Installation and Basic Configuration

Introduction

MongoDB is a popular NoSQL database known for its high performance, scalability, and flexibility. This guide will walk you through the process of installing and configuring MongoDB on your system. Whether you are using Windows, macOS, or Linux, this step-by-step tutorial will help you get started with MongoDB.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following:

Administrator access to your system
Basic knowledge of command-line interface

Installation

Windows

Step 1: Download MongoDB

Go to the MongoDB Download Center and select the MongoDB Community Server.
Choose the version compatible with your Windows OS and download the installer.

Step 2: Install MongoDB

Run the downloaded .msi file.
Follow the setup wizard, selecting the Complete setup type.
Choose to install MongoDB as a service.
Configure the Data and Log directories (default paths are usually sufficient).

Step 3: Verify Installation

Open Command Prompt.
Run the command:
```
mongod --version
```
This should display the installed MongoDB version.

macOS

Step 1: Install Homebrew

If you haven't installed Homebrew, run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Step 2: Install MongoDB

Tap the MongoDB formula:
```
brew tap mongodb/brew
```
Install MongoDB:
```
brew install mongodb-community
```

Step 3: Start MongoDB

Start MongoDB as a service:

brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

Verify installation by checking the version:
```
mongod --version
```

Linux (Ubuntu)

Step 1: Import the Public Key

wget -qO - https://www.mongodb.org/static/pgp/server-4.4.asc | sudo apt-key add -

Step 2: Create a List File for MongoDB

echo "deb [ arch=amd64,arm64 ] http://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu focal/mongodb-org/4.4 multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-4.4.list

Step 3: Reload the Local Package Database

sudo apt-get update

Step 4: Install MongoDB Packages

sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org

Step 5: Start MongoDB

sudo systemctl start mongod

Step 6: Verify Installation

mongod --version

Basic Configuration

Configuration File

MongoDB’s configuration file is located at /etc/mongod.conf by default. Key sections include:

Storage: Configures the storage engine and database file paths.
Net: Configures network settings including the port MongoDB listens on.
Security: Configures security options like authorization.

Example Configuration (`/etc/mongod.conf`)

# Where and how to store data.
storage:
  dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb
  journal:
    enabled: true

# Where to write logging data.
systemLog:
  destination: file
  logAppend: true
  path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log

# Network interfaces
net:
  port: 27017
  bindIp: 127.0.0.1

# Security
security:
  authorization: enabled

Starting and Stopping MongoDB

Windows

Use the net command:

net start MongoDB
net stop MongoDB

macOS

Using Homebrew services:

brew services start mongodb/brew/mongodb-community
brew services stop mongodb/brew/mongodb-community

Linux

Using systemctl:

sudo systemctl start mongod
sudo systemctl stop mongod

Enabling Authentication

Create an administrative user.

use admin
db.createUser(
  {
    user: "admin",
    pwd: "password",
    roles: [ { role: "userAdminAnyDatabase", db: "admin" } ]
  }
)

Restart MongoDB with authentication enabled.

Authenticate using the created user:

mongo -u "admin" -p "password" --authenticationDatabase "admin"

Conclusion

You have now installed and configured MongoDB on your system. This guide covered the essential steps to get you started with MongoDB, including installation, basic configuration, and enabling authentication. For more detailed configuration and advanced features, refer to the MongoDB documentation.

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