MongoDB 101: An Introduction to MongoDB Features, Comparison with SQL, Use Cases, and Installation Guide

6 min readMar 4, 2023

MongoDB is a popular NoSQL database that uses a document-based data model. Unlike SQL databases, MongoDB does not store data in tables with fixed schemas but instead stores data in flexible JSON-like documents with dynamic schemas. MongoDB was first released in 2009 and has gained popularity due to its flexibility, scalability, and performance.

In this post, we will explore the basics of MongoDB, its key features, and how it compares to traditional SQL databases.

What is MongoDB?

MongoDB is a document-oriented database that uses a flexible and scalable data model. It is designed to handle unstructured and semi-structured data and is suitable for a wide range of use cases, including web and mobile applications, content management systems, and real-time analytics.

One of the key features of MongoDB is its support for horizontal scaling, which allows it to handle large volumes of data and high traffic loads. MongoDB can scale out by adding more servers to a cluster, making it a popular choice for applications that require scalability and performance.

Another feature of MongoDB is its support for replication and automatic failover, which ensures high availability and data durability. MongoDB can replicate data across multiple servers and automatically promote a secondary server to the primary server in case of a failure.

MongoDB also supports a rich query language called MongoDB Query Language (MQL), which allows you to perform complex queries on your data. MQL is based on JavaScript syntax and includes a wide range of operators for filtering, sorting, and aggregating data.

How Does MongoDB Compare to SQL Databases?

MongoDB is often compared to traditional SQL databases due to its popularity as a NoSQL alternative. Some of the key differences between MongoDB and SQL databases are:

Data Model: SQL databases use a table-based data model with a fixed schema, while MongoDB uses a document-based data model with dynamic schemas. This means that you can store different types of data in the same collection without having to define a fixed schema for each collection.
Querying: SQL databases use SQL (Structured Query Language) for querying data, while MongoDB uses a JavaScript-based query language called MongoDB Query Language (MQL). MQL includes a wide range of operators for filtering, sorting, and aggregating data.
Scalability: SQL databases typically require vertical scaling to handle increased loads, while MongoDB is horizontally scalable, meaning it can scale out by adding more servers to a cluster. This makes it easier to handle large volumes of data and high traffic loads.
Relationships: SQL databases support complex relationships between tables, while MongoDB supports flexible relationships through embedded documents or referencing. This means that you can store related data in the same document or reference related data across multiple documents.

MongoDB Use Cases and Limitations

MongoDB is suitable for a wide range of use cases, including:

Content Management Systems (CMS): MongoDB’s flexible data model is well-suited for content management systems that require storing different types of data in the same collection.
Real-time Analytics: MongoDB’s support for horizontal scaling and rich query language makes it a popular choice for real-time analytics applications.
Internet of Things (IoT) Applications: MongoDB’s support for unstructured and semi-structured data makes it suitable for handling data generated by IoT devices.
Mobile Apps: MongoDB’s support for offline data synchronization and horizontal scaling makes it a popular choice for mobile applications.
E-commerce platforms: MongoDB’s support for complex data structures and flexible schemas makes it well-suited for e-commerce platforms that require storing product catalogs, customer information, and order data.

However, MongoDB has some limitations, including:

Lack of transactions: MongoDB does not support multi-document transactions, making it unsuitable for use cases that require strict transactional integrity.
Data size limitations: MongoDB has a document size limit of 16MB, which can be a limitation for certain use cases that require storing large documents or files
Indexing: MongoDB’s indexing system is not as powerful as SQL databases, which can make it slower for certain types of queries.
Complexity: MongoDB’s flexibility and dynamic schema can make it more complex to manage than SQL databases, especially for large-scale deployments.

Installing and setting up MongoDB

Installing MongoDB Community Edition on Windows

Here are the steps to install MongoDB Community Edition on Windows:

Go to the MongoDB download page: https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community
Choose the latest version of MongoDB Community Edition and download the .msi file.
Run the .msi file and follow the instructions to install MongoDB on your computer.
Add MongoDB to the PATH environment variable by following these steps:

Open the Control Panel and click on System and Security.
Click on System.
Click on Advanced system settings.
Click on Environment Variables.
Under System Variables, scroll down and select Path.
Click on Edit.
Click on New.
Add the path to the MongoDB bin folder, which is typically “C:\Program Files\MongoDB\Server<version>\bin”.
Click OK to close all the windows.

5. Run the following command to start the MongoDB server:

mongod --dbpath C:\mongodb\data

This will start the MongoDB server and create the “data” folder in the “mongodb” folder in your C:\ drive.

6. To connect to the MongoDB server, open another command prompt window and run the following command:

mongo

This will start the MongoDB shell and connect to the MongoDB server running on your local machine.

Installing MongoDB Community Edition on macOS

Go to the MongoDB download page: https://www.mongodb.com/try/download/community
Choose the latest version of MongoDB Community Edition and download the .tgz file.
Once the download is complete, open the downloaded file to extract it.
Rename the extracted folder to “mongodb” and move it to the root directory of your computer.
Add MongoDB to the PATH environment variable by running the following command in the terminal:

echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/mongodb/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bash_profile

6. Run the following command to start the MongoDB server:

mongod --dbpath ~/mongodb/data

This will start the MongoDB server and create the “data” folder in your home directory.

7. To connect to the MongoDB server, open another terminal window and run the following command:

mongo

This will start the MongoDB shell and connect to the MongoDB server running on your local machine.

Summary:

Here is a summary of the topics we have covered:

MongoDB Introduction: In this topic, we have covered an introduction to MongoDB, which is a NoSQL document-oriented database. We have discussed the features and benefits of MongoDB and how it is different from SQL databases.
Comparison with SQL databases: In this topic, we have compared MongoDB with SQL databases, highlighting the main differences between them. We have discussed the advantages and disadvantages of both types of databases, as well as the situations where each database type is better suited.
MongoDB Usecase & Limitations: In this topic, we have discussed the use cases and limitations of MongoDB. We have looked at some of the industries that commonly use MongoDB and the types of applications that are best suited for MongoDB. We have also discussed some of the limitations of MongoDB, such as its lack of support for transactions and its scalability limitations.
Installing and setting up MongoDB: In this topic, we have covered the steps to install and set up MongoDB on both macOS and Windows.

Overall, these topics provide a good introduction to MongoDB, its features, benefits, and limitations. It also covers the basic steps to install and set up MongoDB on your machine. You can follow my profile, to stay tune for more content related to Mongodb.

Did i missed anything, if so leave it as a comment :)

Also, If you are looking for professional services to help you learn about these powerful tool and improve your development process, please feel free to connect @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahzaibkhan/

If you enjoyed this post…it would mean a lot to me if you could click on the “claps” icon…up to 50 claps allowed — Thank You!