Forensic UI Analysis for Public Utility Software: A Post-Mortem Approach

When a regional power grid's control interface fails during a peak-load winter storm, you aren't looking for a "clean rewrite"—you're performing an autopsy on a system built before the internet was commercialized. In the world of public utilities, software doesn't just age; it fossilizes. These systems, often running on COBOL or legacy Java backends with frontends designed in the late 90s, manage critical infrastructure where a single UI glitch can lead to catastrophic service interruptions.

The challenge isn't just that the code is old; it’s that the people who wrote it have retired, and the documentation has been lost to three decades of office moves and server migrations. According to Replay's analysis, 67% of legacy systems in the public sector lack any form of updated technical documentation. This creates a "black box" scenario where developers are afraid to touch a single line of code for fear of collapsing the entire grid.

To modernize these systems without risking a total service collapse, we must adopt a post-mortem approach: forensic analysis public utility software through visual reverse engineering.

TL;DR: Public utility software suffers from extreme technical debt ($3.6 trillion globally) and a lack of documentation. Traditional manual rewrites take 18-24 months and have a 70% failure rate. Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering to convert recorded user workflows into documented React code, reducing the modernization timeline from years to weeks and cutting manual labor from 40 hours per screen to just 4 hours.

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The Crisis of Undocumented Infrastructure#

Public utilities—water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications—operate on a "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" mentality. However, the "broken" threshold is being redefined by cybersecurity threats and the need for modern API integrations. The global technical debt has ballooned to $3.6 trillion, and nowhere is this more felt than in the public sector.

When we talk about forensic analysis public utility systems, we are referring to the systematic deconstruction of a live, running interface to understand the underlying business logic that has been obscured by layers of "spaghetti code."

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of capturing the visual output and state transitions of a legacy application to reconstruct its logic, components, and data flow in a modern framework like React.

Industry experts recommend that instead of attempting to read the source code of a 30-year-old system—which may be obfuscated or rely on extinct libraries—architects should focus on the behavioral truth of the application. What does the user see? What happens when they click "Grid Distribution"? By recording these workflows, tools like Replay can bypass the source code mess and jump straight to a functional modern equivalent.

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The Methodology: Forensic Analysis Public Utility Workflows#

A forensic approach to UI modernization involves four distinct phases: Discovery, Extraction, Mapping, and Reconstruction.

1. Discovery: The Black Box Recording#

In a public utility environment, you cannot simply shut down the system to study it. Forensic analysis begins by recording actual user workflows. This is where Replay excels. By capturing the interaction between the operator and the legacy terminal or web app, Replay creates a "Digital Twin" of the UI.

2. Extraction: Component Harvesting#

Once the workflow is recorded, the forensic tool analyzes the DOM (or the visual pixels in the case of terminal emulators) to identify repeating patterns. These patterns are the DNA of your new Design System. Instead of manually coding a "Meter Reading Table" from scratch, the extraction tool identifies the table structure, the data types, and the CSS properties (however archaic) and prepares them for conversion.

3. Mapping: Connecting the Pipes#

The most critical part of forensic analysis public utility software is mapping the old data outputs to new API endpoints. Legacy systems often handle data in non-standard formats (e.g., fixed-width text files or SOAP).

4. Reconstruction: React Generation#

Finally, the extracted components are reconstructed into a modern React architecture. This isn't just a "reskin"; it's a structural rebirth.

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Technical Implementation: From Legacy XML to Modern React#

In a typical utility forensic analysis, you might encounter a legacy response that looks like this:

typescript
// Example of a legacy "Grid Status" data structure found during forensic analysis
interface LegacyGridResponse {
  SYS_ID: string;
  ZN_01_STAT: "0" | "1"; // 0 = Down, 1 = Active
  ZN_01_LOAD: number;
  LAST_UPDT_TS: string; // Format: YYYYMMDDHHMMSS
  OPERATOR_NOTES: string; // Often contains hidden business logic in plain text
}

Manually converting this for every screen in a utility management suite is why 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their timeline. Using Replay, the "Flows" feature identifies how this data populates the UI and generates a modernized React component with built-in state management.

Here is what the generated code looks like after Replay’s AI Automation Suite processes the forensic data:

tsx
import React, { useState, useEffect } from 'react';
import { StatusBadge, Card, GridTable } from '@/components/ui-library';

// Modernized Component generated via Replay Visual Reverse Engineering
export const PowerGridMonitor: React.FC<{ zoneId: string }> = ({ zoneId }) => {
  const [gridData, setGridData] = useState<any>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    // Replay identifies the legacy endpoint and maps it to a modern fetch
    const fetchData = async () => {
      const response = await fetch(`/api/v1/forensic/grid-status/${zoneId}`);
      const data = await response.json();
      setGridData(data);
    };
    fetchData();
  }, [zoneId]);

  if (!gridData) return <SkeletonLoader />;

  return (
    <Card title={`Zone Analysis: ${gridData.zoneName}`}>
      <div className="flex justify-between items-center p-4">
        <StatusBadge status={gridData.isActive ? 'active' : 'critical'} />
        <span className="text-sm font-mono">Load: {gridData.currentLoad}MW</span>
      </div>
      <GridTable data={gridData.history} />
      {/* Replay automatically captures and documents internal business logic notes */}
      <div className="mt-4 p-2 bg-slate-100 rounded text-xs">
        <strong>Forensic Note:</strong> {gridData.operatorLegacyNotes}
      </div>
    </Card>
  );
};

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Why "Rip and Replace" is a Dangerous Myth#

For public utilities, the "Rip and Replace" strategy is a recipe for disaster. These organizations are often subject to strict regulatory oversight (SOC2, HIPAA-ready, or Government-specific compliance). A total rewrite introduces too many variables.

According to Replay's analysis, the "Post-Mortem" approach—where you treat the existing UI as the source of truth—is significantly safer. By using Replay's Blueprints, architects can see a side-by-side comparison of the legacy workflow and the new React implementation. This ensures that no critical "hidden" features—like a specific validation rule for a water pressure valve—are lost in translation.

Modernizing Legacy Systems requires a surgical touch, not a sledgehammer. By focusing on forensic analysis public utility data, organizations can maintain 100% feature parity while moving to a stack that allows for rapid iteration.

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Scaling the Forensic Process with AI#

The sheer scale of utility software—often comprising thousands of screens—makes manual forensic analysis impossible. If a manual screen conversion takes 40 hours, a 500-screen application would take 20,000 developer hours. At an average enterprise rate, that’s a multi-million dollar gamble.

Replay reduces this to 4 hours per screen. The AI Automation Suite doesn't just copy the UI; it understands the intent. It identifies that a series of radio buttons in a 1995 Delphi app is actually a "Multi-Step Configuration Flow" and suggests a modern Stepper component from your new Design System.

The Role of "Flows" in Public Utility Analysis#

In a water treatment facility, the "Flow" of data is literal and figurative. Forensic analysis public utility software must account for asynchronous updates from IoT sensors. Replay's "Flows" feature maps these state changes over time. When a sensor triggers an alert in the legacy UI, Replay records the exact DOM mutation and the associated network request, allowing the AI to write the corresponding

or React Query hook in the new application.

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Security and Compliance in Regulated Environments#

Public utilities are prime targets for state-sponsored cyber-attacks. Modernizing the UI is often a security mandate to remove vulnerabilities inherent in old browser plugins (like Flash or Silverlight) or outdated Java Applets.

Replay is built for these high-stakes environments:

• •SOC2 & HIPAA-ready: Ensuring data handled during the forensic process is encrypted and managed according to enterprise standards.
• •On-Premise Deployment: For utilities that cannot allow data to leave their internal network, Replay offers on-premise solutions to perform forensic analysis behind the firewall.
• •Audit Trails: Every component generated via the forensic process is linked back to the original recording, providing a clear audit trail for regulators.

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The Economics of Forensic Modernization#

The financial argument for forensic analysis public utility software is undeniable. With an 18-month average enterprise rewrite timeline, most projects are obsolete before they even launch. By utilizing Replay, organizations can demonstrate ROI in weeks.

Consider a mid-sized electric cooperative with 200 internal screens for billing, grid management, and customer service.

Manual Approach:

• •200 screens x 40 hours = 8,000 hours
• •8,000 hours @ $150/hr = $1.2 Million
• •Timeline: 12-14 months (excluding testing)

Replay Approach:

• •200 screens x 4 hours = 800 hours
• •800 hours @ $150/hr = $120,000
• •Timeline: 2 months (including testing)

The 70% average time savings isn't just a marketing stat; it's the difference between a successful digital transformation and a failed project that drains the capital improvement budget.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is forensic analysis for public utility software?#

It is a specialized method of reverse-engineering legacy software by analyzing the visual output and user workflows of a running system. This approach is used when source code is poorly documented, or the original developers are no longer available. It ensures that the "behavioral truth" of the system is preserved during modernization.

Why is manual UI documentation so slow for utilities?#

Public utility UIs are often incredibly dense, featuring complex data tables, real-time monitoring widgets, and deep nested menus. Manually documenting these requires a developer to click through every possible state, record the network calls, and map the UI logic to a new design, which averages 40 hours per screen.

Can Replay handle terminal emulators or mainframe UIs?#

Yes. Through visual analysis and screen recording, Replay can identify patterns in terminal emulators (green screens) and convert those workflows into modern, accessible web components. This is a core part of forensic analysis public utility strategies for organizations still relying on mainframe backends.

How does Replay ensure security during the forensic process?#

Replay is designed for regulated industries, offering SOC2 compliance and on-premise deployment options. This ensures that sensitive utility data never leaves the secure environment while the visual reverse engineering and code generation take place.

What happens to the business logic hidden in the legacy UI?#

Replay’s "Flows" and "Blueprints" features are specifically designed to capture business logic that isn't explicitly stated in the code. By recording how the UI reacts to specific inputs, Replay documents the "hidden" rules and incorporates them into the generated React components.

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Conclusion: The Path Forward for Public Utilities#

The "post-mortem" approach to software doesn't mean the system is dead—it means we are treating the existing interface as the ultimate source of truth. For public utilities, where the stakes include public safety and regional stability, we cannot afford the luxury of "guessing" what a legacy system does.

Through forensic analysis public utility workflows, we can bridge the gap between 1990s infrastructure and 2024 technology. Replay provides the toolkit to perform this surgery with precision, speed, and safety. By converting recordings into React code and structured Design Systems, we aren't just updating a UI; we are securing the future of our critical infrastructure.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay