MongoDB Technical Administration and Operations Training Course

Module 1: Introduction and MongoDB Architecture (4 hours)

Topics:

• Overview of the history and the MongoDB ecosystem.
• Common use cases, along with advantages and limitations.
• General architecture: instances, processes, and configuration settings.

Practical Application:

• Interactive exploration: Connecting using the Mongo Shell/CLI.
• Creating a sample database and collection.

Module 2: Installation and Initial Configuration (6 hours)

Topics:

• 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 management via systemd/services.

Practical Application:

• 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 (5 hours)

Topics:

• BSON documents, collections, and databases.
• Modeling strategies: embedding vs. referencing; data design patterns.
• Introduction to basic indexes.
• Operations using the Mongo Shell and scripting examples with drivers.

Practical Application:

• Modeling a real-world 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 (4 hours)

Topics:

• 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 Application:

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

Module 5: Security (5 hours)

Topics:

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

Practical Application:

• 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 (6 hours)

Topics:

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

Practical Application:

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

Module 7: Sharding and Horizontal Scalability (6 hours)

Topics:

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

Practical Application:

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

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

Topics:

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

Practical Application:

• Executing backup and restore operations on a test database.
• Simulating failure scenarios and recovering from backups.
• Designing a DR plan for a hypothetical scenario.

Module 9: Monitoring and Alerts (4 hours)

Topics:

• Essential tools: mongostat, mongotop, Cloud Manager/Atlas Monitoring.
• Integration concepts and examples with Prometheus + Grafana.
• Key metrics to track: CPU, memory, I/O, oplog size, latencies.
• Alert management: defining thresholds and setting up notifications.

Practical Application:

• 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 (4 hours)

Topics:

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

Practical Application:

• 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