The AWS equivalent of MongoDB is Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility). This fully managed, scalable, and highly available document database service makes it easy to set up, operate, and scale MongoDB-compatible databases in the cloud.
Amazon DocumentDB is designed for developers who want to leverage the flexibility of MongoDB's document model without the operational overhead of managing the database infrastructure themselves. It allows you to run the same application code and use the same drivers and tools that you use with MongoDB, ensuring a smooth transition for existing applications or a familiar environment for new ones.
Key Aspects of Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB Compatibility)
Amazon DocumentDB offers a robust solution for deploying document workloads on AWS, providing benefits beyond what self-managed MongoDB instances can typically offer out-of-the-box.
- MongoDB Compatibility: DocumentDB is compatible with MongoDB 3.6, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 APIs, enabling applications to interact with DocumentDB as if they were interacting with a MongoDB database. This compatibility minimizes code changes and facilitates migration.
- Fully Managed Service: AWS handles routine database tasks such as hardware provisioning, patching, backups, and scaling. This frees up development teams to focus on application logic rather than database operations.
- Scalability: It is built for high performance and scalability, with the ability to scale storage and compute independently. It supports automatic scaling of storage up to 128 TiB and allows you to add up to 15 read replicas for high-throughput applications.
- High Availability and Durability: DocumentDB automatically replicates your data six ways across three Availability Zones and continuously backs up your data to Amazon S3. This architecture ensures high availability, durability, and fault tolerance.
- Security: Integrated with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), and offering encryption at rest and in transit, DocumentDB provides robust security features.
- Performance: Engineered for enterprise-grade performance, DocumentDB separates compute and storage, allowing for rapid scaling and consistent low-latency performance.
Amazon DocumentDB vs. Self-Managed MongoDB
Understanding the differences between running MongoDB yourself and using Amazon DocumentDB can help determine the best fit for your needs.
| Feature | Self-Managed MongoDB (e.g., on EC2) | Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility) |
|---|---|---|
| Management | Requires manual setup, patching, backups, scaling, monitoring. | Fully managed by AWS; automated operations. |
| Scalability | Manual sharding and replica set configuration required for horizontal scaling. | Automatic storage scaling; easy addition of read replicas. |
| High Availability | Achieved through manual replica set configuration. | Built-in multi-AZ redundancy and automatic failover. |
| Durability | Depends on your backup strategy and infrastructure setup. | Data replicated six ways across three AZs; continuous backups to S3. |
| Security | User responsible for all security configurations (network, encryption, access). | Integrated with AWS security services (IAM, VPC, KMS for encryption). |
| Cost Model | Costs include compute, storage, networking, and significant operational overhead. | Pay-as-you-go; includes compute, storage, I/O, and backup charges. |
| MongoDB API | Native MongoDB protocol. | Compatible with MongoDB 3.6, 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0 APIs. |
Use Cases for Amazon DocumentDB
Amazon DocumentDB is an excellent choice for a variety of workloads, particularly where operational simplicity, scalability, and high availability are critical:
- Content Management Systems: Storing articles, product catalogs, user profiles, and other unstructured data.
- Mobile and Web Applications: Providing a backend for applications requiring flexible schemas and high read/write throughput.
- Gaming: Managing player profiles, game states, and leaderboard data.
- Personalization and Recommendation Engines: Storing user preferences and activity data for real-time recommendations.
- Migration of Existing MongoDB Workloads: For organizations looking to move their self-managed MongoDB instances to a fully managed cloud service without extensive refactoring.
By providing a MongoDB-compatible managed service, Amazon DocumentDB allows developers to focus on building innovative applications while AWS handles the heavy lifting of database operations, making it the primary AWS equivalent for MongoDB. For more detailed information, you can refer to the official AWS documentation on What is Amazon DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility) at docs.aws.amazon.com.
