How to run MongoDB using docker compose with authentication

Posted on February 05, 2024 • 1 min read

MongoDB is a non-relational document database with scalability and flexibility. Here we will explain how to run the MongoDB server using the docker-compose with authentication. Running MongoDB using the docker commands is quite complicated because needs to remember all the docker commands and parameters. Docker compose file makes it easier to run the MongoDB server using the compose file.

docker
                                
version: '3.8'
services:
  mongodb:
    image: mongo:6-jammy
    ports:
      - '27017:27017'
    volumes:
      - datadrive:/data/db
    restarts: always
volumes:
  datadrive:

In this example, we are using an office MongoDB image with the tag 6-jammy. In this, it runs MongoDB uses a docker-managed volume so that data for the database is kept even if the container restarts.

Now run the docker using the below command


                                
docker compose up -d

Enable MongoDB authentication

By default, there is no authentication in MongoDB. It means connecting the MongoDB db server without any authentication. After running the container to inspect the docker container using docker exec -it mongodb bash

Then run the mongosh command to connect the MongoDB server

Create a user and role for MongoDB


                                
use admin
db.createUser(
    {
        user: "rootUser",
        pwd: "root123",
        roles: ["root"]
    }
)

Using the above command we create the admin user with a username rootuser and password root123 in the admin database. In the same way, you can create the user and role for your other databases like the below one.


                                
use demo
db.createUser(
    {
        user: "demoUser",
        pwd: "demo123",
        roles: [
            {
                role: "readWrite",
                db: "demo"
            }
        ]
    }
);

Now we are ready to enable the authentication on the MongoDB server. To enable the authentication --auth flag add as a command in the docker-compose file. After that recreate the docker container using docker-compose up -d the command again.


                                
version: '3.8'
services:
  mongodb:
    image: mongo:6-jammy
    ports:
      - '27017:27017'
    volumes:
      - datadrive:/data/db
    command: [--auth]
    restarts: always
volumes:
  datadrive:

Now your MongoDB server authentication has been enabled successfully, you can verify this using the below command


                                
docker exec -it mongodb bash

mongosh -u rootUser -p root123

How to run MongoDB using docker compose with authentication

Enable MongoDB authentication

Create a user and role for MongoDB

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