MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction and MongoDB Architecture (4h)

Content:

• Evolution of MongoDB and its ecosystem
• Typical use cases, advantages, and limitations
• Core architecture: instances, processes, and configuration management

Practice:

• Interactive exploration: establishing connections via Mongo Shell/CLI
• Creating sample databases and collections

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6h)

Content:

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

Practice:

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

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

Content:

• BSON documents, collections, and database structures
• Modeling strategies: embedding versus referencing, and common data design patterns
• Overview of basic indexes (introduced previously)
• Operations via Mongo Shell and scripting examples using drivers

Practice:

• Modeling a specific use case, such as an inventory or billing system
• Implementing standard CRUD 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
• Evaluating the impact of indexes on write performance and memory usage

Practice:

• Populating collections with test data
• Benchmarking queries with and without indexes; analyzing explain() output
• Optimizing index strategies based on access patterns

Module 5: Security (5h)

Content:

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

Practice:

• Creating users adhering to the principle of least privilege
• 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 oplog
• Replica set configuration: initiation, membership management, and arbitration
• Monitoring cluster status and election processes
• Maintenance operations: adding/removing members and adjusting priorities

Practice:

• Deploying a three-node replica set (local or VM-based)
• Simulating primary node failure and observing failover behavior
• Rebuilding secondary nodes and recovering replica data

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6h)

Content:

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

Practice:

• Configuring a basic sharded cluster
• Ingesting large-scale data to observe distribution patterns
• 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
• Utilizing Cloud Manager/Ops Manager for automated backups
• Disaster Recovery (DR) planning: defining RTO and RPO

Practice:

• Executing backup and restore operations on a test database
• Simulating failures and recovering data from backups
• Developing a DR plan for a hypothetical scenario

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerts (4h)

Content:

• Diagnostic tools: mongostat, mongotop, and Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring
• Integration concepts and examples with Prometheus + Grafana
• Key performance metrics: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, and latencies
• Alert management: setting thresholds and configuring notifications

Practice:

• Deploying local or container-based monitoring agents
• Configuring basic dashboards with sample metrics
• Simulating load scenarios and observing alert triggers

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

Content:

• Upgrade strategies for replica sets and sharded clusters
• Data management: cleanup, compaction, and integrity checks
• Log review and regular auditing practices
• Automating routine tasks using scripts, cronjobs, Ansible, or Terraform
• Establishing data retention and archiving policies

Practice:

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

Summary and Next Steps