MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction to MongoDB Architecture (4h)

Content:

• Historical context and the MongoDB ecosystem
• Typical use cases, advantages, and limitations
• Core architecture: instances, processes, and configuration

Practical Exercises:

• Interactive exploration using Mongo Shell and CLI
• Creation of sample databases and collections

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6h)

Content:

• Hardware and resource prerequisites
• Installation procedures for Linux (deb/rpm), Windows, and macOS
• YAML configuration files (mongod.conf): dataDir, logDir, bindIp, and port settings
• Startup options and management via systemd or services

Practical Exercises:

• Deploying instances on local VMs or Docker containers
• Adjusting configurations for development versus production scenarios
• Verifying secure remote connectivity

Module 3: Data Modeling and Basic Operations (5h)

Content:

• BSON documents, collections, and databases
• Modeling strategies: embedding versus referencing; data design patterns
• Overview of basic indexes
• Operations via Mongo Shell and driver-based scripting

Practical Exercises:

• Designing a use case such as an inventory or billing system
• Implementing CRUD operations
• Applying schema validation using JSON Schema in MongoDB

Module 4: Indexes and Performance Optimization (4h)

Content:

• Types of indexes: simple, compound, multikey, text, and geospatial
• Utilizing explain() and performance metric analysis
• Impact of indexing on write performance and memory usage

Practical Exercises:

• Creating collections populated with test data
• Testing queries with and without indexes; interpreting explain() outputs
• Refining indexes based on access patterns

Module 5: Security Implementation (5h)

Content:

• Authentication mechanisms: SCRAM, and introductory concepts of LDAP/Kerberos
• User definition and custom role creation
• TLS/SSL encryption between clients and servers
• At-rest encryption: key management configuration
• Basic audit logging procedures

Practical Exercises:

• Creating users with minimal necessary privileges
• Configuring TLS on local instances
• Testing unauthorized access and reviewing audit logs

Module 6: Replication and High Availability (6h)

Content:

• Replication fundamentals: Primary, Secondary, and oplog
• Replica set configuration: initiation, membership, and arbitration
• Monitoring cluster status and election processes
• Maintenance tasks: adding or removing members, reassigning priorities

Practical Exercises:

• Deploying a three-node replica set on local machines or VMs
• Simulating primary failures to observe failover behavior
• Rebuilding secondary nodes and recovering replica sets

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6h)

Content:

• Sharding fundamentals: shard key, config servers, and mongos router
• Shard key selection criteria and associated risks
• Deployment of config servers, shards, and mongos routers
• Rebalancing strategies and chunk migration

Practical Exercises:

• Configuring a basic sharded cluster
• Inserting large-scale data to observe distribution
• Exploring shard key changes and understanding system limitations

Module 8: Backup, Restore, and Disaster Recovery (4h)

Content:

• Native tools: mongodump/mongorestore and filesystem snapshots
• Backup strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters
• Basic utilization of Cloud Manager/Ops Manager for backups
• Disaster Recovery (DR) planning: RTO and RPO concepts

Practical Exercises:

• Executing backup and restore operations on a test database
• Simulating failures and performing recovery from backups
• Designing a DR plan for a hypothetical scenario

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerting (4h)

Content:

• Essential tools: mongostat, mongotop, and Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring
• Integration concepts for Prometheus and Grafana
• Key performance metrics: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, and latencies
• Alerting strategies: defining thresholds and notification methods

Practical Exercises:

• Deploying local or container-based monitoring agents
• Setting up basic dashboards with sample metrics
• Simulating load to observe alert triggers

Module 10: Maintenance, Upgrades, and Best Practices (4h)

Content:

• Upgrade strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters
• Data cleanup, compaction, and integrity checks
• Log review and regular audit practices
• Automation of routine tasks using scripts, cronjobs, Ansible, or Terraform
• Data retention and archiving policies

Practical Exercises:

• Simulating minor and major upgrades in a controlled environment
• Developing automation scripts for backup and monitoring
• Creating a periodic maintenance checklist

Summary and Next Steps