Export a large MySQL database via SSH (mysqldump) on shared hosting

20.02.2026 00:58
- database
- hosting
- mysql
- ssh

For large databases, exporting via phpMyAdmin can be slow or fail due to timeouts. On GARMTECH hosting you can export reliably via SSH using mysqldump.

Before you start

SSH access must be enabled for your hosting subscription in Plesk.
Know your database name and database username (Plesk → Databases).
Make sure you have enough free disk space to store the dump file.

Step 1 – Connect to hosting via SSH

ssh USERNAME@SERVER_HOSTNAME

Step 2 – Export the database with mysqldump

Export to a file in your home directory (recommended):

cd ~
mysqldump -u DBUSER -p --single-transaction --routines --triggers DBNAME > DBNAME.sql

Enter the database user password when prompted.

Optional: compress the dump

gzip -9 DBNAME.sql

This produces DBNAME.sql.gz which is faster to download and uses less space.

Step 3 – Download the dump file

You can download the file via:

Plesk File Manager (navigate to your home directory), or
FTP‑SSL (FTPS) to your service server hostname.

Common issues

“mysqldump: command not found”

On managed hosting this command is normally available. If it is not, use phpMyAdmin export or contact support via a ticket.

“Access denied”

Verify database username/password.
Confirm the user has access to the database in Plesk.

The export file is huge

Use gzip compression.
Consider exporting only specific tables if you do not need the full database.

After the export

Store the dump securely. Database backups contain sensitive data.
If you no longer need the dump on the server, delete it to free disk space.

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