MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction and MongoDB Architecture (4h)

Topics covered:

• Historical context and the broader MongoDB ecosystem
• Common use cases, along with advantages and limitations
• Core architecture: instances, processes, and configuration structures

Practical Application:

• Interactive exploration: Establishing connections via Mongo Shell or CLI
• Creating a sample database and associated collections

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6h)

Topics covered:

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

Practical Application:

• Deploying instances on local virtual machines or Docker containers
• Tailoring configurations for development versus production environments
• Verifying secure remote connectivity

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

Topics covered:

• Understanding BSON documents, collections, and databases
• Modeling strategies: embedding versus referencing; core data design patterns
• Foundations of basic indexes
• Executing operations using the Mongo Shell and driver-based scripting

Practical Application:

• Modeling a specific use case, such as an inventory or billing system
• Implementing standard CRUD operations
• Applying schema validation using JSON Schema within MongoDB

Module 4: Indexes and Performance (4h)

Topics covered:

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

Practical Application:

• Creating collections populated with test data
• Comparing query execution with and without indexes; analyzing explain() output
• Optimizing indexes based on observed access patterns

Module 5: Security (5h)

Topics covered:

• Authentication mechanisms: SCRAM, and an introduction to LDAP/Kerberos
• Defining users and custom roles
• Implementing TLS/SSL between clients and servers
• Configuring at-rest encryption: key management
• Establishing basic audit logging

Practical Application:

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

Module 6: Replication and High Availability (6h)

Topics covered:

• Core replication concepts: Primary, Secondary nodes, and oplog mechanics
• Replica set configuration: initiation, membership management, and arbitration
• Monitoring cluster status and election processes
• Maintenance tasks: adding or removing members and reassigning priorities

Practical Application:

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

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6h)

Topics covered:

• Sharding fundamentals: shard keys, config servers, and the mongos router
• Strategies for shard key selection and associated risks
• Deploying config servers, shards, and mongos routers
• Managing rebalancing and chunk migration

Practical Application:

• Configuring a basic sharded cluster
• Inserting large datasets to observe data distribution
• Exploring shard key modifications and understanding their limitations

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

Topics covered:

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

Practical Application:

• Executing backup and restore procedures on a test database
• Simulating failures and restoring data from backups
• Designing a DR plan for a hypothetical scenario

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerts (4h)

Topics covered:

• Essential tools: mongostat, mongotop, and Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring
• Integrating with Prometheus and Grafana (concepts and practical examples)
• Key metrics: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, and latencies
• Alerting: setting thresholds and configuring notifications

Practical Application:

• Deploying local or container-based monitoring agents
• Creating basic dashboards using sample metrics
• Simulating system load to trigger and observe alerts

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

Topics covered:

• Upgrade strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters
• Data cleanup, compaction, and integrity checks
• Log review and regular audit procedures
• Automating routine tasks (scripts, cronjobs, Ansible, Terraform)
• Defining data retention and archiving policies

Practical Application:

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

Summary and Next Steps