As with many systems, properties files are used to configure various default settings for the Dashboard. These are not limited to, but include:
Database settings
For more information about configuring the database connection, see Section 2.2.3, Configuring the Dashboard Database.
Portal time zone
For more information about setting the time zone, see Section 2.2.4, Verifying the Dashboard Default Time Zone for User Accounts.
Auto-login
For information about configuring auto-login with your web server, see Section 3.3.1, Implementing Auto-Login with Your Web Server.
Session timeout
For information about setting and disabling session timeout, see Section 3.4, Setting Session Timeout.
Synchronization with Operations Center
For information about access control synchronizer settings, see Section 4.1.2, Updating Access Control Synchronizer Settings.
Disabling of self-service user account creation, authentication, and notification settings
Default home pages for user groups
For information about configuring a home page based on user groups, sites, and organization memberships, see Section 5.8, Configuring Default Home for User Groups, Sites, and Organizations.
Configuration settings for Liferay servlets, portlets, and standard functionality
For example, set the my.places.max.elements property to set the number of items (sites and organizations) shown in the drop-down list under My Sites.
Liferay portal settings are defined in the portal.properties file. Other settings necessary to integrate Operations Center and Operations Center portlets are defined in the portal-ext.properties file. Do not modify this file, as you might overwrite any update process that is already running. Instead, always make custom configurations in the portal-ext.custom.properties file.
Settings in portal-ext.custom.properties always take precedence over settings in portal-ext.properties, which in turn always take precedence over settings in portal.properties.
For information about customizations you can make to the Dashboard through portal-ext.custom.properties, see http://www.liferay.com/community/wiki/-/wiki/MainPortal+Properties+6.2.