🔹 Overview of MongoDB’s Core Structure
MongoDB organizes data in a layered structure. Whether you're working locally or in MongoDB Atlas (cloud), this structure stays the same.
🔹 Key Terms You Need to Know
Term | Description |
|---|---|
Organization | (Atlas only) A top-level container for users and projects |
Project | A group of clusters under shared billing and permissions |
Cluster | A group of MongoDB servers; the environment where your databases live |
Database | A container for collections |
Collection | A group of related documents (like a table in SQL) |
Document | A single record of data, stored in BSON (like a row in SQL) |
🔹 Where Do You Work Inside MongoDB?
When using MongoDB:
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You connect to a cluster
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Choose or create a database
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Inside the database, you work with collections
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Collections hold the documents, which are your actual data
✅ Whether you’re using Compass, the MongoDB shell, or a web app — all interactions start from this structure.