05/18/2022: edited to reflect the 7.3 release name change
What are the Release Changes?
Starting with Liferay DXP 7.3 SP3+ and 7.4 GA1+ Liferay will be replacing our traditional approach to updates and fixes with a new release model. In place of partial updates Liferay will instead perform a complete bundle release that will contain the entire product including updates and fixes. A separate cumulative maintenance patch will not be released. This change is designed to bring Liferay DXP closer in alignment with modern software development cycles and assist our customers in reaching their business needs in a simpler and more reliable fashion. 7.3 releases after Liferay DXP 7.3 SP3 will be titled Update similar to the existing 7.4 releases.
- What are some of the benefits of the new approach?
- What if we don't use the Liferay Bundle?
- How does this affect me if I am using Docker?
- What if I need a Hotfix?
- How does this affect our Liferay Support?
- Questions?
What are some of the benefits of the new approach?
There are several benefits with this new approach:
- Simpler installation via a unified process for fix packs and service packs. Customers will no longer need to take multiple steps to stay up to date as all changes are found in a single package.
- More reliable release schedule. A simplified process for preparing our releases means our customers can have more confidence in the release schedule.
- Improved security. By providing bundled versions of Liferay updates we can also provide customers with the latest and most secure versions of Tomcat to mitigate risk.
- Smaller releases. We will no longer need the fix pack information stored in the bundles making the actual file sizes required for download lighter weight.
What if we don’t use the Liferay Bundle?
Customers who are not working with our pre-packaged Tomcat bundles will use the same process that they normally use when setting up a new installation or environment. Update releases will be accompanied by separate artifacts for both the portal and the necessary dependencies which customers can use with any of the supported application servers based on their version of the support matrix.
How does this affect me if I am using Docker?
Customers who are currently working with Docker should be unaffected by this change as fix packs and service packs are released as new images with the latest changes. Docker images already contain a full release bundle when they are published.
What if I need a Hotfix?
Hotfixes will continue to be issued based on the existing terms of your support policy. Hotfixes will continue to be applied using the patching tool and scheduled for integration into a future release. It is expected that hotfix installation will be faster as the patches will only need to modify the changes required for the hotfix itself.
How does this affect our Liferay Support?
Support will continue the same process in place today for researching and escalating issues such as defects and security vulnerabilities. Support will work to identify if a defect has already been resolved and available to the customer in an updated release. If Support discovers that a defect is new and unresolved, then Liferay will resolve the issue in one of two ways, either an official upcoming release and/or a custom hotfix.
However, customers on 7.4 can expect customer specific hotfixes will be made available on demand for releases which have been issued within 180 days or the last 6 Updates, whichever is greater, as determined by the date the incident was reported to Liferay.
Questions?
Have more questions about changes to the release process? Don’t hesitate to reach out to your account representative who’ll be happy to help.