Setting Up Liferay

After installing Liferay, configure it to meet your needs. Here are common setup tasks.

Setup Tasks

• Activate Liferay (Subscription Required)
• Configure Your Instance
• Localize Your Instance
• Configure Mail
• Configure Users
• Configure File Storage
• Install a Search Engine
• Secure Liferay
• Configure Backups

Other Setup Tasks

• Install Apps From Marketplace
• Configure Roles and Permissions
• Add Custom Fields
• Integrate with Existing Systems
• Configure Media File Previews
• Configure a CDN
• Configure High Availability
• Tune Liferay
• Setting Up JNDI

Each task above links to a description below that includes references to applicable articles. The first tasks are essential for any production-ready Liferay instance. Examine the Other Setup Tasks that also apply to your system. As you complete tasks, make sure to revisit the checklist above.

Activate Liferay

Subscribers

If you’re using Liferay DXP, apply your activation key.

Configure Your Instance

Configure your virtual instance’s basic appearance, contact information, Terms of Use, and essential pages, including landing pages and logout pages. Instance Configuration explains how to do it all.

Localize Your Instance

Configure your instance’s locale and time zone. See Initial Instance Localization for details.

Configure Mail

Set up a mail server to communicate with Users. Then configure your email settings, including your email sender and message templates for email verifications, password resets, and password changes.

Configure Users

After you understand Users, configure them for your instance.

• Enable/disable User fields
• Add any necessary custom User fields
• Specify whether to allow strangers to create accounts
• Define User authentication
• Configure automatic association of Users to specific Sites, Roles, and User Groups

Visit Users, User Authentication.

Configure File Storage

Using Documents and Media, file attachments, and embedding images in content requires file storage. Visit File Storage to configure it.

After setting up file storage, consider enabling antivirus file scanning. See Enabling Antivirus Scanning for Uploaded Files to learn how.

Install a Search Engine

Empower Users to search your site. Search engines such as Liferay Enterprise Search return results fast. Visit Installing a Search Engine.

Secure Liferay

It’s really important to secure Liferay too. Go to Securing Liferay to learn more.

Configure Backups

As you develop your virtual instance make sure to back it up. See Backing Up for guidance.

Other Setup Tasks

The tasks described above are typically (but not always) completed first. In any case, you may need to perform the following applicable tasks soon too.

Install Apps From Marketplace

Improve your sites with themes, connectors, and all kinds applications available on Liferay Marketplace. Installing and managing apps has never been easier.

Configure Roles and Permissions

Use Roles to categorize all of your Users. Define Permissions for the activities Users perform in your Instances and Sites.

Add Custom Fields

Entities in your Instances and applications can be customized with additional fields. See Adding Custom Fields for more information.

Integrate with Existing Systems

Liferay can integrate with some other systems. For example, if you’re using a directory such as LDAP, you can import Users from it. Connecting to an LDAP Directory demonstrates the process. Please search this site for integrations you may need.

Configure Media File Previews

Set up external services for your site’s images, videos, and audio files. See Configuring External Services to learn how.

Configure a CDN

Deliver static content faster via a Content Delivery Network (CDN). Visit Using a CDN for more information.

Configure High Availability

You’ll want eliminate or minimize any site downtime. If a server fails or needs to be shut down for maintenance, it’s important to have other servers to handle the requests. You can maximize site availability by configuring multiple servers for Liferay, the search engine, and other components. Learn how to cluster servers at Clustering for High Availability.

Tune Liferay

Tune Liferay’s JVM, connection pools, and more for optimal performance. See Tuning Liferay and Tuning Your JVM for details.

What’s Next

If you’re using Liferay DXP and haven’t activated it, do that first. Then continue with Instance Configuration and the other Setup Tasks listed above.

Important

Before going to production, configure a process for backing up your installation and data. Please see Backing Up for details.