Define the decision the review supports
A purchase, investment, vendor handover and product rescue each need a different review. Agree the questions, available access and evidence expected before starting. Separate what can be established from repository and system access from matters requiring contracts, financial records or specialist legal advice.
Follow a release after the original supplier leaves
In a hypothetical handover, the buyer receives the repository but the production domain and backup account remain with the supplier. A working website hides this dependency. Ask a second engineer to perform the following checks in an isolated environment.
| Test | Evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| Build from a clean checkout | Dependency versions, build log and required configuration names |
| Restore a backup outside production | Restoration time, record counts and sampled transaction checks |
| Prove control of domain and hosting | Business administrator access and recovery contact ownership |
Trace a real release and recovery
Review how the code becomes a running service, which accounts control it and whether someone else can reproduce the release. Examine configuration, dependencies, tests, monitoring and backup restoration. A screenshot of a working product does not show whether it can be maintained or recovered when the current operator leaves.
Report impact and uncertainty
Findings should identify the affected workflow, evidence, likely consequence and a practical next action. Distinguish urgent service or access risks from improvements that can wait. Any effort estimate should state its assumptions, while unverified ownership or inaccessible systems remain explicit open questions.
Before you proceed
- Agree review questions and access before estimating the work.
- Verify repository, hosting, domain and third-party account control.
- Request findings with evidence, priority and remediation options.
