Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) with Spring Boot and Java

Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) is a widely used method for securely transferring files between a local and a remote machine or between two remote machines. It operates over SSH, providing encryption and security. In this blog, we will explore how to integrate SCP functionality into a Spring Boot application using Java, complete with code examples and detailed explanations.

SCP

Prerequisites

1. Basic Knowledge of Spring Boot: Familiarity with creating and running Spring Boot applications.
2. JSch Library: JSch is a popular Java library for SSH and SCP operations. Ensure it is included in your project dependencies.

Maven Dependency

Add the following Maven dependency for JSch to your pom.xml:

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.jcraft</groupId>
    <artifactId>jsch</artifactId>
    <version>0.1.55</version>
</dependency>

Configuration

To use SCP effectively, you need to configure details like the remote server address, username, password, and file paths. For simplicity, let’s use a properties file.

application.properties

scp.remote.host=192.168.1.100
scp.remote.port=22
scp.remote.username=user
scp.remote.password=yourpassword
scp.remote.directory=/remote/path/
scp.local.directory=/local/path/

SCP Utility Class

Below is a utility class for handling SCP operations:

package com.example.scp;

import com.jcraft.jsch.*;
import java.io.*;

public class ScpUtility {

    public static void uploadFile(String localFilePath, String remoteHost, int remotePort,
                                   String username, String password, String remoteDirectory) throws JSchException, SftpException {
        JSch jsch = new JSch();
        Session session = jsch.getSession(username, remoteHost, remotePort);
        session.setPassword(password);
        // Avoid asking for key confirmation
        session.setConfig("StrictHostKeyChecking", "no");
        session.connect();
        Channel channel = session.openChannel("sftp");
        channel.connect();
        ChannelSftp sftpChannel = (ChannelSftp) channel…