Introduction to MongoDB

Overview

MongoDB is a popular NoSQL database system that uses a document-oriented data model. It’s designed for scalability, flexibility, and ease of development. This guide provides a practical approach to installing and configuring MongoDB on various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Installation

Windows Installation

Download MongoDB:

Visit the MongoDB Download Center.

Select the latest MongoDB version and ensure the package is for Windows.

Install MongoDB:

Run the downloaded .msi file.

Follow the installation prompts and select “Complete” setup type.

During the installation, ensure you check the “Install MongoDB as a Service” option.

Setup Environment Variables:

Add the MongoDB bin directory to your system’s PATH environment variable:

C:Program FilesMongoDBServer<version>bin

Start MongoDB:

MongoDB should have been installed as a service and started automatically. You can verify it by checking services or using the command prompt:

net start MongoDB

macOS Installation

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

brew tap mongodb/brew
brew install mongodb-community

brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

Linux Installation (Ubuntu as an example)

Import the public key used by the package management system:

wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-5.0.asc | sudo apt-key add -

Create a list file for MongoDB:

echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu focal/mongodb-org/5.0 multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-5.0.list

Reload local package database:

sudo apt-get update

Install MongoDB packages:

sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org

Start MongoDB:

sudo systemctl start mongod

Enable MongoDB to start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable mongod

Configuration

Configuration File (mongod.conf)

# mongod.conf

# Where and how to store data.
storage:
  dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb
  journal:
    enabled: true

# Where to write logging data.
systemLog:
  destination: file
  logAppend: true
  path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log

# network interfaces
net:
  port: 27017
  bindIp: 127.0.0.1

# Process Management Options
processManagement:
  timeZoneInfo: /usr/share/zoneinfo

net stop MongoDB
net start MongoDB

sudo systemctl restart mongod

Verification

mongo

net start MongoDB

sudo systemctl status mongod

By following these detailed instructions, you will have MongoDB installed and configured on your operating system, ready for development and educational purposes.

Preparing Your Environment

In this section, we will cover preparing your system to work effectively with MongoDB after installation. This includes starting and stopping the MongoDB service, connecting to the MongoDB server, and creating a basic database and collection.

Starting and Stopping the MongoDB Service

On Windows

net start MongoDB

net stop MongoDB

On macOS

Starting MongoDB using Homebrew:

brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

Stopping MongoDB:

brew services stop mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

On Linux (systemd)

sudo systemctl start mongod

sudo systemctl stop mongod

Connecting to MongoDB Server

After starting the MongoDB service, you can connect to the MongoDB server using the mongo shell.

Mongo Shell Command

mongo

Executing the above command in your terminal will start the MongoDB shell and connect to the default mongod instance running on localhost at port 27017.

Creating a Basic Database and Collection

Once connected to the MongoDB shell, you can create a database and a collection.

Create a Database

use myNewDatabase

The use command switches your context to myNewDatabase. If myNewDatabase does not exist, it will be created when you insert some data into it.

Create a Collection

db.createCollection("myNewCollection")

This command will create a collection named myNewCollection within the myNewDatabase.

Insert Data into Collection

db.myNewCollection.insertOne({ name: "MongoDB", type: "Database", year: 2009 })

This command inserts a single document into myNewCollection.

Verification

To verify that your database and collection have been created, you can use the following commands:

Show Databases

show dbs

Show Collections in the Current Database

show collections

Query the Collection

db.myNewCollection.find().pretty()

This will display the documents in a readable format.

Use these steps to ensure that your MongoDB environment is correctly prepared and that you can interact with the database as intended.

Part 3: Installing MongoDB on Windows

This section will provide a practical guide for installing MongoDB on a Windows operating system. Before starting, ensure that you have administrative access on your Windows machine.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

1. Download MongoDB

2. Run the .msi Installer

3. Configure the Installation

4. Add MongoDB to the System Path

C:Program FilesMongoDBServer{Version}bin

5. Verify the Installation

This should display the version of MongoDB installed, verifying a successful installation.

Configuration

1. Create Configuration File

Open a text editor and create a configuration file named mongo.cfg.

Add the following basic configuration, modifying paths as necessary:

systemLog:
    destination: file
    path: C:Program FilesMongoDBServer{Version}logmongod.log
    logAppend: true
storage:
    dbPath: C:Program FilesMongoDBServer{Version}data
net:
    bindIp: 127.0.0.1
    port: 27017

Save this file in your MongoDB directory, e.g., C:Program FilesMongoDBServer{Version}mongo.cfg.

2. Run MongoDB with Configuration File

mongod --config "C:Program FilesMongoDBServer{Version}mongo.cfg"

This will start the MongoDB server based on the configurations provided in the mongo.cfg file.

Conclusion

You have successfully installed and configured MongoDB on your Windows machine. You can now start building and managing your MongoDB databases.

Installing MongoDB on macOS

Here is a practical step-by-step guide to installing MongoDB on a macOS system.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have Homebrew installed on your macOS. If not, you can install it by running the following command in the Terminal:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Steps for Installation

1. 
   

   Update Homebrew
   Make sure your Homebrew is up to date by running:

   
   

   brew update
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Install MongoDB
   To install the latest version of MongoDB, execute the following command:

   
   

   brew tap mongodb/brew
   brew install mongodb-community@5.0
   

   
   

   This will install MongoDB 5.0, which is the latest stable version at the time of writing.

   
   
3. 
   

   Verify the Installation
   Confirm that MongoDB has been installed correctly by checking the version:

   
   

   mongod --version
   

   
   
4. 
   

   Run MongoDB as a Service
   To start MongoDB automatically as a service, use the following commands:

   
   

   brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
   

   
   

   You can stop the service using:

   
   

   brew services stop mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
   

   
   

   To check the status of the MongoDB service:

   
   

   brew services list
   

   
   
5. 
   

   Running MongoDB Manually
   If you prefer to run MongoDB manually, you can start the MongoDB server by running:

   
   

   mongod --config /usr/local/etc/mongod.conf
   

   
   

   To stop the MongoDB server, you can terminate the mongod process.

   
   
6. 
   

   Connect to MongoDB
   Open a new Terminal window/tab and launch the MongoDB shell to connect to the MongoDB instance:

   
   

   mongo
   

   
   

   This connects to the running instance of MongoDB and allows you to execute database operations.

   
   

Configuration

1. 
   

   Default Configuration File

   
   

   The default configuration file for MongoDB is usually located at /usr/local/etc/mongod.conf. You can edit this file to change configurations such as the data directory, log path, and bind IP address. Here is a quick way to open it via a text editor:

   
   

   nano /usr/local/etc/mongod.conf
   

   
   

   Example configuration snippet:

   
   

   storage:
     dbPath: /usr/local/var/mongodb
   systemLog:
     destination: file
     path: /usr/local/var/log/mongodb/mongo.log
     logAppend: true
   net:
     bindIp: 127.0.0.1
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Creating Data and Log Directories

   
   

   Ensure the directories specified in your configuration file exist:

   
   

   mkdir -p /usr/local/var/mongodb
   mkdir -p /usr/local/var/log/mongodb
   

   
   

   Adjust the permissions if needed:

   
   

   sudo chown -R `id -un` /usr/local/var/mongodb
   sudo chown -R `id -un` /usr/local/var/log/mongodb
   

   
   

Final Verification

Check the MongoDB server status by accessing the MongoDB shell and running sample queries or commands to verify full functionality:

mongo

You should see a prompt similar to:

MongoDB shell version v5.0.x
connecting to: mongodb://127.0.0.1:27017/
...
> show dbs

And that’s it! You’ve successfully installed and configured MongoDB on macOS.

Part 5: Installing MongoDB on Linux

Step-by-Step Installation

Here’s how you can install MongoDB on a Linux system:

1. 
   

   Import the MongoDB public GPG Key

   
   

   wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-4.4.asc | sudo apt-key add -
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Create a list file for MongoDB

   
   

   echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] https://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu focal/mongodb-org/4.4 multiverse" |
   sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-4.4.list
   

   
   
3. 
   

   Reload local package database

   
   

   sudo apt-get update
   

   
   
4. 
   

   Install MongoDB packages

   
   

   sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org
   

   
   
5. 
   

   Start MongoDB

   
   

   sudo systemctl start mongod
   

   
   
6. 
   

   Enable MongoDB to start on system reboot

   
   

   sudo systemctl enable mongod
   

   
   
7. 
   

   Verify that MongoDB has started

   
   

   You can check the status of the MongoDB service with the following command:

   
   

   sudo systemctl status mongod
   

   
   

If everything is set up correctly, you should see a status that indicates MongoDB is active and running.

Configuration

After installation, you might want to configure MongoDB to suit your needs. Configuration files are generally found at /etc/mongod.conf.

Example Configuration (Optional Changes):

1. 
   

   Open Configuration File

   
   

   sudo nano /etc/mongod.conf
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Modify BindIp to Allow Remote Connections (Optional)

   
   

   net:
      bindIp: 0.0.0.0
   

   
   
3. 
   

   Set Up Authentication (Optional)

   
   

   Edit the Security section to enable authentication.

   
   

   security:
       authorization: "enabled"
   

   
   
4. 
   

   Restart MongoDB to Apply Changes

   
   

   sudo systemctl restart mongod
   

   
   

Security Considerations

1. 
   

   Create an Admin User:

   
   

   After enabling authentication, create an admin user:

   
   

   use admin
   db.createUser({
     user: "myAdmin",
     pwd: "securePassword",
     roles: [{ role: "userAdminAnyDatabase", db: "admin" }]
   })
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Connecting with Authentication:

   
   

   When authentication is enabled, use the -u (username) and -p (password) options:

   
   

   mongo -u "myAdmin" -p "securePassword" --authenticationDatabase "admin"
   

   
   

Conclusion

Following these steps will install MongoDB on your Linux system, start the service, and optionally configure it for remote connections and authentication. Ensure to restart the MongoDB service after any configuration changes for them to take effect.

Post-Installation Configuration and Management of MongoDB

Configuration

1. 
   

   Modify mongod.conf Configuration File

   
   

   The mongod.conf file is where you set most of MongoDB’s operational parameters. Typical locations:

   
   
   
   
   • Linux: /etc/mongod.conf
   
   
   • Windows: C:Program FilesMongoDBServer<version>binmongod.cfg
   
   
   • macOS: /usr/local/etc/mongod.conf
   
   
   
   

   Example of a mongod.conf:

   
   

   storage:
     dbPath: /var/lib/mongo
     journal:
       enabled: true
   systemLog:
     destination: file
     logAppend: true
     path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log
   net:
     port: 27017
     bindIp: 127.0.0.1  # Change to 0.0.0.0 to allow external connections
   security:
     authorization: enabled
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Enabling Authentication

   
   

   Verify that the authorization field is set to enabled under the security section:

   
   

   security:
     authorization: enabled
   

   
   

   Restart the MongoDB service to apply the changes.

   
   

User Management

1. 
   

   Create Admin User

   
   

   Open the MongoDB shell and connect to the admin database:

   
   

   mongo
   use admin
   

   
   

   Create an admin user:

   
   

   db.createUser({
     user: "admin",
     pwd: "securepassword",
     roles: [ { role: "userAdminAnyDatabase", db: "admin" }, "readWriteAnyDatabase" ]
   });
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Create Application-Specific User

   
   

   Switch to the target database:

   
   

   use myAppDB
   

   
   

   Create the user:

   
   

   db.createUser({
     user: "appUser",
     pwd: "appUserPwd",
     roles: [ { role: "readWrite", db: "myAppDB" } ]
   });
   

   
   

Service Management

1. Start and Stop MongoDB Service

   • Linux:
     

     sudo systemctl start mongod
     sudo systemctl stop mongod
     

     
     
   • Windows:
     

     net start MongoDB
     net stop MongoDB
     

     
     
   • macOS:
     

     brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
     brew services stop mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
     

     
     

2. Enable MongoDB to Start on Boot

   • Linux:
     

     sudo systemctl enable mongod
     

     
     
   • Windows:
     

     sc config MongoDB start= auto
     

     
     
   • macOS:
     

     brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
     

     
     

Backup and Restore

1. 
   

   Backup MongoDB Database

   
   

   Use mongodump utility:

   
   

   mongodump --uri="mongodb://admin:securepassword@localhost:27017" --out=/path/to/backup/
   

   
   
2. 
   

   Restore MongoDB Database

   
   

   Use mongorestore utility:

   
   

   mongorestore --uri="mongodb://admin:securepassword@localhost:27017" /path/to/backup/
   

   
   

Monitoring and Maintenance

1. Monitor the MongoDB Logs

   • Linux and macOS:
     

     tail -f /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log
     

     
     
   • Windows:
     Open the log file at the specified path in a text editor, typically:
     C:Program FilesMongoDBServer<version>logmongod.log
2. 
   

   Check Database Health

   
   

   Connect to MongoDB shell and run the following:

   
   

   use admin
   db.serverStatus()
   db.runCommand({ dbStats: 1 })
   

   
   
3. 
   

   Rotate Logs

   
   

   Issue a log rotation command as MongoDB does not rotate logs by default:

   
   

   db.adminCommand({ logRotate: 1 })
   

   
   

By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure that MongoDB is not only configured properly but also secured through user management and maintainable through proper service management and backup practices.