MongoDB Migration Tools: 7 Seamless Ways to Migrate your Data

MongoDB is a database platform that keeps your data in a document format. However, this data becomes valid only when you can draw some meaningful insights after analyzing it. To analyze, you need to shift your data to more accessible cloud storage like a data warehouse or a data lake. This is where data migration comes in.

Data migration moves your data off existing arrays into a more centralized location so that other systems can access it. Most of the data migration tools are compatible with SQL-based databases.

Since MongoDB is a NoSQL document database, some standard data migration is incompatible with MongoDB Migration Tools. On the other hand, many are compatible and provide extensions for MongoDB. 

The article enlists some of the most popular MongoDB Migration Tools. There are various data migration tools in the market with extraordinary features and offerings. In this article, you will learn about seven of these.

What is MongoDB?

MongoDB is a document-based database that provides flexibility and scalability in querying and indexing your data. It is a simple model that enables developers to learn and utilize it while meeting all complex database management requirements.

MongoDB stores data in JSON-like documents that are very flexible in structure. The model then maps these documents to the objects in your application code, allowing you to post ad hoc queries, add indexing, and get real-time aggregation. It is a free-to-use tool with high availability, horizontal scalability, and geographic distribution. 

Key Features of MongoDB

Here are some notable features of MongoDB:

1) Optimized Ad-hoc Queries

MongoDB optimizes how an ad-hoc query is handled while considering thousands of variables. Its flexible schema stands apart from others in providing real-time ad-hoc queries and improved performance.

2) Replication for better data availability 

Replication allows you to sidestep vulnerabilities when your data resides in a single database by deploying multiple servers for backup and recovery. This is possible due to horizontal scaling across multiple servers that store the same data or shards of the data.

3) Load Balancing

For large-scale database management, optimal loading balance is a challenge. But with MongoDB’s replication and sharding, large-scale data can be balanced effectively. The platform handles multiple concurrent read and writes operations for the same data due to its concurrency control and locking protocols. Using MongoDB deprecates the need to add an external load balancer for data consistency.

Data Migration tools for MongoDB

Here are the 7 MongoDB Migration Tools:

1. MongoDB Atlas Live Migration Service
2. AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS)
3. Mongock
4. Liquibase MongoDB Extension
5. MongoSyphon
6. SYNC
7. IRI NextForm

1) MongoDB Atlas Live Migration Service

There is a Live Migration process if you wish to migrate from MongoDB deployments with Cloud/Ops Managers into MongoDB Atlas. The service can migrate your data from any existing environment with a minimal application impact. Atlas keeps the target cluster in sync with the remote source cluster until you switch the application to the target cluster during the migration process.

MongoDB Migration Tools provide assistance as a two-part service: the Live Migration (Push) Service for pushing data from Cloud/Ops Manager and the Live Migration (Pull) Service to pull a replica set into Atlas. The migration also allows you to migrate a shared cluster into Atlas.

The Live Migration Service is a no-cost service that enables you to migrate to MongoDB’s cloud database Atlas and can act as a MongoDB Migration Tool. 

2) AWS Database Migration Service (AWS DMS) 

Amazon DocumentDB is a fully managed database compatible with MongoDB 3.6 and 4.0 APIs. AWS DMS, a cloud service for relational and non-relational databases, can conveniently migrate your data to Amazon DocumentDB. The tool is best optimized when used after the Amazon DocumentDB Index tool to create indexes before the migration process.

AWS DMS features an online approach to load data from MongoDB to the Amazon DocumentDB cluster. It efficiently switches to a CDC mode for replication of changes and minimizes downtime for your cluster. 

Each database migration instance has a sufficient data cache and swap space for free. AWS DMS charges only for replication and additional log storage. On-Demand instances let you pay for migration capacity by the hour. Each instance class is charged per CPU burst capability via CPU credit pricing at US$0.075 per CPU hour. Making AWS an alternative MongoDB Migration Tool.

3) Mongock

Based on Java, Mongock is a MongoDB Migration Tool that migrates data and ships database changes to the application via your application code for ‘distributed environments.’ It aids in managing alterations for your NoSQL databases, like MongoDB. Mongock enables developers to execute changes safely by controlling migrations during the application deployment by shipping code and data changes together. 

It was initially intended for MongoDB data migrations, but the product is evolving to provide a broader range of database compatibility as well as transactional execution.

Using Mongock as a MongoDB Migration Tool, the data can be easily imported into Java applications; it writes migration scripts in Java and is compatible with Spring and Spring Boot. It features a locking mechanism to allow multiple instances of your application, assuring one-write-only. Mongock also offers rollbacks, undo, and list history and comes with a Command Line Interface for better operational management.

Mongock is an open-source and license-free data migration tool that you can use conveniently to migrate data for MongoDB. Learn more about mongock in detail.

4) Liquibase MongoDB Extension

Liquibase lets you rapidly track, version, and deploy database schema changes. Liquibase offers a separate extension for MongoDB support with a mongo-java-driver dependency. The extension emerged as an alternative to existing MongoDB tools with the db.eval shell method, which are incompatible starting from MongoDB 4.2.

Liquibase features an entirely automatic process while tracking and deploying database code with the velocity of your application code. It lets you organize, monitor, and visualize alterations in real-time. Its one-ledger (changelog) feature allows you to add context and labels for selective change deployment. 

The Liquibase extension for MongoDB is an open-source to activate schema migration automatically. You can also inject the free extension and then run your migration as you do. Making Liquibase an alternative MongoDB Migration Tool.

5) MongoSyphon

MongoSyphon is an ETL (extract/transform/load) engine that merges and transforms data into ‘Document’ forms. It is a Java library that can read RDBMS tables and converts them to XML or JSON. Developers can utilize MongoSyphon’s code for both bulk transfers and ongoing updates. Despite having explicit CDC (change data capture) capabilities, the engine does the task via SQL and MongoDB querying.

MongoSyphon features time and memory-efficient connection of data in a low active environment. The engine is highly efficient in parameterizing a document during conversion. It is claimed to save up to 512 person-hours of development time with just 1202 lines of code whose build file is readily available. 

MongoSyphon is an open-source engine that is available free of cost and also acts as a MongoDB Migration Tool.

6) SYNC

SYNC is a specially developed ETL tool to provide bi-directional data migration between MongoDB and other data sources like RDBMS databases. This MongoDB Migration Tool comes with a GUI interface for conveniently mapping different data sources. Despite being trained for MySQL and Oracle databases, SYNC claims it can work with any SQL database and NoSQL databases like MongoDB. 

SYNC is known for its considerable SQL support, and easy-to-create data joins. The tool also sends email notifications and processes a summary report on data migration completion and failure (if any). It also provides other features like batch selection/insertion, auto restart in case of JVM bounce, OpLog for reading data instead of querying, and an admin module for adding more databases. 

SYNC is an open-source tool, and you can access it via GitHub. 

7) IRI NextForm

NextForm is a database migration and management platform that frees your data, programs, and databases from lock-ins and legacy formats. The engine runs efficiently on Windows, Unix, and Linux command lines. It migrates and modernizes file formats to be used in other applications. It replicates data, remaps data types, and creates a federated view for speed insights.

NextForm offers features that can cull data while you’re moving it. Its working slashes the design and run time by 75% with a point-and-click field mapping to help you control your data. NextForm’s DBMS version is highly compatible with migrations based on Oracle, DB2, Sybase, MS SQL, MySQL, Teradata, and MongoDB.

The Lite version of NextForm is a no-cost version that comprises the IRI NextForm executable and IRI Workbench. DBMS, COBOL, Legacy, Modern, and Premium versions of NextForm are paid. The version compatible with MongoDB (DBMS version) costs anywhere between US$10,000 to US$50,000 depending on the database.

Benefits of MongoDB Migration Tools

1. Simplified Data Transfer: MongoDB migration tools make transferring data between clusters, environments, or databases seamless and efficient.
2. Reduced Downtime: These tools ensure minimal disruption during migrations, keeping applications available for users.
3. Data Consistency: Migration tools maintain data accuracy and integrity, avoiding duplication or loss during the process.
4. Customizable Migration: Support for filtering and mapping ensures you can migrate only relevant data or reformat it as needed.
5. Scalability Support: Ideal for scaling MongoDB deployments, allowing effortless migration to larger or distributed clusters.
6. Automation and Monitoring: Many tools provide automated workflows and real-time monitoring to track the migration status effectively.

Conclusion 

This article discusses the MongoDB Migration Tool compatible with MongoDB. The focus shifts to only seven of the most efficient tools for data migration.

Many more utility commands and migration tools can migrate your data from one database to another. You can explore the aforementioned MongoDB Migration Tools in terms of their offerings and utilize them to migrate your data according to the use cases and requirements. 

As you collect and manage data across multiple applications and databases in your business, it is critical to consolidate it for complete business performance analysis. This is easily accomplished with a Cloud-based ETL tool like Hevo.

Want to take Hevo for a spin? Sign Up or a 14-day free trial and experience the feature-rich Hevo suite firsthand. Also checkout our unbeatable pricing to choose the best plan for your organization.

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