Execute commands on remote machine via PHP

Question

To give background on my environment:

I have 3 machines A, B & C

A = Webserver, running a php website which basically acts as an interface for B & C

Answer 1

Use phpseclib to securely SSH or SCP to remote servers

Install with composer require phpseclib/phpseclib

use phpseclib\Crypt\RSA;
use phpseclib\Net\SSH2;
use phpseclib\Net\SCP;

// Load your private key
$key = new RSA();
$key->loadKey('private key string');

// Connect to the server
$ssh = new SSH2('ip_address', 'port', 'timeout');
if (!$ssh->login('username', $key)) {
    throw new Exception("Unable to connect");
}

// Run a remote command
echo $ssh->exec('whoami');

// SCP put a string
$result = (new SCP($ssh))->put('remotePath', 'content to put');
// SCP put a file
$result = (new SCP($ssh))->put('remotePath', 'localPath', SCP::SOURCE_LOCAL_FILE);

// SCP get a file
$result = (new SCP($this->ssh))->get('remotePath', 'localPath');

// $result is true or false