If you are planning this upgrade, here is your definitive, step-by-step technical playbook to take your local environment, database, and codebase from 7.2 to 7.4.

Phase 1: Environment & Local 7.2 Baseline Setup

Before jumping into the new version, you must recreate a stable, working baseline of your Liferay 7.2 environment locally.

1. Upgrade the Core Runtime

Liferay 7.4 (2026 Q1) demands modern Java infrastructure.

• Task: Upgrade your Java development kit from JDK 8 to JDK 21.
• Why? JDK 21 provides the long-term support (LTS) foundation required by modern Liferay bundles.

2. Restore the Local 7.2 Environment

To ensure a reliable migration, test the upgrade against a real data snapshot.

• Database Dump: Download a fresh database dump from your Development environment.
• Import Data: Restore this dump into your local MySQL instance.
• Data Folder: Unzip and sync the data/ folder (which holds your document library and file store) from your 7.2 backup.
• Initialize 7.2 Workspace: Download and unzip your matching Liferay 7.2.0 bundle, connect it to your imported database, and boot it up once to ensure everything resolves cleanly.

Phase 2: Preparing the Target 7.4 Environment

With the baseline established, it’s time to build the target framework.

1. Download the Target Bundle: Obtain the official Liferay DXP 7.4 2026Q1 bundle.
2. Unzip the Bundle: Extract it to your desired local directory (this will be your new $LIFERAY_HOME).
3. Initial Data Sync: Copy your existing data/ directory from the old 7.2 Tomcat installation directly into the new 7.4 Tomcat directory.

Phase 3: Database Upgrade (MySQL 5.7 to 8.*)

Liferay 7.4 thrives on MySQL 8.*. Upgrading your database topology safely requires a strict sequence:

Step 1: Pre-Upgrade Compatibility Checks

Before moving any data, use the MySQL Shell utility to ensure your 5.7 database won’t conflict with 8.* syntax or features. Run the following command:

Bash

mysqlsh –user=root –password –host=localhost –util checkForServerUpgrade –targetVersion=8.0.35 –outputFormat=TEXT

Step 2: Backup and Migrate

1. Create a Full Data Backup: Export a comprehensive .sql backup of your checked 5.7 database.
2. Spin up MySQL 8.*: Create a brand new MySQL 8.* instance (or Docker container).
3. Crucial Configuration: Ensure lower_case_table_names=1 is configured in your my.cnf or set as a flag when starting your MySQL 8.0 container.
   ⚠️ Warning: Failing to set lower_case_table_names=1 before database initialization can cause irreversible Liferay database schema mismatches on certain operating systems.
4. Import Data: Use DBeaver (or your preferred database client) to import your backup SQL directly into the new MySQL 8.* instance.

Phase 4: Executing the DB Upgrade Client

Instead of upgrading on the fly, use Liferay’s dedicated DB Upgrade Client tool for a controlled, visible schema migration.

1. Configure the Upgrade Properties

Navigate to: \liferay-dxp\tools\portal-tools-db-upgrade-client\ Create or edit the portal-upgrade-ext.properties file to point directly to your new MySQL 8.* instance:

Properties

liferay.home=../../

##

## MySQL Configuration

##

jdbc.default.driverClassName=com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver

jdbc.default.url=jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/lportal?useSSL=false&characterEncoding=UTF-8&dontTrackOpenResources=true&holdResultsOpenOverStatementClose=true&serverTimezone=GMT&useFastDateParsing=false&useUnicode=true

jdbc.default.username=****

jdbc.default.password=****

2. Run the Client

Open your terminal, navigate to the tool folder, and execute the upgrade script:

• Windows: db_upgrade_client.bat
• Mac/Linux: ./db_upgrade_client.sh

Monitor the console logs closely for any schema errors or breaking changes.

Phase 5: Core Upgrade & Target Startup