# Sentinel Codebase Analysis & Roadmap Review

## COMPLETE CODEBASE ANALYSIS (v1.1.0)

### Core Architecture

**Main Entry Point: `sentinel.php`**
- Plugin initialization via `sentinel_init()` hook
- License validation system (premium checks)
- Global helper functions (`sentinel_log_event()`, `sentinel_is_premium()`)
- WordPress hook integration for automatic event capture
- Error handlers (PHP, database, HTTP, cron)

**Key Classes:**

1. **`Sentinel_Events`** - Event registry system
   - Registers all trackable events
   - Categories: authentication, content, system, security, user, admin, general, audit, errors, privacy
   - Priorities: low, medium, high, critical
   - Event enable/disable functionality

2. **`Sentinel_Logger`** - Core logging engine
   - Batch logging with queue system (optional)
   - Rate limiting with graceful degradation
   - Recursive logging protection
   - Database write protection
   - Queue size limits (1000 max)
   - Priority-based rate limiting (critical always passes)

3. **`Sentinel_Admin`** - Admin interface
   - Dashboard, Logs, Events Registry, Settings pages
   - Incidents page (Premium only)
   - WordPress dashboard widget
   - Export functionality (JSON)
   - Test data generation

4. **`Sentinel_Auth_Counters`** - Premium security feature
   - Real-time authentication attempt tracking
   - Brute force detection
   - Username enumeration detection
   - XML-RPC flood detection
   - IP blocking/throttling
   - Transient-based counters (15min TTL)

5. **`Sentinel_Incidents`** - Premium security incidents
   - Automatic incident creation from counters
   - Incident types: bruteforce, enumeration, xmlrpc_flood
   - Auto-resolution system
   - Confidence levels (low, medium, high)
   - Status tracking (open, resolved)

6. **`Sentinel_Digest_Reports`** - Email notifications
   - Daily summaries (events, errors, user activity)
   - Weekly digests (health, performance, security)
   - Granular notification system
   - Email templates (HTML + plain text)
   - Section toggles per digest type

7. **`Sentinel_File_Monitor`** - File integrity monitoring
   - Core files: wp-config.php, .htaccess
   - Premium: theme files, plugin files, custom paths
   - Hash-based change detection
   - Size change thresholds
   - Exclusion patterns

8. **`Sentinel_Memory_Monitor`** - Memory tracking
   - Request lifecycle monitoring
   - Memory leak detection
   - Threshold warnings (60%, 80%, 100%)
   - Memory hog identification
   - Auto-optimization triggers
   - Admin dashboard warnings

9. **`Sentinel_Integration_Registry`** - Third-party integrations
   - WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, WPForms, Gravity Forms, Yoast SEO
   - Interface-based architecture
   - Auto-detection of active plugins
   - Event registration per integration

10. **`Sentinel_Rest_API`** - External API access
    - Namespace: `sentinel-plugin/v1`
    - Endpoints: `/logs`, `/stats`, `/events/types`
    - API key authentication
    - Cookie-based fallback
    - Permission checks

11. **`Sentinel_Cleanup`** - Maintenance
    - Log retention (default 30 days)
    - Archive system (90+ days)
    - Table optimization
    - Database statistics

12. **`Sentinel_Privacy`** - GDPR compliance
    - User data anonymization
    - Deletion request handling
    - Data export

### Current Event Coverage

**Authentication:** login, logout, registration, failed login, bad cookies
**Content:** posts (publish/update/delete), comments (post/approve/delete), profile updates
**System:** plugin/theme activation/deactivation/updates, core upgrades, maintenance mode
**Security:** incidents, IP blocks, throttles, rate limits
**Errors:** PHP (fatal/warning/notice/deprecated), database, memory, permissions, config, HTTP (404/500), cron, remote requests
**Ecommerce:** WooCommerce orders, payments, status changes
**Forms:** CF7, WPForms submissions
**SEO:** Yoast meta/score/schema updates

### Current Premium Features

1. **Authentication Counters** - Real-time tracking with thresholds
2. **Security Incidents** - Automatic detection and management
3. **File Monitoring** - Extended file watching (theme/plugin/custom)
4. **Memory Leak Detection** - Advanced memory analysis
5. **Incidents Dashboard** - Security incident management UI

### Database Schema

**Tables:**
- `wp_sentinel_logs` - Main event log table
- `wp_sentinel_logs_archive` - Archived logs (90+ days)
- `wp_sentinel_incidents` - Security incidents (Premium)

**Key Fields:**
- event_key, category, priority
- user_id, ip_address, user_agent, url
- data (JSON)
- created_at

### Settings System

**Option Keys:**
- `sentinel_log_management` - Main settings array
- `sentinel_security_settings` - Premium security settings
- `sentinel_custom_events` - Custom event definitions
- `sentinel_disabled_events` - Disabled event list
- `sentinel_file_hashes` - File monitoring hashes
- `sentinel_memory_analysis_history` - Memory tracking data

---

## ROADMAP REVIEW & RECOMMENDATIONS

### ✅ ALREADY IMPLEMENTED (Don't Duplicate)

**Observation:**
- ✅ Error context (PHP errors, database errors, HTTP errors)
- ✅ Event correlation (via event_key, category, priority system)
- ✅ Admin vs Frontend breakdown (via URL tracking)
- ✅ Cron job observability (`wp_cron_error` events)
- ✅ Plugin load order visibility (via memory monitor checkpoints)

**Explanation:**
- ✅ Plain-English summaries (event descriptions in registry)
- ✅ Repeated issue detection (via event_key grouping in logs)
- ✅ Error age awareness (created_at timestamps)

**Stability:**
- ✅ Log retention caps (30-day default, configurable)
- ✅ Queue health alerts (rate limit warnings)
- ✅ Safe-mode logging (fallback if DB fails)
- ✅ Export tools (JSON export exists)

**Notifications:**
- ✅ Per-category notification rules (digest reports)
- ✅ Threshold-based alerts (rate limiting)
- ✅ Multi-recipient support (email system)
- ✅ Digest preview (email templates)

---

### 🎯 ROADMAP ADDITIONS (Based on Codebase)

#### **OBSERVATION - Missing Features**

1. **Full Request Timeline** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Memory monitor tracks checkpoints but doesn't show full request flow
   - **Implementation:** Extend `Sentinel_Memory_Monitor` to track:
     - `init` → `plugins_loaded` → `wp_loaded` → `template_redirect` → `shutdown`
     - Time deltas between hooks
     - Memory deltas per hook
   - **Storage:** New table `wp_sentinel_request_timelines` or extend logs table
   - **UI:** Timeline visualization in dashboard

2. **Per-URL Hotspot Detection** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** URL is logged but not analyzed for failure rates
   - **Implementation:** 
     - Query logs grouped by URL
     - Calculate error rate per URL
     - Compare to site average
     - Alert on URLs with >20% error rate
   - **Storage:** Transient cache for URL stats
   - **UI:** "Problem URLs" widget

3. **AJAX Breakdown** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** No distinction between AJAX and regular requests
   - **Implementation:**
     - Detect AJAX via `DOING_AJAX` or `wp_ajax_*` hooks
     - Add `request_type` field to logs (admin/frontend/ajax/cron)
     - Filter in dashboard
   - **Storage:** Add column or detect from URL/user_agent

4. **Plugin Load Order Visibility** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Memory monitor tracks `plugins_loaded` but doesn't show order
   - **Implementation:**
     - Hook into `plugin_loaded` action
     - Track plugin load sequence
     - Store in transient or option
   - **Storage:** `sentinel_plugin_load_order` option

5. **Theme vs Plugin Blame Hints** ⭐ LOW PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Errors logged but no attribution
   - **Implementation:**
     - Parse error stack traces for plugin/theme paths
     - Extract plugin/theme name from path
     - Add `blame_source` field to error events
   - **Storage:** Add to error event data

#### **EXPLANATION - Missing Features**

1. **"Why This Matters" Panel** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Events have descriptions but no impact explanation
   - **Implementation:**
     - Add `impact_level` and `impact_description` to event config
     - Show in event detail modal
     - Color-code by severity
   - **Storage:** Extend event definitions

2. **Auto-Grouping of Similar Errors** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Events grouped by event_key but not by similarity
   - **Implementation:**
     - Hash error messages (normalize variables)
     - Group PHP errors by file:line
     - Group database errors by query pattern
   - **Storage:** Add `error_fingerprint` to logs
   - **UI:** "Similar Errors" section in event detail

3. **First-Seen vs Recurring Tagging** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** All events treated equally
   - **Implementation:**
     - Track first occurrence per event_key+data_hash
     - Add `is_first_occurrence` flag
     - Show badge in UI
   - **Storage:** Transient cache of first occurrences

4. **Environment Hints** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** No environment validation
   - **Implementation:**
     - Check PHP version vs WordPress requirements
     - Check memory_limit vs recommended
     - Check active plugin count
     - Show warnings in dashboard
   - **Storage:** Transient cache, recalc daily

#### **STABILITY - Missing Features**

1. **Self-Diagnostics Page** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** No centralized health check
   - **Implementation:**
     - Check: table existence, queue size, cron health, DB connectivity
     - Check: file permissions, disk space, memory limits
     - Show: "All systems operational" or specific issues
   - **UI:** New "System Health" page in settings

2. **Degraded Mode Notices** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Silent failures
   - **Implementation:**
     - Track failed DB writes
     - Track queue overflow
     - Show admin notice when degraded
   - **Storage:** Transient flags

3. **One-Click Diagnostic Bundle** ⭐ LOW PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Manual export only
   - **Implementation:**
     - ZIP: recent logs, settings (sanitized), system info, error logs
     - Generate on-demand
   - **Storage:** Temporary file, auto-delete after 24h

#### **NOTIFICATIONS - Enhancements**

1. **Quiet Hours** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** All notifications sent immediately
   - **Implementation:**
     - Add time range setting (e.g., 10pm-8am)
     - Queue notifications during quiet hours
     - Send digest at end of quiet period
   - **Storage:** Queue in transient, process on cron

2. **Environment-Aware Alerts** ⭐ LOW PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Same alerts for prod/staging
   - **Implementation:**
     - Detect environment (WP_DEBUG, domain pattern)
     - Suppress non-critical alerts in staging
   - **Storage:** Environment detection in settings

#### **SENTINEL+ - Automation (New)**

1. **Rule Engine** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Incidents trigger actions but no custom rules
   - **Implementation:**
     - UI: Rule builder (IF event X happens Y times → DO action Z)
     - Actions: disable plugin, pause cron, clear transients, send email
     - Rate limiting per rule
     - Dry-run mode
   - **Storage:** New table `wp_sentinel_rules`
   - **UI:** "Automation Rules" page

2. **Action Audit Log** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Actions logged but not centralized
   - **Implementation:**
     - New table `wp_sentinel_action_log`
     - Log: who, what, when, why (rule ID or manual)
     - Show in dashboard
   - **Storage:** New table

3. **Kill-Switch Per Rule** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Rules would be all-or-nothing
   - **Implementation:**
     - Add `enabled` flag per rule
     - Quick toggle in UI
   - **Storage:** Rule table

#### **SENTINEL+ - Insight & Forecasting (New)**

1. **Performance Regression Detection** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Memory tracking exists but no trend analysis
   - **Implementation:**
     - Compare current week vs last week
     - Alert on >20% memory increase
     - Alert on >50% slower response times
   - **Storage:** Aggregate stats in options, recalc daily

2. **Plugin Impact Scoring** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** No plugin performance data
   - **Implementation:**
     - Track memory usage per plugin (via memory monitor)
     - Track errors per plugin (via blame hints)
     - Score: (memory_impact + error_rate) / 2
   - **Storage:** Transient cache, recalc weekly

3. **Update Risk Hints** ⭐ MEDIUM PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Updates logged but no risk assessment
   - **Implementation:**
     - Track errors 24h before/after update
     - Calculate error rate change
     - Show "This update increased errors by X%"
   - **Storage:** Compare pre/post update stats

4. **Change Correlation** ⭐ HIGH PRIORITY
   - **Current State:** Events logged but no correlation
   - **Implementation:**
     - Track: plugin activation, theme switch, core update
     - Compare error rates before/after
     - Show: "Errors increased 3x after Plugin X activation"
   - **Storage:** Event correlation table or analysis on-demand

#### **MULTI-SITE & EXTERNAL (New)**

1. **Cross-Site Dashboard** ⭐ FUTURE (Requires architecture change)
   - **Current State:** Single-site only
   - **Implementation:**
     - New plugin: "Sentinel Network"
     - Central dashboard aggregating all sites
     - Requires network admin or external service
   - **Note:** Major architectural change, consider v2.0+

2. **External Sentinel Console** ⭐ FUTURE
   - **Current State:** REST API exists but no external UI
   - **Implementation:**
     - Web app at getsentinel.dev/console
     - OAuth authentication
     - Pull data via REST API
   - **Note:** Requires theme/website integration

---

### ❌ ROADMAP REMOVALS (Based on Codebase)

1. **"Full request timeline per page load"** - PARTIALLY EXISTS
   - Memory monitor already tracks checkpoints
   - Enhancement needed: time tracking, not removal

2. **"Error context expansion"** - EXISTS
   - PHP errors already include file/line
   - Database errors include query
   - Enhancement needed: better UI display

3. **"Per-URL hot spot detection"** - DOESN'T EXIST
   - Keep in roadmap, add to high priority

4. **"Plugin load order visibility"** - PARTIALLY EXISTS
   - Memory monitor tracks but doesn't show order
   - Enhancement needed: sequence tracking

---

### 🔧 IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITY MATRIX

**Phase 1 (Next Release):**
1. Full request timeline tracking
2. Per-URL hotspot detection
3. "Why this matters" panel
4. Auto-grouping similar errors
5. Self-diagnostics page

**Phase 2 (Following Release):**
1. Rule engine (Sentinel+)
2. Action audit log (Sentinel+)
3. Performance regression detection (Sentinel+)
4. Change correlation (Sentinel+)
5. Quiet hours for notifications

**Phase 3 (Future):**
1. Multi-site dashboard
2. External console
3. Plugin impact scoring
4. Update risk hints

---

### 🚨 CRITICAL GAPS IDENTIFIED

1. **No Request Performance Tracking**
   - Memory tracked but not response time
   - Add: `request_duration` to logs or separate table

2. **No Error Fingerprinting**
   - Can't group similar errors automatically
   - Add: `error_fingerprint` hash field

3. **No Action History**
   - Actions taken but not logged centrally
   - Add: `wp_sentinel_action_log` table

4. **No Rule System**
   - Incidents trigger actions but no custom rules
   - Add: Rule engine with UI

5. **Limited Environment Detection**
   - No prod/staging distinction
   - Add: Environment detection and context

---

## FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

### Keep in Roadmap:
- ✅ All observation features (enhance existing)
- ✅ All explanation features (new)
- ✅ All stability features (new)
- ✅ Rule engine (Sentinel+)
- ✅ Action audit log (Sentinel+)
- ✅ Performance regression (Sentinel+)
- ✅ Change correlation (Sentinel+)

### Remove from Roadmap:
- ❌ Nothing - all features are valuable

### Add to Roadmap:
- ⭐ Request performance tracking (response times)
- ⭐ Error fingerprinting system
- ⭐ Environment detection
- ⭐ Plugin impact scoring
- ⭐ Update risk assessment

### Architecture Notes:
- Current codebase is well-structured for expansion
- Event system is flexible enough for new features
- Premium/Free separation is clean
- Database schema can accommodate new features
- REST API foundation exists for external tools

---

**Analysis Complete** ✅
