MongodbHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to Use mongorestore to Restore MongoDB Data

Use mongorestore to restore MongoDB data from a backup directory or BSON files by running mongorestore [options] <backup_directory>. It connects to your MongoDB server and imports the saved data into the specified database.

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Syntax

The basic syntax of mongorestore is:

mongorestore [options] <backup_directory> - restores data from the specified backup folder.
--db <database_name> - specifies the target database to restore into.
--drop - drops each collection before restoring it.
--host <hostname> - specifies the MongoDB server address.
--port <port_number> - specifies the port number of the MongoDB server.

bash

mongorestore [options] <backup_directory>
mongorestore --db mydb --drop /path/to/backup

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Example

This example restores a backup from the folder dump/mydb into the database mydb on the local MongoDB server. It drops existing collections before restoring to avoid duplicates.

bash

mongorestore --db mydb --drop dump/mydb

Output

2024-06-01T12:00:00.000+0000 connected to: mongodb://localhost:27017/ 2024-06-01T12:00:00.100+0000 dropping: mydb.collection1 2024-06-01T12:00:00.200+0000 restoring mydb.collection1 from dump/mydb/collection1.bson 2024-06-01T12:00:00.300+0000 restored mydb.collection1 (100 documents) 2024-06-01T12:00:00.400+0000 finished restoring mydb

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Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when using mongorestore include:

Not using --drop when you want to replace existing data, causing duplicate documents.
Restoring to the wrong database if --db is omitted.
Incorrect backup path leading to errors like "no files to restore".
Not matching MongoDB server version compatibility with the backup.

Always verify the backup path and use --drop if you want a clean restore.

bash

mongorestore dump/mydb  # Might append data causing duplicates
mongorestore --db mydb --drop dump/mydb  # Correct way to replace data

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Quick Reference

Option	Description
--db	Restore data into the specified database
--drop	Drop collections before restoring them
--host	Specify MongoDB server host (default: localhost)
--port	Specify MongoDB server port (default: 27017)
	Path to the backup folder containing BSON files

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Key Takeaways

Use mongorestore with the backup folder path to restore MongoDB data.

Add --drop to remove existing data before restoring to avoid duplicates.

Specify the target database with --db to control where data is restored.

Ensure the backup path is correct and accessible to avoid errors.

Check MongoDB server compatibility with your backup files before restoring.