Codebase rescue & upgrades · React · Node.js · PHP
Inherited a codebase nobody understands?
The agency moved on. The freelancer stopped answering. Or it was built fast with AI tools, and now it's slow, insecure or stuck on a runtime that no longer gets security fixes. I get it stable, upgraded and documented, then hand it back to your team or your next vendor.
Restore & stabilise
Get the source, the server and the backups back under your control.
- Source recovered into a repository you own
- Server rebuilt reproducibly, so it can be rebuilt again
- Backups that have been restored at least once
- Monitoring and alerts from day one
Upgrades before support ends
Node.js 20 left support in April 2026. Old PHP versions are next.
- Node.js, PHP, Next.js and React upgrades with a tested rollback
- Dependency upgrades in small, reviewable steps
- Breaking changes found by tests, not by customers
- A support calendar so it doesn't happen again
Security hardening
Close the doors before someone tries them.
- Dependency and secret audits, with fixes, not just a report
- Authentication, file upload and admin panels reviewed
- Breach discovery on code and servers when something already looks wrong
- Patching that keeps pace with AI-found vulnerabilities
Performance
Slow is usually a handful of causes.
- Slow queries and missing indexes in MySQL, MariaDB or MongoDB
- Blocked Node.js event loops and memory leaks
- Heavy React pages, images and bundles
- Load tests that match your busiest day
From MVP to scale
It worked for the first thousand users. Now it doesn't.
- Off the single server, without a big-bang rewrite
- Queues for slow work: PDFs, media, emails, imports
- Capacity planning and autoscaling sized for real traffic
- Staging that matches production
Documentation & handover
The next developer should be productive in a day.
- Architecture notes and a map of every service
- One-command local setup
- Runbooks for deploys, restores and incidents
- A walkthrough with your team or new vendor
Stacks
What I work in.
- Web: React 19 and Next.js, Tailwind, three.js for 3D and AR
- Mobile: React Native and Expo
- APIs: Node.js and TypeScript with Express; PHP and Laravel for upgrades and hardening
- Data: MySQL, MariaDB, MongoDB, Redis
- Business systems: Python, Frappe and ERPNext
- Running it: Docker, Traefik, Prometheus, Grafana, Loki and Tempo
Proof
Four React and Node.js platforms I run today.
- VisaMart, a visa-services platform: web admin in Next.js, React Native apps for agents and customers, a TypeScript API with document generation.
- Platterix, a 3D and AR product platform: React and three.js front end, a media pipeline that prepares 3D models and video, real-time updates.
- Paper Set, an exam-paper builder: maths typesetting, PDF output, a web app and an admin.
- CraveTech's company website, whose codebase and server I restored and now keep running.
Each one is hosted, backed up and monitored on infrastructure I operate.
Services in this area
Codebase assessment
What you have, what's at risk and what it would take to fix.
Codebase restore
Source recovered into a repository you own, verified to build and run.
Server restore
A failed or corrupted server brought back from backup and checked.
Breach discovery
Code and server forensics to find how someone got in and what they reached.
Security review & hardening
Application and infrastructure reviewed, with the fixes made.
Performance audit
Slow queries, pages and services profiled, with a ranked fix list.
Server migration
Off the old server or host, with cut-over and rollback planned.
Cloud, CI/CD & staging setup
Reproducible environments, pipelines and a staging copy of production.
Development & upgrades
Fixes, runtime upgrades and code documentation on your codebase.
Monitoring & maintenance
Patches, uptime, errors and backups watched every month.
Next step