The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →To build a MongoDB sharded cluster on Ubuntu VPS instances, deploy replica sets for the config servers and each shard, then place one or more mongos routers in front of them. A production topology uses three config-server members and three members per shard replica set; a smaller single-shard arrangement is suitable only for development or testing. The reliable sequence is to prepare private DNS and firewalls, install the same MongoDB release everywhere, secure inter-node authentication, initialize the config and shard replica sets, start mongos, add the shards, and then choose a shard key from measured workload patterns.
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What a sharded MongoDB cluster contains
MongoDB describes three essential components: shards, mongos routing processes, and config servers. Together they divide data across replica sets while keeping routing metadata available to clients.
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| Component | Purpose | How it is deployed |
|---|---|---|
| Shard | Stores a subset of database data and serves reads and writes for its ranges or hash partitions. | Each shard is a replica set with its own name, members, elections and storage. |
| Config-server replica set | Stores cluster metadata such as databases, collections, chunks and shard placement. | Use a dedicated replica set named in the configDB connection string. |
mongos |
Acts as the client-facing query router, locating the relevant shard and returning results. | Run one or more stateless routers; applications connect to these routers rather than directly to shard members. |
MongoDB 8.0 also documents a config-shard arrangement, but the conventional design for a new VPS deployment is a separate config-server replica set. Keep config-server and shard roles explicit so that an outage or maintenance event is easier to reason about.
Choose the VPS topology before installing anything
Development or test layout
A minimal test environment can contain one mongos, one shard replica set and one config-server replica set. You may run several processes on fewer VPS instances to reduce cost, but co-location removes failure isolation and should not carry production traffic.
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Production reference layout
MongoDB’s production reference topology uses three members in the config-server replica set and three members in each shard replica set, plus one or more mongos routers. Place members across at least three data centers or availability zones when feasible. This lets a single host or zone fail without immediately losing replica-set voting power.
| Design | Typical processes | Use | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-shard test | One config replica set, one shard replica set, one router | Application development, migration rehearsals and functional testing | Little or no fault isolation; not a production failure-tolerant design |
| Small production start | Three config members, three members for the first shard, redundant routers | Production workloads that currently need one shard | Higher VPS, storage and network cost before adding more shards |
| Multi-shard production | Three config members, three members per shard, multiple routers | Data sets or write rates that require horizontal partitioning | More elections, balancing, monitoring and shard-key consequences |
Count voting members, not just VPS instances. A single VPS can host multiple processes for a lab, but placing all members of a replica set on one machine defeats redundancy. Geographic distribution also increases latency, so measure the round-trip time between zones before selecting replica-set members.
Prerequisites for Ubuntu VPS nodes
- Use a supported 64-bit Ubuntu LTS image. MongoDB 8.0 documents Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal), 22.04 (Jammy) and 24.04 (Noble) on x86_64, with selected ARM64 support. Use one architecture and one MongoDB major version across the cluster.
- Assign stable DNS names such as
cfg1.db.internal,cfg2.db.internal,cfg3.db.internal,sh1a.db.internalandrouter1.db.internal. Use those names in replica-set and sharded-cluster configuration instead of changing raw addresses. - Provide private inter-node connectivity. Do not make database listeners reachable from the public internet. Allow only the application networks, administration network and the specific cluster peers that need to connect.
- Synchronize clocks with the VPS provider’s time service or another trusted NTP source. Clock drift complicates TLS, elections, logs and incident timelines.
- Choose storage with predictable IOPS and enough free space for data, indexes, journal activity, backups and temporary balancing work. Sharding does not remove the need to monitor disk pressure on every member.
- Plan backups before loading production data, including a copy of config-server data and a tested restore procedure.
Install the same MongoDB release on every node
Run the installation steps on all config-server, shard and router hosts. Do not mix major releases in the initial deployment.
- Install the repository prerequisites:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y gnupg curl- Import the MongoDB 8.0 signing key and create the MongoDB 8.0 APT source file for the node’s Ubuntu codename. Use the official MongoDB installation instructions for the exact key command and repository stanza matching Noble, Jammy or Focal; do not reuse a repository line for a different Ubuntu release.
- Refresh package metadata and install the server packages:
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org- Check the installed version on each host:
mongod --version
mongos --version
mongosh --versionWhen reproducibility matters, pin the package version after validating it in a staging cluster and record the selected MongoDB release. Review the current MongoDB release documentation before a production rollout because package names, supported Ubuntu releases and security defaults can change.
Build the private network and baseline firewall
MongoDB processes bind to localhost by default. That safe default means a new node cannot join a remote replica set until you explicitly add approved hostnames or private addresses to net.bindIp.
- Permit each config-server member to reach the other config members on the configured config-server port.
- Permit each shard member to reach the other members of its own shard replica set.
- Permit every
mongosrouter to reach all config and shard members. - Permit application clients to reach routers, not shard or config-server listeners.
- Permit SSH or administration access only from a management network, and log denied traffic.
Apply host firewalls and, where available, the VPS provider’s network firewall. Create DNS records before starting MongoDB, then verify forward and reverse resolution from every participating host. If a hostname resolves to a public address, correct the DNS or routing plan before binding MongoDB to it.
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Secure internal and client authentication
Secure the cluster before exposing any listener beyond localhost. MongoDB’s guidance is explicit: before binding an instance to a publicly accessible address, protect the cluster from unauthorized access.
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Keyfile bootstrap for a lab
A keyfile is simple for development and testing. Generate one file, copy it securely to every mongod and mongos host, and make it readable only by the MongoDB service account:
openssl rand -base64 756 | sudo tee /etc/mongodb-keyfile > /dev/null
sudo chown mongodb:mongodb /etc/mongodb-keyfile
sudo chmod 400 /etc/mongodb-keyfileThe bytes and permissions must match on every node. Keyfiles have limited manageability and cryptographic strength, so MongoDB positions them mainly for testing and development.
Production authentication
For production, plan TLS with X.509 certificates, LDAP proxy authentication or Kerberos as appropriate for your identity infrastructure. Use internal authentication on every mongod and mongos, and use role-based access control for application users. For intra-cluster SCRAM on MongoDB 5.3 and later, use SCRAM-SHA-256.
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Configure and initialize the config-server replica set
Use a distinct replica-set name, such as cfgRS, and set the config-server role on every member. The following example uses three hostnames and port 27019; use the same values in DNS, firewall rules and service configuration.
Config-server YAML
On each config host, create or edit /etc/mongod.conf. Change the hostname and, if necessary, the data path for that host.
storage:
dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb
systemLog:
destination: file
logAppend: true
path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log
net:
port: 27019
bindIp: 127.0.0.1,cfg1.db.internal
replication:
replSetName: cfgRS
sharding:
clusterRole: configsvr
security:
keyFile: /etc/mongodb-keyfile
authorization: enabledOn cfg2 and cfg3, replace the second bindIp value with that host’s name. If you are using TLS or X.509, add the TLS settings required by your certificate design instead of relying on a keyfile.
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Start the members and initiate the set
- Validate ownership and permissions of the data, log and key files, then start MongoDB:
sudo systemctl enable --now mongod
sudo systemctl status mongod- Connect locally to one config member with
mongoshand initiate the set. Theconfigsvroption must be true:
mongosh --host cfg1.db.internal --port 27019rs.initiate({
_id: 'cfgRS',
configsvr: true,
members: [
{ _id: 0, host: 'cfg1.db.internal:27019' },
{ _id: 1, host: 'cfg2.db.internal:27019' },
{ _id: 2, host: 'cfg3.db.internal:27019' }
]
})- Wait for a primary and secondaries, then inspect the result:
rs.status()
rs.conf()A production config-server replica set requires at least three members. Back up its data before maintenance because the config database contains the metadata that lets routers find chunks and shards.
Configure each shard replica set
Every shard has its own unique replica-set name. For example, the first shard can be shard01RS with members sh1a.db.internal, sh1b.db.internal and sh1c.db.internal. A second shard would use a different name and its own members.
Shard-member YAML
On each shard host, use a configuration like this, changing the hostname and replica-set name for each shard:
storage:
dbPath: /var/lib/mongodb
systemLog:
destination: file
logAppend: true
path: /var/log/mongodb/mongod.log
net:
port: 27017
bindIp: 127.0.0.1,sh1a.db.internal
replication:
replSetName: shard01RS
sharding:
clusterRole: shardsvr
security:
keyFile: /etc/mongodb-keyfile
authorization: enabledStart all members and check the service logs for binding, authentication or storage errors:
sudo systemctl enable --now mongod
sudo systemctl status mongod
sudo journalctl -u mongod --since '10 minutes ago'Initiate the shard set
Connect to one member and initiate the replica set with all members:
mongosh --host sh1a.db.internal --port 27017rs.initiate({
_id: 'shard01RS',
members: [
{ _id: 0, host: 'sh1a.db.internal:27017' },
{ _id: 1, host: 'sh1b.db.internal:27017' },
{ _id: 2, host: 'sh1c.db.internal:27017' }
]
})Run rs.status() and wait until one member is PRIMARY and the others are SECONDARY with healthy replication. Repeat the process for every additional shard, using a new replica-set name and member list each time.
Start redundant mongos routers
mongos is stateless: it reads metadata from the config-server replica set and routes operations to shards. Run at least two routers when application availability requires a router to survive maintenance or failure. Put them behind your existing load balancer or provide a client-side list of router addresses.
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Create /etc/mongos.conf on each router host:
sharding:
configDB: cfgRS/cfg1.db.internal:27019,cfg2.db.internal:27019,cfg3.db.internal:27019
net:
port: 27017
bindIp: 127.0.0.1,router1.db.internal
security:
keyFile: /etc/mongodb-keyfile
systemLog:
destination: file
logAppend: true
path: /var/log/mongodb/mongos.logStart the router using the distribution’s mongos service or an explicitly managed service unit:
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sudo systemctl status mongosDo not configure a data dbPath for mongos. Confirm that the router can authenticate to all config and shard members before allowing application traffic.
Add shards and verify the cluster
Connect the shell to a router, not directly to a shard, for cluster administration:
mongosh --host router1.db.internal --port 27017Add each shard with its replica-set connection string:
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sh.addShard('shard01RS/sh1a.db.internal:27017,sh1b.db.internal:27017,sh1c.db.internal:27017')Check the registered shards and cluster state:
sh.listShards()
sh.status()sh.listShards() should show the replica-set name and members you supplied. If a shard remains unavailable, inspect DNS resolution, firewall counters, keyfile or certificate permissions, and the replica-set state on the shard itself.
Enable sharding and select a shard key from workload evidence
Adding shards does not automatically distribute every collection. Enable sharding for the target database, then shard individual collections:
sh.enableSharding('appdb')
sh.shardCollection('appdb.events', { tenantId: 'hashed' })The command above is only an example. A hashed key may distribute writes well, but it can be a poor choice for range queries that need neighboring values. Select the actual key after examining query and write patterns.
- Query targeting: Frequent operations should include the shard key so
mongoscan target a subset of shards instead of broadcasting. - Cardinality: The key needs enough distinct values to create useful partitions. A low-cardinality field can leave data concentrated on a few shards.
- Write distribution: Avoid a monotonically increasing key when inserts would all arrive at the newest chunk and create a hot shard.
- Range behavior: Choose a range-friendly key when range scans are central to the workload; choose hashing only when even distribution matters more than locality.
- Document availability: Verify that the key exists, is stable for the document’s lifetime and is present in the operations that matter.
- Uniqueness is not enough: A unique field can still produce poor distribution or scatter-gather queries. Do not choose it solely because it is unique.
Measure representative queries before and after sharding. Watch the profiler and application metrics for scatter-gather operations, uneven chunk sizes and shard-specific write pressure.
Validate failover before production traffic
Replica-set elections
During a maintenance rehearsal, stop or isolate a primary and confirm that an eligible secondary is elected, clients reconnect and replication catches up. Record election duration and application errors; a successful election does not guarantee that every driver handles the interruption correctly.
Router redundancy
Remove one mongos endpoint from the load balancer or client list. Existing connections may fail, but new connections should use a surviving router and continue to reach the cluster.
Config-server protection
If a config-server primary cannot be elected, cluster metadata becomes read-only and chunk migrations or splits stop. If all config servers are unavailable, the cluster can become inoperable. Test restoration of config-server backups and document the exact maintenance order.
Network and security checks
- From every permitted peer, verify DNS, TCP reachability and TLS or keyfile authentication.
- From an unapproved network, verify that database ports are blocked.
- Confirm that application credentials have only their required roles.
- Check that logs do not contain credentials and that keyfiles or private keys are not world-readable.
Operate and monitor the cluster
- Replication: Track replication lag, member state, elections and optime progress for every config and shard replica set.
- Storage: Alert on disk pressure, journal capacity, IOPS saturation and rapidly growing indexes.
- Balancing: Watch chunk balancing, migration failures and uneven shard utilization after collections are sharded.
- Routers: Monitor
mongosconnectivity, connection pools, request latency and stale-metadata warnings. - Backups: Back up shard data and the config database, retain copies outside the VPS failure domain and perform restore drills.
- Change control: Keep MongoDB versions, configuration files, replica-set names, DNS records and firewall rules in an auditable inventory.
Plan upgrades and maintenance one replica-set member at a time, preserving voting availability. Never delete or recreate config-server data casually: it is cluster metadata, not merely another copy of application documents.
Troubleshooting common setup failures
A member cannot join the replica set
Check that the hostname in rs.conf() resolves from every member, the advertised port is allowed by both host and provider firewalls, and net.bindIp includes the hostname or private address. Confirm that all members use the same replica-set name and authentication material.
mongos reports stale or unavailable metadata
Check the health of every config-server member first. Then inspect router logs and connectivity to each config-server hostname. Do not add or remove shards while the config-server replica set is unhealthy.
Authentication works locally but fails between hosts
Verify that the keyfile bytes, owner and mode are identical on all hosts, or that every certificate has the expected subject, trust chain and hostname coverage. Ensure internal authentication settings are consistent on every mongod and mongos.
One shard receives most writes
Inspect the shard key, chunk distribution and query patterns. A low-cardinality or monotonic key can create a hot shard even when additional capacity exists. Re-evaluate the key with measured workload data rather than adding routers and expecting them to fix data skew.
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- All nodes run the same supported MongoDB major version and a supported 64-bit Ubuntu LTS release.
- Config-server and shard members use stable private DNS names and distinct replica-set names.
- Production replica sets have three voting members distributed across failure domains where feasible.
- Only required peer, router and administration traffic passes the firewalls.
- Internal authentication and client authorization are enabled consistently; production identity uses TLS/X.509, LDAP or Kerberos where appropriate.
- At least two routers are available when the application requires router-level availability.
- Config-server and shard backups have been restored successfully in a separate environment.
- Election, router-failover, network-isolation and disk-pressure tests have documented outcomes.
- The shard key is justified by cardinality, distribution, range behavior and query targeting—not uniqueness alone.
- Monitoring covers replication lag, elections, disk pressure, balancing, router connectivity and stale metadata.
The Bottom Line
A dependable Ubuntu VPS deployment is built in layers: private DNS and firewalls first, identical MongoDB packages second, authenticated config and shard replica sets third, and redundant mongos routers last. Keep the three-member production topology, protect config-server metadata, and select the shard key from real workload measurements before directing application traffic.
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