# SiteGround SFTP Backup Pattern

Back up websites from SiteGround shared hosting to Wasabi S3 via SFTP. SiteGround does not expose an API — SFTP is the only programmatic access method.

## Credentials

- Host: `sftp.siteground.net`
- Port: `18765` (non-standard)
- Username: `sftp7068-6b4804d3`
- Key: encrypted RSA private key with passphrase `LoveMyBoys73!`
- The key file lives at `/root/.ssh/siteground.key` (chmod 600)

## Connection Method

SiteGround uses an **encrypted RSA private key with a passphrase**. Plain key-based auth without the passphrase will fail. Two approaches:

### A. Python + Paramiko (preferred for scripting)

```python
import paramiko, io

key = paramiko.RSAKey.from_private_key(io.StringIO(key_data), password="<passphrase>")
transport = paramiko.Transport(("sftp.siteground.net", 18765))
transport.connect(username="sftp7068-6b4804d3", pkey=key)
sftp = paramiko.SFTPClient.from_transport(transport)
```

### B. sshpass + ssh (manual/scripting)

Not recommended for scripting due to passphrase-in-command exposure, but valid for manual testing:

```bash
sshpass -p "<passphrase>" ssh -i /root/.ssh/siteground.key \
  -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -o PubkeyAuthentication=yes \
  -p 18765 sftp7068-6b4804d3@sftp.siteground.net "ls -la"
```

## Sites Present (Jul 2026)

21 sites — all WordPress, all under `/home/` on SiteGround:

815bistro.com, abortionstory.org, apextrackexperience.com, chiefenergyofficer.org, costanzospizzeria.com, elliscountyinternet.com, fixourclub.com, forefrontwireless.com, forefrontwireless.net, freedominhonesty.com, garyjavo.com, germainebrown.com, grandlakeclub.com, injenuity413.com, injenuitysolutions.com, itpropartner.com, katiewattsdesign.com, savannahevents.com, sotobunch.com, theabortionstory.org, voipsimplicity.com

## Backup to S3

Each site is a full directory tarball uploaded to `s3://hermes-vps-backups/siteground/<site>/`:

```python
import tarfile, io

# Stream tar.gz to S3 to avoid filling /tmp on large sites
buf = io.BytesIO()
with tarfile.open(fileobj=buf, mode='w:gz') as tar:
    tar.add(f"/home/{site}", arcname=".")
buf.seek(0)

# Upload directly
s3_client.upload_fileobj(buf, "hermes-vps-backups", f"siteground/{site}/{site}-{date}.tar.gz")
```

For very large sites (apextrackexperience.com, itpropartner.com, voipsimplicity.com), write to `/tmp` first then upload — streaming through memory may timeout on SFTP.

## Exclusion Recommendations

WordPress sites on SiteGround typically contain:
- `wp-content/uploads/` — images, media (backup all)
- `wp-content/plugins/` — can reinstall, but backup for config preservation
- `wp-content/themes/` — custom themes, backup
- `wp-content/cache/` — OK to skip
- `error_log` — large debug logs, OK to skip

## Restore

1. Download tar.gz from S3
2. Extract on new host: `tar xzf <site>-<date>.tar.gz`
3. Set correct permissions: `chown -R www-data:www-data <site>/`
4. Import database from phpMyAdmin export or MySQL dump
5. Update `wp-config.php` with new DB credentials
6. Point DNS to new server

## Database

SFTP provides **files only**. The MySQL database must be exported separately:
- Via SiteGround's phpMyAdmin interface
- Or: `mysqldump -h <host> -u <user> -p <dbname> > <site>-db-<date>.sql`
- Upload the SQL dump to Core via SFTP/scp and store alongside the files

## Migration Strategy

1. SFTP backup all sites to S3 (done Jul 9, 2026)
2. Export each site's database from phpMyAdmin → upload to S3
3. On new box, restore files + import DB
4. Update wp-config.php credentials
5. Point DNS → done

No downtime per site if DNS is the last step.