MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction and MongoDB Architecture (4h)

Content:

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

Practice:

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

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6h)

Content:

• Hardware specifications and resource requirements
• Installation procedures on Linux (deb/rpm), Windows, and macOS
• YAML configuration files (mongod.conf): setting dataDir, logDir, bindIp, and port
• Startup parameters and management via systemd/services

Practice:

• Deploying instances on local virtual machines or Docker containers
• Tuning configurations for development versus production scenarios
• Validating secure remote connectivity

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

Content:

• BSON documents, collections, and databases
• Modeling strategies: embedding vs. referencing; key data design patterns
• Foundations of basic indexes (introduced in prior context)
• Operations using the Mongo Shell and scripting examples with drivers

Practice:

• Modeling a specific use case, such as an inventory or billing system
• Implementing CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations
• Applying schema validation using JSON Schema in MongoDB

Module 4: Indexes and Performance (4h)

Content:

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

Practice:

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

Module 5: Security (5h)

Content:

• Authentication mechanisms: SCRAM, LDAP/Kerberos (overview)
• Defining users and custom roles
• Implementing TLS/SSL encryption between clients and servers
• Encryption at rest: key configuration strategies
• Basic audit logging practices

Practice:

• Creating users with least-privilege principles
• Configuring TLS on local instances
• Testing unauthorized access attempts and reviewing audit logs

Module 6: Replication and High Availability (6h)

Content:

• Replication fundamentals: Primary, Secondary nodes, and the oplog
• Configuring replica sets: initiation, membership management, and arbitration
• Monitoring cluster status and election processes
• Maintenance tasks: adding/removing members and reassigning priorities

Practice:

• Deploying a three-node replica set (locally or via VMs)
• Simulating primary node failure to observe failover behavior
• Rebuilding secondary nodes and recovering replicas

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6h)

Content:

• Sharding concepts: shard keys, config servers, and the mongos router
• Selecting shard keys and understanding associated risks
• Deploying config servers, shards, and mongos instances
• Rebalancing data and managing chunk migration

Practice:

• Setting up a basic sharded cluster
• Inserting large-scale datasets and monitoring distribution
• Exploring shard key modifications and understanding their 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 usage of Cloud Manager/Ops Manager for backup automation
• Disaster Recovery (DR) planning: defining RTO and RPO

Practice:

• Executing backup and restore procedures on a test database
• Simulating system failure and recovering from backups
• Drafting a DR plan for a hypothetical scenario

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerts (4h)

Content:

• Essential tools: mongostat, mongotop, and Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring
• Integration concepts and examples with Prometheus + Grafana
• Key performance indicators: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, and latencies
• Alerting strategies: defining thresholds and notification workflows

Practice:

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

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

Content:

• Upgrade strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters
• Data cleanup, compaction, and integrity verification
• Log review processes and regular security audits
• Automating routine tasks using scripts, cronjobs, Ansible, or Terraform
• Defining data retention and archiving policies

Practice:

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

Summary and Next Steps