worldmonitor/docs/local-backend-audit.md

Local backend parity matrix (desktop sidecar)

This matrix tracks desktop parity by mapping src/services/*.ts consumers to api/*.js handlers and classifying each feature as:

• Fully local: works from desktop sidecar without user credentials.
• Requires user-provided API key: local endpoint exists, but capability depends on configured secrets.
• Requires cloud fallback: sidecar exists, but operational behavior depends on a cloud relay path.

Priority closure order

1. Priority 1 (core panels + map): LiveNewsPanel, MonitorPanel, StrategicRiskPanel, critical map layers.
2. Priority 2 (intelligence continuity): summaries and market panel.
3. Priority 3 (enhancements): enrichment and relay-dependent tracking extras.

Feature parity matrix

Priority	Feature / Panel	Service source(s) (src/services/*.ts)	API route(s)	API handler(s) (api/*.js)	Classification	Closure status
P1	LiveNewsPanel	src/services/live-news.ts	/api/youtube/live	api/youtube/live.js	Fully local	✅ Local endpoint available; channel-level video fallback already implemented.
P1	MonitorPanel	None (panel-local keyword matching)	None	None	Fully local	✅ Client-side only (no backend dependency).
P1	StrategicRiskPanel cached overlays	src/services/cached-risk-scores.ts	/api/risk-scores	api/risk-scores.js	Requires user-provided API key	✅ Explicit fallback: panel continues with local aggregate scoring when cache feed is unavailable.
P1	Map layers (conflicts, outages, AIS, military flights)	src/services/conflicts.ts, src/services/outages.ts, src/services/ais.ts, src/services/military-flights.ts	/api/acled-conflict, /api/cloudflare-outages, /api/ais-snapshot, /api/opensky	api/acled-conflict.js, api/cloudflare-outages.js, api/ais-snapshot.js, api/opensky.js	Requires user-provided API key	✅ Explicit fallback: unavailable feeds are disabled while map rendering remains active for local/static layers.
P2	Summaries	src/services/summarization.ts	/api/groq-summarize, /api/openrouter-summarize	api/groq-summarize.js, api/openrouter-summarize.js	Requires user-provided API key	✅ Explicit fallback chain: Groq → OpenRouter → browser model.
P2	MarketPanel	src/services/markets.ts, src/services/polymarket.ts	/api/coingecko, /api/polymarket, /api/finnhub, /api/yahoo-finance	api/coingecko.js, api/polymarket.js, api/finnhub.js, api/yahoo-finance.js	Fully local	✅ Multi-provider and cache-aware fetch behavior maintained in sidecar mode.
P3	Flight enrichment	src/services/wingbits.ts	/api/wingbits	api/wingbits/[[...path]].js	Requires user-provided API key	✅ Explicit fallback: heuristic-only classification mode.
P3	OpenSky relay fallback path	src/services/military-flights.ts	/api/opensky	api/opensky.js	Requires cloud fallback	✅ Relay fallback documented; no hard failure when relay is unavailable.

Non-parity closure actions completed

• Added desktop readiness + non-parity fallback visibility in ServiceStatusPanel so operators can see acceptance status and per-feature fallback behavior in desktop runtime.
• Kept local-sidecar strategy as the default path: desktop sidecar executes api/*.js handlers locally and only uses cloud fallback when handler execution or relay path fails.

Desktop-ready acceptance criteria

A desktop build is considered ready when all checks below are green:

1. Startup: app launches and local sidecar health reports enabled.
2. Map rendering: map loads with local/static layers even when optional feeds are unavailable.
3. Core intelligence panels: LiveNewsPanel, MonitorPanel, StrategicRiskPanel render without fatal errors.
4. Summaries: at least one summary path works (provider-backed or browser fallback).
5. Market panel: panel renders and returns data from at least one market provider.
6. Live tracking: at least one live mode (AIS or OpenSky) is available.

These checks are now surfaced in the Service Status UI as “Desktop readiness”.