MongoDB is one of the more popular NoSQL databases available. NoSQL databases do not use typical relational database structure, nor do they typically rely on SQL for queries. MongoDB stores data in JSON-style documents (which themselves can be stored within collections) and allows for dynamic storage of data. For example, we do not need to create a schema, configure relations between tables, and so on. We just create our database and populate it with data on the fly. The data can be as complex or as simple (just key/value pairs) as our requirements dictate. MongoDB is also highly-scalable via the use of shard-based clustering.
I am a strict wearer of an RDBMS hat, and this is my first foray into the world of NoSQL. This first article on MongoDB will cover initial installation, configuration and testing. I’ll also dabble with authentication. Further articles will cover the configuration of replica sets and other administrative features. I’m a sysadmin, not a developer, so I’ll be looking more at how to administer MongoDB rather than how to actually use it.
Let’s get on with the installation.