Oldham Chronicle - Legacy to Modern Stack Migration

Project Overview

Oldham Chronicle is a regional online newspaper and community portal serving Oldham, UK. The platform handles local news, sports, jobs, events, family notices, property, and business/community listings.

This project involved a complete technology migration from a legacy Windows-hosted architecture to a modern, scalable web platform while preserving editorial workflows, category structures, and business-critical modules.

Legacy Stack (Before Migration)

Frontend/Server Rendering: Classic ASP
Database: Microsoft SQL Server 2016 Web Edition
Web Server: IIS 10.0 on Windows Server 2016
Infra: Dedicated web and database servers (Zen Internet hosting)
Dependencies: IIS SMTP component (IIS 6.0), SoftArtisans FileUp, ImageResizer, Google Maps API integration

Modern Stack (After Migration)

Frontend: Next.js + React
Backend: Node.js + Express.js API services
Database: PostgreSQL
ORM/Data Layer: Prisma
Infrastructure: VPS deployment with process management and environment-based configuration

What I Delivered

1. Full Platform Migration Strategy

Audited legacy ASP templates, SQL Server schema, and route-level dependencies
Mapped old modules to modern component + API architecture
Planned phased rollout to reduce disruption to editorial operations

2. Data Model and Database Migration

Re-designed relational models in PostgreSQL for news, jobs, events, notices, property, and taxonomy data
Implemented Prisma schema and migration flow for repeatable deployments
Migrated and validated historical records with category and permalink integrity checks

3. Feature Parity + Modular Rebuild

Rebuilt key portal sections: News, Sports, Jobs, Events, Family Notices, and Property
Implemented reusable listing/detail page patterns with category and search support
Preserved content hierarchy and URL behavior for continuity

4. API and Integration Layer

Built Express-based API endpoints for content retrieval, filtering, and management
Replaced legacy server-coupled logic with modular service-based handlers
Integrated modern validation and error-handling patterns for stable publishing flows

5. SEO and Performance Modernization

Implemented SSR/SSG patterns in Next.js for improved indexability and page speed
Added structured metadata support and clean route architecture
Optimized rendering and payload handling for high-volume news pages

6. Infrastructure and Operational Improvements

Migrated deployment from IIS-bound setup to VPS-based Node runtime
Centralized config and environment management for safer releases
Improved observability and maintainability for long-term scaling

Technical Scope Covered

Legacy analysis and migration planning
SQL Server to PostgreSQL transition
Prisma-based schema modeling
Next.js UI rebuild for editorial sections
Express API architecture
Search/category pipelines
VPS deployment and production hardening

Business Impact

Reduced technical debt from legacy ASP/IIS dependencies
Improved maintainability and developer velocity with a modern JS stack
Preserved critical newspaper workflows during migration
Delivered a scalable foundation for future modules and monetization features
Positioned the platform for ongoing performance, SEO, and product growth