As I understand, there is some [Liferay SDK] - [Liferay Server] binding, and that means that only 1 Server (the first one I created) will fully work.
For example, By investigating the [Liferay SDK folder]/bild.[user name].properties, I can see some properties that are referring to a specific Server/JRE location :
app.server.portal.dir
app.server.lib.global.dir
app.server.deploy.dir
app.server.type
app.server.dir
So, my question is, what should I do to work with multiple Liferay Projects ?
Is the multi-Server practice, a good approach to work with multiple-projects ?
If yes, should I create a different SDK for each Server? Maybe a different Eclipse workspace too ? Or is there some way to use the same SDK
What about working with Servers of different Liferay Version ?
Personally, I set up every project with its own source, tomcat, database, etc. even if it means duplication. These days storage is cheap and makes this possible. Of course your milage may very but I thought I'd share my setup with you.
I have a project directory with all my projects which looks like so:
/projects
/foo-project
/bar-project
/my-project
Inside a project I have
/my-project
/tomcat
/bin
/conf
...
/src
/portal
... my portal source ...
/plugins
... my plugin source ...
/portal-ext.properties
I then setup tomcat to use different ports (8080, 8081, 8082, etc...) so that I can just leave them all running if I have to or want to.
I setup Liferay to use different database for each Liferay instance.
I place the portal-ext.properties as a sibling to the tomcat directory and Liferay will read this file (assuming the default behavior). This offers quick and easy edits as well as figuring out how you've set each project up.
The advantages should be clear. You can just "walk away" from a project and into another without tearing down and setting up. And when you return everything will still be as you left it. Context switching is also quicker and helpful if you want to answer a question about a project you're not yet working on.
Depending on the complexity of each of your projects, multi-instance might not work for you. Hooks and EXTs may conflict with each other and it appears as if this is already the case with your projects.
If you can afford the space (which is not much) this has been the fastest way I have found as a Liferay developer.
If we start working on a new Liferay project in our company, we setup:
a new database schema,
a new, clean Liferay server connected with that schema and
a fresh Eclipse workspace, with
a clean SDK project
Only this way you're sure to have cleanly separate projects. To switch to another project, just shutdown the current Liferay server, startup the new one and switch to the right workspace in Eclipse. This all takes no more than 2 minutes, a lot less than to do all the cleanup actions you have to do if you share workspace and server.
In my opinion, this is the approach of most development teams.
Why mess with all these complications in a single computer? I use Oracle VirtualBox and set up a separate VM for each project. Even though I work on a laptop, it has 8 cores, and I've bumped my memory up to 16GB and set each machine up with 4GB of RAM.
I can have multiple VMs running at once and have set all active projects as home pages in Chrome. Using bridged networking each VM has its own IP address, and they all listen on 8080.
Another benefit is that, although my primary project is being developed using Eclipse Indigo and LR 6.1 CE GA1, I have another using Eclipse Juno, its specific IDE plugin and LR 6.1.1 CE GA2. So it also works as a new version tester.
VirtualBox is free. Memory is cheap. And remember that you can put a VM to sleep without shutting it down. That takes about 10-20 seconds and waking it up again takes 30-60 seconds.
The simplest solution would be :
Create 3 different users, the Liferay SDK's bundle.properties file is separate for each user. So, lets say, if you want to run 3 servers with the same sdk. Create 3 files like
bundle.user1.properties
bundle.user2.properties
bundle.user3.properties
Now, when you want to deploy something for server 1, log in the server using user1 and try to deploy the portlet, this will read bundle.user1.properties and it will deploy the portlet/hook to the specified location.
Hope this will resolve your deployment issue.
Also, when you have 3 users, you can run 3 different servers together in a different user accounts, in this way, they would be secure and apart from admin, nobody can shutdown the same.
Hope this helps!

Liferay 5.2.3 to 6.0 Upgradation steps (Windows + Tomcat + MySql)

I have taken the backup of my live portal and I want to upgrade it to newer version in localhost and then move the upgraded version to my live site.
I followed the steps in the link http://www.liferay.com/community/wiki/-/wiki/Main/Upgrade+Instructions+from+5.2+to+6.0. and my stpes are :
1) I have setup the new liferay 6.0 on my localhost
(successful installation of liferay 6.0 with inbuilt Hypersonic database )
2) I have imported MySql database of live system to the local MySql Server.
3) After stopping the tomcat server, I have changed the configuration file portal-ext.properties for the MySql database details.
4) Then, I have started the start.bat file. It is showing upgrade process well but after few minutes window is closed
Can anyone help me in this regard where I have done some mistake or am I missing something during the upgration. If anyone has some idea then please share their steps.
Thanks in advance
You don't mention that you also copy your document library / image gallery folder to the new installation. This typically (unless configured otherwise) sits in your "data" folder. Just importing the MySql database isn't enough, as it contains only the metadata for doclib & image gallery.
You'll have to take this into account for backups also - ideally you'd read about backup and set up a second 5.2.3 instance (and make sure it runs) from your backup, then start upgrading. I typically forbid to call something a backup if nobody ever demonstrated, that they can use it to successfully restore in a completely new environment. This is your chance to ultimately test your backup procedure.

Liferay Portlet Issue

Im new with liferay have a problem with portlet deployment using the plugins sdk,
Platform:
liferay-portal-tomcat-5.5-5.1.2,
liferay-plugins-sdk-5.2.2,
windows vista.
Problem:
I have successfully created a sample portlet with ant and deployed it into the hot-deploy folder. It is automatically picked up by the server but the console messages say that the portlet has been copied successfully and never registers it.. and i cant find it in the add application drop-down menu.. pls your help will be very appreciated.
I don't know if anything important changed in these versions, but you say you're using Liferay 5.1.2 with the plugin environment 5.2.2 - try with matching versions - at least on the second digit.
also, make sure that all required files are available - among them are WEB-INF/web.xml, WEB-INF/portlet.xml.
Create a new sample portlet with "create.bat" in the plugin SDK's portlet folder and deploy this - it should succeed. Then make sure that all config files from the new one are present in your current one.
How did you create your current portlet? What did you do/change?

Resources