acquia MEO Site Instance Management
Platform: This skill applies to MEO (Multi-site Enterprise Operations) subscriptions only.
A site instance is a specific Site running inside a specific Environment. Each site instance has its own domain(s), database, and protection mode state.
Use when:
- Inspecting a site's status within a specific environment
- Managing domains for a site instance
- Accessing database details or managing backups
- Enabling, disabling, or inheriting protection mode
- Scheduling a site instance for deletion or recovering it
- Wiping a site instance (database + files reset)
Addressing site instances: Commands require both <siteId> and <environmentId> as separate arguments.
Note: All commands use acli api:v3:*. Run acli list api:v3:site-instances to see all current commands.
Get Site Instance Details
acli api:v3:site-instances:find <siteId> <environmentId>
Returns status, domains, protection mode, database connection, and deployment info.
List Site Instances in an Environment
acli api:v3:environments:list-site-instances <environmentId>
Protection Mode
Protection mode prevents destructive operations (wipe, deletion) on the site instance.
# Enable protection on this site instance
acli api:v3:site-instances:enable-protection-mode <siteId> <environmentId>
# Disable protection
acli api:v3:site-instances:disable-protection-mode <siteId> <environmentId>
# Inherit protection mode from the parent environment
acli api:v3:site-instances:inherit-protection-mode <siteId> <environmentId>
Domains
# List domains assigned to this site instance
acli api:v3:site-instances:list-domains <siteId> <environmentId>
# Get details for a specific domain
acli api:v3:site-instances:find-domain <siteId> <environmentId> <domainName>
# Check domain provisioning status
acli api:v3:site-instances:find-domain-status <siteId> <environmentId> <domainName>
Database
# Get database connection details
acli api:v3:site-instances:find-database <siteId> <environmentId>
acli api:v3:site-instances:find-database-connection <siteId> <environmentId>
Database Backups
# List available backups
acli api:v3:site-instances:list-database-backups <siteId> <environmentId>
# Get details for a specific backup
acli api:v3:site-instances:find-database-backup <siteId> <environmentId> <backupId>
# Create a backup
acli api:v3:site-instances:create-database-backup <siteId> <environmentId>
# Restore a backup
acli api:v3:site-instances:restore-database-backup <siteId> <environmentId> <backupId>
Caution: Restoring a backup overwrites the current database. This cannot be undone. Confirm with the user before executing.
Copy Files or Database from Another Environment
# Copy files from another environment
acli api:v3:site-instances:copy-files <siteId> <environmentId> <source_environment_id>
# Copy database from another environment
acli api:v3:site-instances:copy-database <siteId> <environmentId> <source_environment_id>
Caution: These operations overwrite the current files or database. Confirm with the user before executing.
Cancel or Delete a Site Instance
# Dissociate a site from an environment (with grace period)
acli api:v3:site-instances:cancel <siteId> <environmentId>
Schedule Deletion
Caution: Schedules the site instance for deletion. Use
acli api:v3:site-instances:recoverwithin the grace period to cancel.
acli api:v3:site-instances:schedule-delete <siteId> <environmentId>
Recover from Scheduled Deletion
acli api:v3:site-instances:recover <siteId> <environmentId>
Wipe a Site Instance
Destructive operation — explicit approval required. Resets the site instance database and files to a clean state. All content and configuration will be lost. This cannot be undone. Confirm with the user before executing.
acli api:v3:site-instances:wipe <siteId> <environmentId>
Typical Workflows
Refresh a staging site from production
# Copy database from prod environment
acli api:v3:site-instances:copy-database <siteId> <stagingEnvId> <prodEnvId>
# Copy files from prod environment
acli api:v3:site-instances:copy-files <siteId> <stagingEnvId> <prodEnvId>
Create a backup before a risky operation
# Create backup
acli api:v3:site-instances:create-database-backup <siteId> <environmentId>
# List to get the backup ID
acli api:v3:site-instances:list-database-backups <siteId> <environmentId>
# If something goes wrong, restore
acli api:v3:site-instances:restore-database-backup <siteId> <environmentId> <backupId>
Lock a site instance for maintenance
acli api:v3:site-instances:enable-protection-mode <siteId> <environmentId>
# ... perform maintenance ...
acli api:v3:site-instances:disable-protection-mode <siteId> <environmentId>
Discover More Commands
acli list api:v3:site-instances
acli api:v3:site-instances:find --help
Related Topics
- MEO Overview — ACE vs MEO, data model
- MEO Sites — Manage the site definition
- MEO Environments — Manage the environment containing this site instance
- MEO Deployments — Track code deployment into this environment