Backup MongoDB on Kubernetes

You can use the instructions on this page to create pre and post backup rules with Portworx Backup, which take application-consistent backups for MongoDB on Kubernetes in production.

MongoDB stores data files in a location called dbPath. dbPath is most often configured to use /var/lib/mongo. Some container images may also configure this path differently, so it is important to pay attention to dbPath.

When deployed with more than a single node, MongoDB has an additional component called Oplog that should be considered during backup. The MongoDB Oplog is a special capped collection that keeps a rolling record of all operations that modify the data stored in your databases. The Oplog can also be used for database recovery. Because the Oplog recovery can take a very long time, MongoDB usually is combined with regular database snapshots.

Installation

Prerequisites

If you have not used Portworx, Portworx Backup, or run Data services on Kubernetes it is a good idea to review the following information:

NOTE:

MongoDB pods should use the label app=mongo for this example.
If MongoDB is using oplog, you will need a persistent location to dump oplog. The location /data/oplog is used in this example.

Create rules for MongoDB

Create rules for MongoDB that will run both before and after the backup operation runs:

Create a pre-exec backup rule for MongoDB

Portworx Backup should flush writes to disk and lock the database to ensure a consistent backup. This is done using the db.fsyncLock() method.

Navigate to Settings → Rules → Add New.
Add a name for your Rule.
Add the following app label:
```
app=mongo
```

Add the following action:

mongo --eval "printjson(db.fsyncLock())"

Add the second action:

If you are using Oplog, this will dump Oplog and can be used for alternate database recovery.
```
mongodump -d local -c oplog.rs -o /data/oplog
```

Create a post-exec backup rule for MongoDB

Create a post-backup action that will administratively reduce the lock on the database following your pre-backup db.fsyncLock() operation.

Navigate to Settings → Rules → Add New.
Add a name for your Rule.
Add the following app label:
```
app=mongo
```

Add the following action:

mongo --eval "printjson(db.fsyncUnlock())"

Use the rules during backup of MongoDB

During the backup creation process, select the rules in the pre-exec and post-exec dropdowns:

Once you have filled out the backup form, click Create.

Demo

Watch this short demo of the above information.