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Sharding

Sharding distributes a single logical database system across a cluster of machines. Sharding uses range-based portioning to distribute documents based on a specific shard key.

For a general introduction to sharding, cluster operations, and relevant implications and administration see: FAQ: Sharding with MongoDB.

Sharded Cluster Use and Operation

The documents in this section introduce sharded clusters, their operation, functioning, and use. If you are unfamiliar with data partitioning, or MongoDB’s sharding implementation begin with these documents:

Sharded Cluster Tutorials and Procedures

The documents listed in this section address common sharded cluster operational practices in greater detail.

Application Development Patterns for Sharded Clusters

The following documents describe processes that application developers may find useful when developing applications that use data stored in a MongoDB sharded cluster. For some cases you will also want to consider the documentation of Data Center Awareness.

Sharded Cluster Reference

Consider the following reference material relevant to sharded cluster use and administration.