Creating users and roles in MongoDB

Introduction

Creating users and roles helps control who can access your database and what they can do. It keeps your data safe and organized.

When you want to give someone permission to read data but not change it.

When you need to allow a user to add or update data in the database.

When you want to create a special role for a group of users with specific permissions.

When you want to restrict access to certain parts of your database.

When setting up a new database and need to secure it from unauthorized access.

Syntax

MongoDB

db.createUser({
  user: "username",
  pwd: "password",
  roles: [
    { role: "roleName", db: "databaseName" }
  ]
})

// To create a role:
db.createRole({
  role: "roleName",
  privileges: [
    {
      resource: { db: "databaseName", collection: "collectionName" },
      actions: ["action1", "action2"]
    }
  ],
  roles: []
})

Use db.createUser() to add a new user with specific roles.

Use db.createRole() to define a custom role with specific privileges.

Examples

Creates a user who can only read data from 'myDatabase'.

MongoDB

db.createUser({
  user: "readerUser",
  pwd: "readerPass",
  roles: [ { role: "read", db: "myDatabase" } ]
})

Creates a user with administrative rights on 'myDatabase'.

MongoDB

db.createUser({
  user: "adminUser",
  pwd: "adminPass",
  roles: [ { role: "dbAdmin", db: "myDatabase" } ]
})

Creates a custom role that allows reading and writing on 'myCollection' in 'myDatabase'.

MongoDB

db.createRole({
  role: "customReadWrite",
  privileges: [
    {
      resource: { db: "myDatabase", collection: "myCollection" },
      actions: ["find", "insert", "update"]
    }
  ],
  roles: []
})

Sample Program

This creates a role 'limitedEditor' that can read and update the 'products' collection. Then it creates a user 'editorUser' with that role.

MongoDB

use myDatabase

db.createRole({
  role: "limitedEditor",
  privileges: [
    {
      resource: { db: "myDatabase", collection: "products" },
      actions: ["find", "update"]
    }
  ],
  roles: []
})

db.createUser({
  user: "editorUser",
  pwd: "editorPass",
  roles: [ { role: "limitedEditor", db: "myDatabase" } ]
})

Important Notes

Always use strong passwords for users to keep your database secure.

Roles can include other roles to combine permissions easily.

You must have admin rights to create users and roles.

Summary

Creating users controls who can access your database.

Roles define what actions users can perform.

You can create custom roles for specific permissions.