MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction and MongoDB Architecture (4h)

Core Concepts:

• Evolution and the MongoDB ecosystem
• Common use cases, advantages, and limitations
• General architecture: instances, processes, and configuration files

Practical Exercises:

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

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6h)

Core Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

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

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

Core Concepts:

• BSON documents, collections, and databases
• Data modeling strategies: embedding vs. referencing; design patterns
• Basic indexing principles (introduced in previous modules)
• Operations via Mongo Shell and scripting examples using drivers

Practical Exercises:

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

Module 4: Indexes and Performance (4h)

Core Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

• Creating collections populated with test data
• Comparing query performance with and without indexes; interpreting explain() output
• Refining indexes based on observed access patterns

Module 5: Security (5h)

Core Concepts:

• Authentication mechanisms: SCRAM, LDAP/Kerberos (introductory)
• Defining users and custom roles
• TLS/SSL configuration between clients and servers
• At-rest encryption: key configuration management
• Basic audit logging setup

Practical Exercises:

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

Module 6: Replication and High Availability (6h)

Core Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

• Deploying a three-node replica set (locally or on VMs)
• Simulating primary node failure and observing failover behavior
• Rebuilding secondary nodes and restoring replica consistency

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6h)

Core Concepts:

• Sharding fundamentals: shard key, config servers, and mongos router
• Shard key selection strategies and associated risks
• Deploying config servers, shards, and mongos instances
• Rebalancing processes and chunk migration

Practical Exercises:

• Configuring a simple sharded cluster
• Inserting large-scale data and observing distribution patterns
• Exploring shard key changes and understanding system limitations

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

Core Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

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

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerts (4h)

Core Concepts:

• Monitoring tools: mongostat, mongotop, and Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring
• Integration concepts and examples with Prometheus + Grafana
• Key metrics: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, and latencies
• Alerting mechanisms: defining thresholds and notification channels

Practical Exercises:

• 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)

Core Concepts:

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

Practical Exercises:

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

Summary and Next Steps