Backup MongoDB – mongodump

Backup MongoDB – To backup data in MongoDB, MongoDB provides mongodump utility to backup data at different levels. Using mongodump, you may backup only a particular collection of a database, or single database, or all databases of a specified MongoDB instance.

In this tutorial, we will learn how to use mongodump utility to take backup of MongoDB Databases/Collections.

Using mongodump utility

mongodump is an utility that could be run from a Terminal.

Following are the usages of mongodump utility.

1. To create backup for a collection in database, use mongodump with options: Collection Name and Database Name.

mongodump --collection COLLECTION_NAME --db DB_NAME

2. To create backup for a database, use mongodump with options: Database Path and Output Directory for Backup.

mongodump --dbpath DB_PATH --out /OUTPUT/DIRECTORY/FOR/BACKUP

3. To create backup all the databases linked to a specific MongoDB instance, use mongodump with options: Host Name and Port Number at which MongoDB instance is running.

mongodump --host HOST_NAME --port PORT_NUMBER

4. Running mongodump utility without any options creates backup for all databases linked to the MongoDB running at localhost (127.0.0.1) and port 27017.

mongodump

Note : When no –out option is specified, a directory named dump is created at the location from which mongodump utility is run.

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Examples for MongoDB Backup

Make sure MongoDB Instance is running. If not, start one as shown below :

~$ sudo mongod -dbpath /var/lib/mongodb/

Backup MongoDB

Open a Terminal and run mongodump utility with no arguments

~$ mongodump
2018-01-07T18:06:41.181+0530	writing admin.system.version to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	done dumping admin.system.version (1 document)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	writing school.students to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	writing tutorialkart.people to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	writing tutorialkart.stores to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.183+0530	writing tutorialkart.customers to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.183+0530	done dumping school.students (9 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.183+0530	writing tutorialkart.webpages to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.people (8 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	writing newdb.users to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.customers (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	writing school.totals to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	done dumping newdb.users (4 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	writing fruits.seasonal to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.stores (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	writing tutorialkart.myNewCollection to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping school.totals (3 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.webpages (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping fruits.seasonal (1 document)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.186+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.myNewCollection (0 documents)
~$ cd dump/
~/dump$ ls
admin  fruits  newdb  school  tutorialkart
~/dump$

Backup MongoDB Collection

In this example, we shall backup “webpages” collection of “tutorialkart” db.

~$ mongodump --collection webpages --db tutorialkart
2018-01-07T18:24:16.928+0530	writing tutorialkart.webpages to 
2018-01-07T18:24:16.953+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.webpages (5 documents)
~$ cd dump
~/dump$ ls
tutorialkart

Backup MongoDB Database

In this example, we shall backup “tutorialkart” db.

~$ mongodump --db tutorialkart
2018-01-07T18:25:43.148+0530	writing tutorialkart.people to 
2018-01-07T18:25:43.149+0530	writing tutorialkart.customers to 
2018-01-07T18:25:43.149+0530	writing tutorialkart.stores to 
2018-01-07T18:25:43.149+0530	writing tutorialkart.webpages to 
2018-01-07T18:25:43.149+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.people (8 documents)
2018-01-07T18:25:43.150+0530	writing tutorialkart.myNewCollection to 
2018-01-07T18:25:43.150+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.customers (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:25:43.150+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.stores (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:25:43.150+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.myNewCollection (0 documents)
2018-01-07T18:25:43.150+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.webpages (5 documents)
~$ cd dump/
~/dump$ ls
tutorialkart
~/dump$ cd tutorialkart/
~/dump/tutorialkart$ ls
customers.bson           myNewCollection.bson           people.bson           stores.bson           webpages.bson
customers.metadata.json  myNewCollection.metadata.json  people.metadata.json  stores.metadata.json  webpages.metadata.json

Backup MongoDB Databases linked to a specific MongoDB instance

In this example, we shall backup all databases linked to the MongoDB instance running at 127.0.0.1:27017

~$ mongodump --host 127.0.0.1 --port 27017
2018-01-07T18:06:41.181+0530	writing admin.system.version to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	done dumping admin.system.version (1 document)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	writing school.students to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	writing tutorialkart.people to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.182+0530	writing tutorialkart.stores to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.183+0530	writing tutorialkart.customers to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.183+0530	done dumping school.students (9 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.183+0530	writing tutorialkart.webpages to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.people (8 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	writing newdb.users to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.customers (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	writing school.totals to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	done dumping newdb.users (4 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.184+0530	writing fruits.seasonal to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.stores (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	writing tutorialkart.myNewCollection to 
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping school.totals (3 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.webpages (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.185+0530	done dumping fruits.seasonal (1 document)
2018-01-07T18:06:41.186+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.myNewCollection (0 documents)
~$ cd dump/
~/dump$ ls
admin  fruits  newdb  school  tutorialkart
~/dump$

Backup to a particular directory

–out option could be used to create backup at a particular directory

~$ mongodump --out /home/tk/mongo_dump/
2018-01-07T18:37:19.793+0530	writing admin.system.version to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.795+0530	done dumping admin.system.version (1 document)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.795+0530	writing school.students to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.795+0530	writing tutorialkart.people to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.795+0530	writing tutorialkart.stores to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.795+0530	writing tutorialkart.customers to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.796+0530	done dumping school.students (9 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.796+0530	writing tutorialkart.webpages to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.797+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.people (8 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.797+0530	writing newdb.users to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.797+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.stores (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.797+0530	writing school.totals to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.798+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.customers (5 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.798+0530	writing fruits.seasonal to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.798+0530	done dumping fruits.seasonal (1 document)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.799+0530	writing tutorialkart.myNewCollection to 
2018-01-07T18:37:19.799+0530	done dumping school.totals (3 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.799+0530	done dumping newdb.users (4 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.799+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.myNewCollection (0 documents)
2018-01-07T18:37:19.800+0530	done dumping tutorialkart.webpages (5 documents)
~$ cd /home/tk/mongo_dump/
~/mongo_dump$ ls
admin  fruits  newdb  school  tutorialkart

Conclusion

In this MongoDB Tutorial, we have learnt to Backup MongoDB Databases and the control provided by mongodump utility for various levels in backup : Collection , Single Database, All Databases linked to a MongoDB Instance.