Audit logging basics in MongoDB - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

💻 Command Output

intermediate

MongoDB Audit Log Enablement Command Output

You run the following command to enable audit logging in MongoDB:

db.adminCommand({ setParameter: 1, auditAuthorizationSuccess: true })

What is the expected output of this command?

MongoDB

db.adminCommand({ setParameter: 1, auditAuthorizationSuccess: true })

A { "ok" : 1, "auditAuthorizationSuccess" : true }

B { "ok" : 0, "errmsg" : "Invalid parameter" }

C { "ok" : 1 }

D SyntaxError: Unexpected token

💡 Hint

The command returns a simple status object indicating success or failure.

The setParameter admin command returns { "ok" : 1 } on success without echoing the parameter value.

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Purpose of MongoDB Audit Logging

What is the primary purpose of enabling audit logging in MongoDB?

A To record detailed information about database operations for security and compliance

B To encrypt data stored in the database

C To automatically backup the database at regular intervals

D To improve database query performance by caching results

💡 Hint

Think about why organizations track user actions and system events.

Audit logging records who did what and when in the database, helping with security audits and compliance.

❓ Configuration

advanced

Correct Audit Log Configuration in mongod.conf

Which of the following is the correct snippet to enable audit logging in the mongod.conf file with JSON format and output to a file named audit.log?

A

auditLog:
  destination: file
  format: JSON
  filePath: /var/log/mongodb/audit.log

B

auditLog:
  destination: file
  format: JSON
  path: /var/log/mongodb/audit.log

C

auditLog:
  destination: syslog
  format: BSON
  path: /var/log/mongodb/audit.log

D

auditLog:
  destination: file
  format: BSON
  path: /var/log/mongodb/audit.log

💡 Hint

Check the exact keys and values required by MongoDB for auditLog configuration.

The correct keys are destination, format, and path. The format must be JSON or BSON. The path key specifies the file location.

❓ Troubleshoot

advanced

Audit Log Not Created After Configuration

After configuring audit logging in mongod.conf and restarting MongoDB, no audit log file is created. Which is the most likely cause?

A The mongod.conf file syntax is invalid and MongoDB failed to start

B Audit logging is disabled by default and cannot be enabled

C The audit log format is set to XML which MongoDB does not support

D The MongoDB user does not have write permission to the audit log directory

💡 Hint

Think about file system permissions and user rights.

If MongoDB cannot write to the specified directory due to permissions, the audit log file won't be created.

✅ Best Practice

expert

Best Practice for Managing MongoDB Audit Logs in Production

Which of the following is the best practice for managing MongoDB audit logs in a production environment?

A Rotate audit logs regularly and store them securely with restricted access

B Keep audit logs indefinitely on the same disk without rotation

C Disable audit logging during peak hours to improve performance

D Store audit logs in the same directory as the database data files

💡 Hint

Consider security and disk space management.

Regular rotation prevents disk space issues and storing logs securely protects sensitive audit data.