MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction and MongoDB Architecture (4h)

Key Concepts:

• Origins and the broader MongoDB ecosystem
• Common use cases, advantages, and limitations
• Core architecture: instances, processes, and configuration structures

Practical Exercises:

• Interactive exploration: Establishing connections via Mongo Shell/CLI
• Creating a sample database and collection

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6h)

Key Concepts:

• Hardware and resource prerequisites
• Installation processes on Linux (deb/rpm), Windows, and macOS
• YAML configuration files (mongod.conf): defining dataDir, logDir, bindIp, and port
• Startup options and managing services via systemd

Practical Exercises:

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

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

Key Concepts:

• BSON documents, collections, and databases
• Data modeling strategies: embedding versus referencing; design patterns
• Basic index types (introduced in earlier sections)
• Executing operations via Mongo Shell and scripting with drivers

Practical Exercises:

• Modeling 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 (4h)

Key Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

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

Module 5: Security (5h)

Key Concepts:

• Authentication methods: SCRAM, LDAP/Kerberos (overview)
• Defining users and custom roles
• Implementing TLS/SSL between clients and servers
• At-rest encryption: key management
• Basic audit logging practices

Practical Exercises:

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

Module 6: Replication and High Availability (6h)

Key Concepts:

• Replication fundamentals: Primary, Secondary, and oplog
• Replica set configuration: initiation, membership, and arbitration
• Monitoring status and understanding elections
• Maintenance tasks: adding/removing members, reassigning priorities

Practical Exercises:

• Deploying a three-node replica set (locally or on VMs)
• Simulating primary failure and observing failover mechanisms
• Rebuilding secondary nodes and recovering replicas

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6h)

Key Concepts:

• Sharding principles: shard key, config servers, mongos router
• Selecting shard keys and associated risks
• Deploying config servers, shards, and mongos routers
• Rebalancing and chunk migration processes

Practical Exercises:

• Configuring a basic sharded cluster
• Inserting large-scale data and observing distribution
• Exploring shard key changes and understanding their limitations

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

Key Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

• Performing backup and restore operations on a test database
• Simulating failure and recovery from backup
• Designing a DR plan for a hypothetical scenario

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerts (4h)

Key Concepts:

• Monitoring tools: mongostat, mongotop, Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring
• Integration with Prometheus and Grafana (concepts and examples)
• Key metrics: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, and latencies
• Alerts: defining thresholds and notification workflows

Practical Exercises:

• Deploying a local or container-based monitoring agent
• Setting up basic dashboards with sample metrics
• Simulating load and observing alert triggers

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

Key Concepts:

• Upgrade strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters
• Data cleanup, compaction, and integrity checks
• Reviewing logs and conducting regular audits
• Automating routine tasks (scripts, cronjobs, Ansible, Terraform)
• Data retention and archiving policies

Practical Exercises:

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

Summary and Next Steps