Natural/ADABAS Government Systems: Reconstructing Complex Public Sector Workflows

The "green screen" is not just a UI relic; for many state and federal agencies, it is the bedrock of societal infrastructure. In departments ranging from the DMV to tax authorities and social services, Natural/ADABAS systems process millions of critical transactions daily. However, the institutional knowledge required to maintain these systems is retiring, and the cost of manual migration is astronomical. According to Replay’s analysis, the global technical debt has ballooned to $3.6 trillion, with government agencies carrying a disproportionate share.

When we talk about naturaladabas government systems reconstructing, we aren't just discussing a UI facelift. We are talking about the extraction of deeply buried business logic from procedural Natural code and inverted-list ADABAS structures into a modern, maintainable stack.

TL;DR: Modernizing Natural/ADABAS legacy systems traditionally takes 18-24 months and faces a 70% failure rate. By using Replay, agencies can leverage Visual Reverse Engineering to convert recorded terminal sessions into documented React components and system flows, reducing the time-per-screen from 40 hours to just 4 hours. This approach bypasses the need for missing documentation and addresses the $3.6 trillion technical debt head-on.

The High Cost of Maintaining Natural/ADABAS Government Systems#

For decades, Software AG’s Natural and ADABAS were the gold standard for high-performance database management and application development. But today, these systems present a "black box" problem. Industry experts recommend that agencies move toward modular architectures, yet 67% of legacy systems lack any form of up-to-date documentation.

In a typical government workflow—say, processing a business license—the logic is often spread across dozens of "Maps" (Natural’s UI layer) and subprograms. Reconstructing these workflows manually requires a rare breed of developer who understands both the legacy syntax and modern TypeScript/React. This talent gap is why 70% of legacy rewrites fail or exceed their original timeline.

Video-to-code is the process of capturing user interactions with these legacy systems via video and using AI-driven analysis to generate functional, documented code. This technology is at the heart of Replay, enabling teams to reconstruct complex public sector workflows without needing to decipher every line of 40-year-old Natural source code.

NaturalADABAS Government Systems Reconstructing: The Visual Reverse Engineering Approach#

The traditional approach to naturaladabas government systems reconstructing involves "the big bang" rewrite. You hire a consultancy, spend six months on discovery, another year on development, and then realize the requirements were misunderstood because the legacy system’s behavior didn't match the (non-existent) documentation.

Replay flips this script. Instead of reading code, you record the workflow.

The Replay Workflow#

1. •Record: A subject matter expert (SME) records themselves performing a standard government task (e.g., "Renewing a Professional License") in the Natural terminal.
2. •Analyze: Replay’s engine analyzes the visual changes, data entry points, and navigational transitions.
3. •Generate: The platform produces a documented React component library and a visual "Flow" of the architecture.
4. •Refine: Developers use the Replay Blueprint Editor to fine-tune the generated code.

Manual Reconstruction vs. Replay-Assisted Reconstruction#

Bridging the Gap: From Green Screens to React Components#

One of the biggest hurdles in naturaladabas government systems reconstructing is handling the state transitions inherent in terminal-based applications. In Natural, "Maps" are often stateful and rely on specific function keys (F1, F3, etc.) to trigger logic.

When Replay reconstructs these, it doesn't just copy the layout; it maps the intent. Below is an example of how a legacy Natural Map for a "Citizen Record Update" might be reconstructed into a modern, type-safe React component using Replay’s generated output.

Code Example: Reconstructed Citizen Form#

typescript
import React, { useState } from 'react';
import { Button, Input, Card, Alert } from '@/components/ui-library';

// Reconstructed from Natural Map: CIT-UPD-01
// Original logic: Validates SSN format and checks ADABAS ISN for record lock

interface CitizenData {
  ssn: string;
  firstName: string;
  lastName: string;
  lastUpdate: string;
}

export const CitizenUpdateForm: React.FC<{ initialData: CitizenData }> = ({ initialData }) => {
  const [formData, setFormData] = useState(initialData);
  const [status, setStatus] = useState<'idle' | 'saving' | 'error'>('idle');

  const handleUpdate = async () => {
    setStatus('saving');
    try {
      // Logic mapped from Natural Subroutine 'VAL-SSN'
      if (!/^\d{3}-\d{2}-\d{4}$/.test(formData.ssn)) {
        throw new Error("Invalid SSN Format");
      }
      // API call representing the ADABAS 'UPDATE' command
      await fetch('/api/v1/citizens', {
        method: 'PUT',
        body: JSON.stringify(formData)
      });
      setStatus('idle');
    } catch (err) {
      setStatus('error');
    }
  };

  return (
    <Card title="Citizen Record Update">
      <div className="grid gap-4">
        <Input 
          label="Social Security Number" 
          value={formData.ssn} 
          onChange={(e) => setFormData({...formData, ssn: e.target.value})}
        />
        <Input 
          label="First Name" 
          value={formData.firstName} 
          onChange={(e) => setFormData({...formData, firstName: e.target.value})}
        />
        <Button onClick={handleUpdate} loading={status === 'saving'}>
          Update Record (PF5 equivalent)
        </Button>
      </div>
      {status === 'error' && <Alert type="error">Validation failed: Check SSN format.</Alert>}
    </Card>
  );
};

This reconstruction ensures that the business rules—like the SSN validation logic—are preserved while moving to a modern UI. For more on how these components are structured, see our guide on Legacy Modernization Strategies.

Reconstructing Complex Data Flows#

ADABAS is a unique database. It uses an inverted-list structure that doesn't map 1:1 to relational databases like PostgreSQL. When naturaladabas government systems reconstructing occurs, the challenge is often the "Flow." A single transaction might touch three different files (tables) and require complex error handling if a "Response Code 113" (Record Locked) occurs.

Replay's "Flows" feature allows architects to visualize these multi-step processes. By recording a sequence of screens, Replay maps the architectural dependencies.

Code Example: Handling Legacy State in Modern Hooks#

typescript
/**
 * Hook generated by Replay to handle multi-screen Natural workflows.
 * Captures the 'Conversation State' often found in Natural 'STACK' commands.
 */
export function useNaturalWorkflow(workflowId: string) {
  const [currentStep, setCurrentStep] = useState(0);
  const [context, setContext] = useState<Record<string, any>>({});

  const nextStep = (data: any) => {
    setContext(prev => ({ ...prev, ...data }));
    setCurrentStep(prev => prev + 1);
  };

  const previousStep = () => {
    setCurrentStep(prev => Math.max(0, prev - 1));
  };

  // Replay-generated mapping of PF-Key navigation
  const handlePFKey = (key: string) => {
    switch(key) {
      case 'F3': // Exit/Back
        previousStep();
        break;
      case 'F5': // Process/Save
        // Trigger API logic
        break;
      default:
        console.log("Unhandled legacy key:", key);
    }
  };

  return { currentStep, context, nextStep, handlePFKey };
}

NaturalADABAS Government Systems Reconstructing: Security and Compliance#

Government systems operate under strict regulatory frameworks. Whether it’s IRS Pub 1075, HIPAA, or CJIS, the data cannot simply be uploaded to a public cloud for analysis.

Replay is built for these high-stakes environments. The platform is SOC2 compliant and offers HIPAA-ready configurations. For agencies with the highest security requirements, Replay can be deployed On-Premise, ensuring that the visual recordings and the generated code never leave the agency’s secure perimeter.

When performing naturaladabas government systems reconstructing, Replay’s AI Automation Suite masks sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information) during the recording phase. This means your modernization team can work with functional UI components without ever seeing actual citizen data.

The Role of the Design System in Reconstruction#

One of the greatest benefits of using Replay for naturaladabas government systems reconstructing is the automatic creation of a Design System. Legacy systems are notoriously inconsistent; three different Natural programs might collect "Address" information in three different ways.

Replay’s Library feature identifies these patterns. It recognizes that "Line 1, Line 2, Zip" is a recurring pattern across the entire ADABAS ecosystem and consolidates them into a single, reusable React component. This not only speeds up the current reconstruction but also prevents the accumulation of new technical debt.

According to Replay’s analysis, using a standardized component library during a legacy migration reduces future maintenance costs by 45%. You can learn more about this in our article on Building Design Systems from Legacy UI.

Overcoming the "Documentation Gap"#

The primary reason naturaladabas government systems reconstructing takes 18 months on average is the "Discovery Phase." Developers spend months reading through Natural code, trying to understand what happens when a user enters "X" in a specific field.

Replay eliminates this phase. The "truth" is not in the code—which might contain dead logic from 1985—but in the actual workflow performed by the user today. By focusing on the visual output and user intent, Replay allows agencies to reconstruct systems based on how they actually function in the present.

Implementing Replay in Your Agency#

The transition from a mainframe-centric environment to a modern cloud-native architecture is a journey. Industry experts recommend a phased approach:

1. •Inventory: Identify the high-value, high-risk Natural/ADABAS workflows.
2. •Capture: Use Replay to record these workflows.
3. •Generate: Produce the initial React components and architectural flows.
4. •Integrate: Connect the new front-end to existing ADABAS data sources via APIs or middleware.
5. •Iterate: Gradually replace the legacy backend with modern microservices.

By focusing on naturaladabas government systems reconstructing through visual reverse engineering, agencies can show progress in weeks rather than years. This visibility is crucial for maintaining legislative funding and stakeholder support.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Does Replay require access to our Natural source code?#

No. Replay uses Visual Reverse Engineering. It analyzes the user interface and interactions from video recordings of the system in use. This is particularly beneficial for agencies that have lost access to original source code or have poorly documented systems.

Can Replay handle the "Inverted List" structure of ADABAS?#

While Replay focuses on the UI and workflow Reconstruction, it maps the data entry points and outputs that correspond to ADABAS fields. This allows developers to see exactly how data is structured for the end-user, making it much easier to design modern API contracts that bridge the gap to the legacy database.

How does Replay ensure the security of citizen data during recording?#

Replay includes an AI-powered PII masking suite. This automatically detects and obscures sensitive information like Social Security Numbers, names, and addresses during the recording process, ensuring that the data used for naturaladabas government systems reconstructing is compliant with SOC2 and HIPAA standards.

What is the average time savings when using Replay?#

On average, Replay reduces the time required to modernize a single screen from 40 hours (manual analysis and coding) to 4 hours. For a large government system with hundreds of screens, this equates to a 70% average time savings, moving timelines from years to months.

Can Replay be deployed on-premise?#

Yes. We understand that government agencies often have strict data sovereignty requirements. Replay offers an On-Premise deployment option to ensure that all video recordings and generated code stay within your secure network.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay