ApsaraDB for MongoDB is a MongoDB-compatible database service built on the Apsara system and a high-reliability storage engine. It delivers high availability through a multi-node architecture and handles elastic scaling, disaster recovery, backup and restoration, and performance optimization — so your team can focus on application development rather than database operations.
Architecture options for every workload
ApsaraDB for MongoDB offers three deployment architectures. Choose the one that matches your traffic pattern and availability requirements.
| Architecture | Best for | Key traits |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone instances | Development, testing, education, and non-critical workloads | Lowest cost; select specifications to match your needs |
| Replica set instances | Read-heavy workloads, burst traffic, and temporary activities | 1 primary node (read/write) + 1, 3, or 5 secondary nodes + 1 hidden node + up to 5 optional read-only nodes; add or remove nodes as traffic changes |
| Sharded cluster instances | High-concurrency read and write operations | Multiple three-node replica sets (primary/secondary mode, up to 5 read-only nodes per shard); composed of mongos, shard, and Configserver nodes; configure the number and specifications of mongos and shard nodes to match throughput requirements |
For full architecture details, see:
Scale without downtime
Change instance specifications, storage capacity, or the number of nodes at any time as your business grows. Schedule configuration changes to take effect during off-peak hours to avoid impact on running workloads. For details, see Overview.
Migrate from DynamoDB
ApsaraDB for MongoDB is fully compatible with the MongoDB protocol. Sharded cluster instances of MongoDB 4.0 are highly compatible with the DynamoDB protocol — create a DynamoDB-compatible sharded cluster instance directly from the console. For details, see Create a DynamoDB-compatible ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance.
Alibaba Cloud provides the following tools to support migration, synchronization, and verification:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| NimoShake | Migrates Amazon DynamoDB databases to Alibaba Cloud. See Migrate an Amazon DynamoDB database to ApsaraDB for MongoDB by using NimoShake. |
| MongoShake | A general Go-based tool for synchronizing data among MongoDB databases. See Use MongoShake to implement one-way synchronization between ApsaraDB for MongoDB replica set instances. |
| NimoFullCheck | Verifies data consistency between a source DynamoDB database and a destination ApsaraDB for MongoDB instance after migration. See Use NimoFullCheck to check data consistency after migration. |
What's next
ApsaraDB for MongoDB is designed to reduce operations and maintenance overhead while delivering strong service availability, data reliability, and security. For a full comparison with self-managed databases, see Comparison between ApsaraDB for MongoDB and self-managed databases.