If you work in a digital environment, most likely you’ve heard of Mongo or MongoDB at some point. However, do you know what MongoDB is? It’s a NoSQL database, oriented to organizing large volumes of data. MongoDB creates databases by storing data in JSON-like document structures.
This database is open-source and is used to replace traditional databases. MongoDB create database is perfect for use in processing data that doesn’t fit neatly into a hard model. Mongo uses collections and documents instead of tables and rows, as classic databases do.
Keys for Creating a MongoDB database
Before learning how to use MongoDB to manage large amounts of data, it’s important to familiarize yourself with a few terms. These are some keywords that you will hear a lot when using MongoDB create database:
- Collections: these are used to group documents. In classic relational databases, these would be tables.
- Documents: it’s the unit in which information is stored inside MongoDB. Structures are similar to those of JSON.
In a relational database, documents would be similar to rows.
- Database: this is a collection container. Each one of these has its own set of files in the file system.
A MongoDB server can store several databases at the same time.
- Fields: analogous to columns in relational databases, fields are a name-value pair in a document.
- CLI: it’s the command line interface, commonly referred to as the CLI. By typing commands in the CLI, the CLI tells MongoDB how to operate.
- Compass: is a graphical interface to build databases with MongoDB.
- Drivers: these are the libraries used by apps to communicate with MongoDB.
Chances are that, if you’ve never used this software before, you don’t know where to start. By now, you already know the most used terms when creating a MongoDB database, so you are one step ahead. Let’s dig a little deeper.
To understand how to create a database in MongoDB, first, you must clarify whether the database is going to be built by using the CLI (the MongoDB shell) or using Compass. Let’s have a look at an example of what steps to follow if you decide to use Compass.
Mongo’s graphical user interface (GUI) is called MongoDB Compass. It is extremely convenient to use for building databases and keeping them up to date. That is because it provides data visualization and performance profiling, plus it allows creating, reading, updating, and deleting data, databases, and entire collections.
Before using it, make sure of the following:
- Make sure you have TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol enabled, and that it is on the Whitelist.
- Install MongoDB Compass on the computer.
- Create an account in the MongoDB cluster.
So, here’s how to start creating a database with Mongo.
- Launch the software, hover over the Databases tab, and click on ”Create Database”. A new dialog will open.
- It’s necessary to name both the database and the collection. Do that within the dialog.
- Choose between “Capped Collection”, and “Use Custom Collation” as desired.
- Click on “Create Database” to create it.
- You’re all set!
Advantages and disadvantages of using MongoDB
MongoDB is mostly used as a back-end database for large organizations that manage massive amounts of data. Here are some advantages and disadvantages of using Mongo.
Advantages
- Quick set-up
MongoDB can be set up and used on any server and with any computer.
The installation and execution of MongoDB is simple and fast.
- Flexibility
By working with non-structured data and storage, Mongo offers a more dynamic architecture.
It’s perfect for businesses who are constantly evolving.
- High speed
MongoDB performs faster than any other database.
In addition, being a document-based database, it has attributes that allow better availability and improved access to documents.
- Scalability
You may already have a great amount of users, and be waiting for more. Or maybe you’re just starting but know you will have a huge number of users. In both cases, you need a database that can keep up with that demand.
MongoDB can scale along with that requirement.
- Document-oriented
MongoDB is a NoSQL database which stores data in documents, which makes it very flexible.
Disadvantages
- Indexing
Although we mentioned that MongoDB offers high speed performance, it only happens with the proper indexes.
If the indexing was implemented in an incorrect or incomplete way, the performance speed would decrease.
- Data review and removal
These are called transactions. MongoDB uses transactions known as ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability) operations.
However, most applications don’t need transactions, unless they are required to update collections or documents. If so, the type of transactions used by MongoDB can lead to data corruption. This is a major limitation that must be taken into account.
- Document joining
MongoDB has a drawback when compared to relational databases: it cannot easily join documents.
There are developers actively working to find a solution to this issue, but, for the time being, it is still a tedious task to join documents in MongoDB.
- Storage usage
A lack of joins features causes MongoDB to consume a great deal of storage.
This can lead to duplicate data, taking up unnecessary memory space.
Just like anything else, MongoDB has its pros and cons, but utilizing it whenever it’s suitable, is crucial.
For more information on MongoDB, or if you’re seeking professionals to develop databases with this software, feel free to follow us on LinkedIn, or visit us at WillDom.com.
