Use mongodump to create a BSON backup and mongorestore to load it into a compatible MongoDB deployment. That pair is practical for relatively small databases and planned maintenance windows. For a large or sharded deployment, use coordinated filesystem snapshots or a managed backup service. For a move that must keep downtime low, MongoDB Atlas live migration is generally the preferred route when your source topology is supported.
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The right procedure depends on your topology, MongoDB version, data size, encryption, write activity and recovery requirements. The steps below cover a safe dump-and-restore, replica-set oplog handling, Atlas migration, validation and the failure modes that most often cause an unsuccessful cutover.
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A BSON dump is portable and easy to automate, but it reads every selected collection through the database tools and writes the result to files or an archive. That makes it a good fit for smaller self-managed deployments and scheduled maintenance. It is not automatically the best protection for a busy sharded cluster, where a coordinated backup must preserve transaction atomicity across shards.
| Method | Best fit | Downtime and consistency considerations | Important limits |
|---|---|---|---|
mongodump and mongorestore |
Relatively small datasets (MongoDB’s Atlas guidance uses less than 300 GB as a recommendation threshold), development copies and planned moves | Stop writes for a straightforward consistent dump, or use replica-set oplog capture when writes must continue | Runtime grows with data, indexes and available I/O; a dump is not a coordinated point-in-time backup for every sharded topology |
| Atlas live migration | Moving a supported source into Atlas while keeping application downtime low | Initial synchronization runs while the source serves traffic, followed by a controlled cutover | Source topology and configuration must be supported; destination users and roles are not migrated automatically |
| Filesystem snapshots | Large self-managed deployments where storage snapshots are available and operationally tested | Can be fast, but the snapshot must be coordinated with MongoDB’s topology and write-consistency requirements | Snapshot tooling, storage encryption and restore procedures are your responsibility |
| Managed cloud backups | Resilient scheduled protection, especially for larger or sharded deployments | Provider-managed coordination and retention can reduce operational work | Features, retention and restore targets depend on the service and plan; Atlas Free clusters do not include Atlas managed backups |
Use the following decision axes before selecting a command: acceptable downtime, standalone versus replica set versus sharded topology, dataset size, index and transaction consistency, access to the replica-set oplog, source and destination versions, encryption requirements, available database administration skills and whether a managed service is acceptable.
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Inventory the source before touching production
Write down the facts that determine which procedure is safe. A backup that works on a standalone server may be incomplete or inconsistent when applied to a sharded cluster.
Record topology and versions
- Identify whether the source is a standalone
mongod, a replica set or a sharded cluster. For a sharded deployment, record every shard, the config server replica set and themongosendpoints. - Record the MongoDB server version and feature compatibility version (FCV). Plan a destination version that can read the dump and support the same features; test an upgrade path rather than assuming a newer server accepts every feature unchanged.
- Record the Database Tools version. The current
mongorestoredocumentation page is version100.19.1(MongoDB page crawled October 15, 2026). Install the latest stable tools appropriate to your operating system and keep the tool versions compatible with the deployment.
Measure data and operational constraints
- Estimate logical data size, index size and free space on both the dump host and destination. An archive can require temporary space even when its compressed size looks small.
- List collections with validation rules, capped collections, time-series options, search or other server-specific features, and any collections protected by encryption.
- Define the maximum acceptable write pause and the recovery point objective. Decide how long the source backup must be retained after cutover.
- Confirm network routes, firewall rules, DNS, TLS certificates, encryption key access and monitoring for both endpoints.
Check whether encryption blocks the tool
The documented mongorestore limitation applies to collections using Queryable Encryption or client-side field-level encryption: the tool cannot be used for those collections. Plan an encryption-aware export, snapshot or service-specific migration instead, and verify the method with a restore test before scheduling production work.
Prepare least-privilege access and connectivity
Do not begin a long dump only to discover that authentication or authorization fails on the final collection. Create a migration account with only the permissions needed for the operation, and test it against a non-production database first.
Source permissions
The source account must be able to read every database and collection included in the dump. If you are excluding databases, confirm that the account cannot silently omit required data. For a replica-set oplog capture, connect in a way that allows the tool to read the oplog from the appropriate member and follow the deployment’s authentication policy.
Destination permissions
For a self-managed restore, a user with the restore role is the usual minimum starting point; add only the privileges required by your destination policy. Atlas requires the Atlas admin role for a mongorestore operation. The destination account also needs network access, TLS settings and a connection string that reaches the intended cluster rather than a staging endpoint.
Protect secrets
- Prefer a protected connection string or a password prompt over putting a password directly in shell history.
- Use TLS and the destination’s required certificate and hostname validation settings.
- Restrict dump directories and archives to the backup service account. BSON files can contain all application data in readable form unless your storage encryption protects them.
- Rotate temporary migration credentials and remove them after validation and cutover.
Create a BSON backup with mongodump
mongodump is a Database Tools command-line program. It creates BSON data files plus metadata that mongorestore can load later; it is not a command inside the MongoDB Shell. Run it from an operating-system terminal on a host that can reach the source.
Make a write-quiesced dump
For the simplest consistency model, stop application writes for the dump window, or put the application into a maintenance mode that prevents inserts, updates and deletes. Then run a database-wide dump:
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mongodump --uri="mongodb://backup_user:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" --out="./dump-2026-10-15"Replace the URI, authentication database and output directory with your values. The command creates a directory tree organized by database and collection. To dump one database, add --db; to select collections, add --collection for each required collection in separate commands or use a documented inclusion plan. Keep the write pause until the command exits successfully and the output has been copied to protected storage.
Write a compressed archive
For simpler handling, write one compressed archive instead of a directory tree:
mongodump --uri="mongodb://backup_user:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" --archive="./mongo-backup-2026-10-15.archive.gz" --gzipCompression reduces storage and transfer volume but consumes CPU. Verify the archive exists, has the expected size, and can be read on a separate host before treating the job as successful.
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Keep writes running on a replica set
If writes cannot stop and the source is a replica set, capture the oplog:
mongodump --uri="mongodb://backup_user:[email protected],rs0-secondary.example.net/?replicaSet=rs0&authSource=admin" --oplog --out="./dump-with-oplog-2026-10-15"The --oplog option records operations occurring while the dump runs so they can be replayed after the BSON files are restored. It is intended for replica-set workflows; do not assume it provides the same guarantee on a standalone deployment or every sharded topology. Monitor oplog retention: if the source overwrites the required oplog window before the dump completes, the captured data cannot represent a complete sequence.
Even with oplog capture, the application still needs a controlled cutover. Freeze or drain writes briefly, let the destination catch up, switch clients, and then resume writes only on the destination. Oplog replay is not a substitute for deciding which system is authoritative during the transition.
Restore a dump with mongorestore
mongorestore loads BSON produced by mongodump, or reads an archive or standard input, into a mongod or mongos instance. It must be run from the operating-system command line, not from the MongoDB Shell.
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Restore a directory dump
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://restore_user:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" "./dump-2026-10-15"Use a clean destination when possible. If collections already exist and you deliberately want replacement semantics, add --drop so each destination collection is dropped before its replacement is restored:
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://restore_user:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" --drop "./dump-2026-10-15"Understand the consequence before using --drop: it removes destination collections and can destroy data that was written there after a test restore.
Restore a compressed archive
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://restore_user:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" --archive="./mongo-backup-2026-10-15.archive.gz" --gzipReplay the replica-set oplog
For a dump created with --oplog, replay the captured operations during restore:
mongorestore --uri="mongodb://restore_user:[email protected]:27017/?authSource=admin" --oplogReplay "./dump-with-oplog-2026-10-15"Use --oplogReplay only with a dump that contains the corresponding oplog data. It does not make a standalone dump transactionally consistent, and it does not coordinate writes across shards.
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Restore selected databases or collections
Point mongorestore at the specific database directory or use its database and collection selection options when you need a partial restore. A partial restore is useful for a test environment, but document exactly what was excluded so a later operator does not mistake it for a full disaster-recovery copy.
Match versions and feature compatibility before restoring
Restore into a compatible MongoDB major version and FCV. A dump is not a license to skip upgrade planning. Differences in FCV, index formats, validation behavior or server features can cause restore warnings or application failures after the command appears to succeed.
- Record source MongoDB version and FCV before the dump.
- Install a current, stable Database Tools release suitable for the source and destination.
- Restore first into an isolated environment running the planned destination version.
- Review every warning and error in the command output; do not rely only on the process exit code.
- Compare collection counts, document counts, index definitions, validation rules and representative query results.
- Test application drivers, connection pooling, read and write concerns, transactions and background jobs.
Do not copy system users and roles blindly between environments. Atlas migration documentation specifically states that existing users and roles are not migrated; create destination identities with the required privileges and update application secrets during cutover.
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Migrate to MongoDB Atlas with minimal downtime
Atlas live migration is the preferred route when low downtime matters and the source topology is supported. MongoDB describes it as automating many migration tasks with the least amount of downtime. The service performs an initial synchronization while the source remains available, then uses a controlled cutover process.
Use dump and restore when the outage is acceptable
Atlas guidance recommends the mongodump/mongorestore approach for relatively small datasets (less than 300 GB in that guidance) when the application can tolerate an extended downtime period. The figure is a recommendation threshold, not a universal capacity limit. Actual duration depends on data, indexes, network throughput, disk speed, compression and throttling.
Atlas Free clusters do not include Atlas managed backups, so Free-tier operators use Database Tools such as mongodump and mongorestore for backup and restore. Plan storage, credentials and a restore test yourself.
Understand Atlas seeding limits
Atlas migration documentation warns that writes issued after mongodump completes are not migrated by a simple dump-based seed. Schedule a write pause that covers the dump and transfer, or use live migration or a replica-set oplog strategy when the application cannot accept that gap. Atlas also does not bring existing users and roles across, so create them on the destination and update connection secrets before the final switch.
Typical live-migration sequence
- Confirm that the source topology, MongoDB version, network path and encryption settings meet Atlas live-migration requirements.
- Create the target cluster and configure IP access, private networking or other required connectivity controls.
- Create destination users and roles; do not wait until the cutover window.
- Start the live migration and monitor initial data synchronization, replication lag and errors.
- Exercise the destination with read-only validation and representative application queries.
- Schedule a short cutover. Stop or drain writes, wait for the migration to report that the destination is caught up, then change application connection strings.
- Resume writes only on Atlas, monitor errors and latency, and retain the source and its backup for the agreed recovery period.
Handle sharded clusters and transaction consistency
A sharded cluster needs more than a collection-by-collection copy. A transaction can involve multiple shards, so independently dumping shards can produce a destination that contains mutually inconsistent points in time. Use a coordinated backup method that preserves transaction atomicity across shards, such as a properly designed snapshot or managed backup workflow. If you cannot prove that a dump captures a consistent cluster-wide state, do not present it as a disaster-recovery backup.
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A successful command means files were processed; it does not prove that the application can use the destination. Validation should be an explicit gate in the runbook.
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- Compare source and destination database, collection and document counts, allowing for documented exclusions.
- Check every required index, including unique, compound, partial, TTL and collation-sensitive indexes.
- Run validation rules and representative reads and writes. Confirm expected query plans where performance is critical.
- Verify users, roles, authentication databases, TLS certificates, encryption keys and connection-string options.
- Test transactions, retryable writes, change streams, scheduled jobs and any service that depends on the database.
- Confirm monitoring, alerts, backups and retention are enabled on the destination before cutover.
- Perform a rollback rehearsal: know how to point clients back to the source and how to prevent split-brain writes.
Common failures and recovery actions
Authentication or authorization errors
Check the authentication database in the URI, the user’s source read permissions, the destination restore role or Atlas admin role, and whether the account is allowed from the dump host’s network. Retry against a small test database before restarting a full transfer.
Connection and TLS failures
Verify DNS, firewall rules, replica-set names, TLS certificates, server-name validation and private-network routes. A URI that works from an application subnet may fail from a backup host.
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Read the first warning that appears, compare source and destination versions and FCV, and restore into an intermediate test environment. Do not suppress errors merely to complete the job; rebuild indexes or adjust the destination only after confirming the compatibility plan.
Insufficient disk space or a slow dump
Check free space for both the dump files and temporary archive, measure network and storage throughput, and consider compression or a direct archive stream. There is no universal MongoDB backup-time figure: duration is workload- and infrastructure-dependent. For very large datasets, evaluate snapshots or managed backups instead of repeatedly extending a maintenance window.
Oplog replay cannot complete
Confirm that the source was a replica set, the dump included --oplog, the restore uses --oplogReplay, and the oplog window covered the entire dump. If the required operations were overwritten, create a new dump or use a live-migration or coordinated-backup method.
Data is missing after an Atlas seed
Check the time at which the dump completed. Writes made afterward are not included in a simple dump-based seed. Repeat with a write pause, capture changes through a supported live-migration process, or use a replica-set oplog workflow where applicable.
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Maintain the backup after migration
Keep the original dump or snapshot until the destination has passed application validation and the retention policy allows deletion. Store at least one copy outside the database host, protect it with access controls and encryption, and periodically perform a full restore test. A backup that has never been restored is an assumption, not a demonstrated recovery capability.
Document the exact tool version, command options, source and destination versions, FCV, credentials used, exclusions, encryption handling, validation results and cutover time. This record lets another operator reproduce the recovery without relying on personal knowledge.
Quick Recap
A practical runbook
- Inventory topology, versions, FCV, size, encryption and downtime tolerance.
- Select dump/restore, Atlas live migration, snapshots or managed backups based on those constraints.
- Install compatible Database Tools and create least-privilege source and destination credentials.
- Test connectivity and perform a small non-production dump and restore.
- For a planned outage, stop writes and run
mongodump. For a replica set that must keep writing, use--oplogand monitor oplog retention. - Restore into a compatible destination with
mongorestore; add--oplogReplayonly for a matching oplog dump. - Validate counts, indexes, rules, users, roles, queries, transactions, encryption and application behavior.
- Cut over connection strings only after the destination is caught up and validated. Resume writes on one authoritative destination.
- Retain and protect the source backup, then run a restore drill according to the recovery policy.
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