MongoDB is a popular open-source NoSQL (non-relational) database management system that provides high performance, high availability, and easy scalability. It falls under the category of document-oriented databases, and it stores data in flexible, JSON-like BSON (Binary JSON) documents.
The development of MongoDB started in 2007, and it was officially released as an open-source project in 2009. The company MongoDB, Inc. (formerly 10gen) was founded to further develop and support the database. Dwight Merriman and Eliot Horowitz co-founded both the company and the database project.
Key features of MongoDB include:
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Document-Oriented: MongoDB stores data in flexible, JSON-like BSON documents. A document is a set of key-value pairs, and it is the basic unit of data in MongoDB.
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Schema-less: Unlike traditional relational databases, MongoDB is schema-less, meaning that each document in a collection can have a different structure. This flexibility allows for easy adaptation to changing data requirements.
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High Performance: MongoDB is designed to handle large amounts of data and provide high performance. It uses a document storage model, indexing, and query optimization to achieve efficient data retrieval.
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Scalability: MongoDB is horizontally scalable, allowing for the distribution of data across multiple servers or clusters. This enables seamless scaling as data volumes and traffic grow.
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High Availability: MongoDB provides features like replication and automated failover to ensure high availability and fault tolerance. It can be configured to maintain multiple copies of data across different servers.
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Rich Query Language: MongoDB supports a powerful query language for searching and retrieving data. It also supports indexing, which enhances query performance.
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Aggregation Framework: MongoDB includes a flexible and powerful aggregation framework for performing data transformation and analysis within the database.
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Geospatial Indexing: MongoDB has built-in support for geospatial data and provides geospatial indexing, allowing for efficient storage and retrieval of location-based information.
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Open Source: MongoDB is released under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL) and the Apache License.
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Community and Ecosystem: MongoDB has a large and active community of users and developers. It also has a rich ecosystem of tools, libraries, and third-party integrations.