Discover the Easy Way to Launch a MongoDB Server on Ubuntu – Includes Step-By-Step Guide and Real-Life Code Examples

Table of content

1. Introduction
2. Prerequisites
3. Step 1: Installing MongoDB on Ubuntu
4. Step 2: Configuring MongoDB
5. Step 3: Launching MongoDB Server
6. Step 4: Creating a MongoDB User
7. Real-Life Code Examples
8. Conclusion

Introduction

MongoDB is a popular open-source NoSQL document database that offers high performance, scalability, and flexibility. Launching a MongoDB server on Ubuntu is a simple and straightforward process, and can be done quickly and easily using a few simple steps. In this article, we will cover the easy way to launch a MongoDB server on Ubuntu, including a step-by-step guide and real-life code examples.

Before we dive into the setup process, it is important to understand some basic concepts about MongoDB. MongoDB is a NoSQL database, which means that it does not have a pre-defined schema like a traditional relational database. Instead, MongoDB stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents that can have different fields and data types. This allows for more flexibility in terms of data storage and retrieval, and makes MongoDB a good choice for applications that require highly variable data structures.

In addition to this, MongoDB is also highly scalable and performant, making it an ideal choice for applications that need to handle large amounts of data and high concurrency. With this in mind, let's move on to the steps involved in launching a MongoDB server on Ubuntu.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into launching a MongoDB server on Ubuntu, there are a few that you need to have in place. Firstly, you must have a basic understanding of command line interface and terminal commands. This is because we will be using these commands to complete most of our work in this tutorial.

Secondly, ensure that you have the latest version of Ubuntu installed on your system. This tutorial will be based on Ubuntu 20.04, so it's highly recommended that you have the same version installed.

Next, you need to have MongoDB installed on your system. If you have not installed it yet, you can use the following command in your terminal to get it done:

sudo apt install mongodb

Finally, you need to have Python 3 installed on your system. Python is not a strict requirement for MongoDB, but it will come in handy if you wish to work with the databases programmatically. You can install Python 3 by running the following command:

sudo apt install python3

If you have all these in place, you are now ready to dive into launching a MongoDB server on Ubuntu.

Step 1: Installing MongoDB on Ubuntu

To launch a MongoDB Server on Ubuntu, the first step is to install MongoDB on your machine. Follow these simple steps to get started:

1. First, update your Ubuntu package repository by typing the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt update

2. Next, install the MongoDB package by running the command below:

sudo apt install mongodb

3. After the installation process is complete, enable the MongoDB service by typing the following command:

sudo systemctl enable mongodb

4. Finally, start the MongoDB service using the following command:

sudo systemctl start mongodb

With these simple steps, you can easily install MongoDB on your Ubuntu machine and start using it right away. Once the installation is complete, you can use various tools such as the MongoDB shell or a graphical user interface to start creating and managing your databases.

Step 2: Configuring MongoDB

To configure MongoDB, you will need to modify the configuration file located at /etc/mongod.conf. This file contains all the settings required by the MongoDB server to operate effectively.

To access and modify this configuration file, run the following command:

sudo nano /etc/mongod.conf

This will open the configuration file in the nano text editor. You can then scroll through the file and modify any settings as required.

One important setting to check is the bind IP address. This determines the IP addresses the MongoDB server will listen on. By default, MongoDB will listen on all available network interfaces. However, for security reasons, it is recommended that you specify the specific IP address(es) that the server should listen on.

To modify the bind IP address, locate the following line in the configuration file:

# network interfaces
net:
    port: 27017
    #bindIp: 127.0.0.1

Remove the comment (#) from the bindIp line and specify the IP address(es) you wish to use. For example, if you wish to listen on the IP address 10.0.0.100, modify the line as follows:

# network interfaces
net:
    port: 27017
    bindIp: 10.0.0.100

Once you have made any necessary changes, save the file by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter.

You can then start the MongoDB server using the following command:

sudo systemctl start mongod

You can also check the status of the server using the following command:

sudo systemctl status mongod

This will provide information on whether the server is currently running, along with any error messages if applicable.

Step 3: Launching MongoDB Server

To launch the MongoDB server, you need to use the mongod command. This command is used to start the server with the default configuration options. However, you can also specify additional command-line options to customize the configuration.

To launch the server, open a new terminal window and enter the following command:

sudo service mongod start

This will start the MongoDB server and it will be running in the background. You can verify that the server is running by checking the log file at /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log.

If you want to stop the server, you can use the following command:

sudo service mongod stop

This will stop the MongoDB server and it will no longer be running in the background.

Alternatively, if you want to restart the server, you can use the following command:

sudo service mongod restart

This will stop the MongoDB server if it is currently running and start it again with the default configuration options.

Step 4: Creating a MongoDB User

To create a MongoDB user, you first need to access the database shell by typing mongo in the command line. Once you are in the shell, switch to the database where you want to create the user by typing use <database name>. Then, use the db.createUser() method to create the user.

Here is an example code snippet that creates a user with the username "admin" and the password "password" with the role of "dbOwner" (which has full read and write access to the specified database):

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

This will create a new user with the specified username and password, granting them full access to the "mydatabase" database. You can create users with different roles and permissions using the same db.createUser() method by specifying different roles in the roles array.

It is important to note that security should be a top priority when creating users in MongoDB. Make sure to create strong passwords and only provide users with the necessary permissions to access the database.

Real-Life Code Examples

:

provide a practical way to understand how to use MongoDB on Ubuntu. Here are some snippets of code that will help you get started:

Connecting to a MongoDB Server:

import pymongo

client = pymongo.MongoClient('mongodb://localhost:27017/')

db = client["mydatabase"]

This code connects to a MongoDB server running on the local machine and creates a new database called "mydatabase". The default port for MongoDB is 27017, but you can change this to match your configuration.

Creating a Collection:

import pymongo

client = pymongo.MongoClient('mongodb://localhost:27017/')

db = client["mydatabase"]

collection = db["mycollection"]

This code creates a new collection called "mycollection" in the "mydatabase" database.

Inserting Documents:

import pymongo

client = pymongo.MongoClient('mongodb://localhost:27017/')

db = client["mydatabase"]

collection = db["mycollection"]

mydict = { "name": "John", "address": "Highway 37" }

x = collection.insert_one(mydict)

This code inserts a new document into the "mycollection" collection. The document contains a "name" field with the value "John" and an "address" field with the value "Highway 37". The insert_one() method returns an object that contains the id of the new document.

These are just a few examples of how to use MongoDB on Ubuntu. With a solid understanding of the basics, you can continue to explore the many features and capabilities of this powerful database system.

Conclusion

In , launching a MongoDB server on Ubuntu can be a straightforward process if you follow the step-by-step guide and use real-life code examples. By using the MongoDB package available in the Ubuntu repository and the MongoDB command-line tools, you can quickly set up a running instance of the database on your system.

However, it's important to note that there are many factors to consider when deploying a MongoDB server for production use. For instance, you need to ensure that your server has enough resources to handle the expected workload, that you've configured the security settings correctly, and that you are regularly backing up your data to avoid data loss in case of a failure.

Therefore, it's essential to familiarize yourself with MongoDB's documentation and best practices before deploying a production database. But with the right tools and knowledge, you can easily launch a MongoDB server on Ubuntu and start building powerful applications that can handle large volumes of data.