Senior PHP Systems Analyst Needed to Document 25-Year Legacy PHP/MySQL Platform (Architecture + Database + Flows)
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
OVERVIEW
We are a financial services/insurance company operating a mature PHP–MySQL system that has evolved over approximately 25 years.
The system supports core insurance operations, including:
* Client management
* Policy administration
* Premium collection
* Claims processing
Due to its long evolution, the system lacks comprehensive technical documentation.
We are looking for a highly experienced developer or small specialist team to reverse-engineer and document the system so that new developers can quickly understand and work on it.
This is NOT a basic PHP job. We are specifically looking for someone experienced in analysing and documenting complex legacy systems who will get limited assistance/guidance from our current developer.
OBJECTIVE
Produce a complete, structured System Blueprint that clearly explains:
* system architecture
* database relationships
* module structure
* code dependencies
* business processes
SCOPE OF WORK
You will work on a sanitised copy of the system (no production access).
Your responsibilities include:
1. System Architecture Analysis
* Analyse the PHP codebase
* Identify structure and layers
* Produce architecture diagrams
2. Database Reverse Engineering
* Analyse MySQL database
* Create ER diagrams
* Document table relationships
3. Module Mapping
* Identify core modules (clients, policies, premiums, claims, etc.)
* Map scripts to modules
4. Code & Dependency Mapping
* Identify file dependencies (includes/requires)
* Map which scripts interact with which database tables
5. Business Process Mapping
Document flows such as:
* client onboarding
* policy creation
* premium calculation and collection
* claims processing
6. Legacy System Audit
* Identify unused modules/scripts
* Highlight risks or inconsistencies
DELIVERABLES (Required)
1. System Architecture Diagram (high-level + detailed)
2. Database Documentation (ER diagrams + table descriptions)
3. Module Map (clearly structured)
4. Script-to-Database Mapping
5. Business Process Flow Diagrams
6. Developer Onboarding Guide
7. Legacy Risk / Observations Report
SECURITY & ACCESS (Important)
* You will NOT have access to production systems
* You will NOT receive real database credentials
* All work will be done on a sanitised copy of the system
* All client/personal data is anonymised
You will be required to sign:
* NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
* Contractor Agreement with confidentiality provisions
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
* Strong PHP (including legacy PHP systems)
* Strong MySQL / relational database experience
* Experience reverse-engineering undocumented systems
* Experience producing technical documentation
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
* Financial services / insurance systems
* Large or long-running systems (10+ years old)
* Familiarity with tools such as:
* PHPStan / PhpDepend
* SchemaSpy / MySQL Workbench
* Documentation frameworks
THIS PROJECT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR
* Junior developers
* Basic website developers
* WordPress-only experience
PROJECT STRUCTURE
Milestone-based:
* Phase/Milestone 1: Architecture + database diagrams
* Phase/Milestone 2: Module mapping + dependency analysis
* Phase/Milestone 3: Full documentation + onboarding guide
Estimated duration: 1–2 weeks depending on the Ai tools used and the developer's experience. Payment will be made as follows: Of the agreed fee, 30% each for phase 1 and 2 on completion and 40% on the completion of phase 3. After each phase/milestone has been reached our current developer will advise on the work done and if what has been done is sufficient and correct. Payment for that phase/milestone will then be released.
TO APPLY (Required)
Please include the following in your proposal:
1. Examples of similar legacy systems you have analysed or documented
2. The tools and methodology you would use
3. A brief explanation of how you would map PHP scripts to database tables
4. Your estimated timeline
Applications that do not address the above will not be considered. You can send it privately once we contact you.
ALSO, ALL DEVELOPERS WHO I CONTACT WILL BE EXPECTED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION (Mandatory)
Describe how you would safely analyse a legacy PHP system WITHOUT access to production data and how you would identify which scripts interact with which database tables.
If you have read the above project description then please put the letters MUL on the first line of your bid.
We are a financial services/insurance company operating a mature PHP–MySQL system that has evolved over approximately 25 years.
The system supports core insurance operations, including:
* Client management
* Policy administration
* Premium collection
* Claims processing
Due to its long evolution, the system lacks comprehensive technical documentation.
We are looking for a highly experienced developer or small specialist team to reverse-engineer and document the system so that new developers can quickly understand and work on it.
This is NOT a basic PHP job. We are specifically looking for someone experienced in analysing and documenting complex legacy systems who will get limited assistance/guidance from our current developer.
OBJECTIVE
Produce a complete, structured System Blueprint that clearly explains:
* system architecture
* database relationships
* module structure
* code dependencies
* business processes
SCOPE OF WORK
You will work on a sanitised copy of the system (no production access).
Your responsibilities include:
1. System Architecture Analysis
* Analyse the PHP codebase
* Identify structure and layers
* Produce architecture diagrams
2. Database Reverse Engineering
* Analyse MySQL database
* Create ER diagrams
* Document table relationships
3. Module Mapping
* Identify core modules (clients, policies, premiums, claims, etc.)
* Map scripts to modules
4. Code & Dependency Mapping
* Identify file dependencies (includes/requires)
* Map which scripts interact with which database tables
5. Business Process Mapping
Document flows such as:
* client onboarding
* policy creation
* premium calculation and collection
* claims processing
6. Legacy System Audit
* Identify unused modules/scripts
* Highlight risks or inconsistencies
DELIVERABLES (Required)
1. System Architecture Diagram (high-level + detailed)
2. Database Documentation (ER diagrams + table descriptions)
3. Module Map (clearly structured)
4. Script-to-Database Mapping
5. Business Process Flow Diagrams
6. Developer Onboarding Guide
7. Legacy Risk / Observations Report
SECURITY & ACCESS (Important)
* You will NOT have access to production systems
* You will NOT receive real database credentials
* All work will be done on a sanitised copy of the system
* All client/personal data is anonymised
You will be required to sign:
* NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
* Contractor Agreement with confidentiality provisions
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
* Strong PHP (including legacy PHP systems)
* Strong MySQL / relational database experience
* Experience reverse-engineering undocumented systems
* Experience producing technical documentation
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
* Financial services / insurance systems
* Large or long-running systems (10+ years old)
* Familiarity with tools such as:
* PHPStan / PhpDepend
* SchemaSpy / MySQL Workbench
* Documentation frameworks
THIS PROJECT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR
* Junior developers
* Basic website developers
* WordPress-only experience
PROJECT STRUCTURE
Milestone-based:
* Phase/Milestone 1: Architecture + database diagrams
* Phase/Milestone 2: Module mapping + dependency analysis
* Phase/Milestone 3: Full documentation + onboarding guide
Estimated duration: 1–2 weeks depending on the Ai tools used and the developer's experience. Payment will be made as follows: Of the agreed fee, 30% each for phase 1 and 2 on completion and 40% on the completion of phase 3. After each phase/milestone has been reached our current developer will advise on the work done and if what has been done is sufficient and correct. Payment for that phase/milestone will then be released.
TO APPLY (Required)
Please include the following in your proposal:
1. Examples of similar legacy systems you have analysed or documented
2. The tools and methodology you would use
3. A brief explanation of how you would map PHP scripts to database tables
4. Your estimated timeline
Applications that do not address the above will not be considered. You can send it privately once we contact you.
ALSO, ALL DEVELOPERS WHO I CONTACT WILL BE EXPECTED TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION (Mandatory)
Describe how you would safely analyse a legacy PHP system WITHOUT access to production data and how you would identify which scripts interact with which database tables.
If you have read the above project description then please put the letters MUL on the first line of your bid.