---
description: Creating a Docker image with MongoDB pre-installed using a Dockerfile and sharing the image on Docker Hub
keywords: docker, dockerize, dockerizing, article, example, docker.io, platform, package, installation, networking, mongodb, containers, images, image, sharing, dockerfile, build, auto-building,  framework
title: Dockerize MongoDB
---

## Introduction

In this example, we are going to learn how to build a Docker image with
MongoDB pre-installed.  We'll also see how to `push` that image to the
[Docker Hub registry](https://hub.docker.com) and share it with others!

> **Note:** This guide will show the mechanics of building a MongoDB container, but
you will probably want to use the official image on [Docker Hub]( https://hub.docker.com/_/mongo/)

Using Docker and containers for deploying [MongoDB](https://www.mongodb.org/)
instances will bring several benefits, such as:

 - Easy to maintain, highly configurable MongoDB instances;
 - Ready to run and start working within milliseconds;
 - Based on globally accessible and shareable images.

> **Note:** If you do **_not_** like `sudo`, you might want to check out
[*Giving non-root access*](../installation/binaries.md#giving-non-root-access).

## Creating a Dockerfile for MongoDB

Let's create our `Dockerfile` and start building it:

```bash
$ nano Dockerfile
```

Although optional, it is handy to have comments at the beginning of a
`Dockerfile` explaining its purpose:

```dockerfile
    # Dockerizing MongoDB: Dockerfile for building MongoDB images
    # Based on ubuntu:latest, installs MongoDB following the instructions from:
    # http://docs.mongodb.org/manual/tutorial/install-mongodb-on-ubuntu/
```

> **Tip:** `Dockerfile`s are flexible. However, they need to follow a certain
format. The first item to be defined is the name of an image, which becomes
the *parent* of your *Dockerized MongoDB* image.

We will build our image using the latest version of Ubuntu from the
[Docker Hub Ubuntu](https://hub.docker.com/_/ubuntu/) repository.

```dockerfile
# Format: FROM    repository[:version]
FROM       ubuntu:latest
```

Continuing, we will declare the `MAINTAINER` of the `Dockerfile`:

```dockerfile
# Format: MAINTAINER Name <email@addr.ess>
MAINTAINER M.Y. Name <myname@addr.ess>
```

> **Note:** Although Ubuntu systems have MongoDB packages, they are likely to
> be outdated. Therefore in this example, we will use the official MongoDB
> packages.

We will begin with importing the MongoDB public GPG key. We will also create
a MongoDB repository file for the package manager.

```dockerfile
# Installation:
# Import MongoDB public GPG key AND create a MongoDB list file
RUN apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv 7F0CEB10
RUN echo "deb http://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu "$(lsb_release -sc)"/mongodb-org/3.0 multiverse" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-3.0.list
```

After this initial preparation we can update our packages and install MongoDB.

```dockerfile
# Update apt-get sources AND install MongoDB
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y mongodb-org
```

> **Tip:** You can install a specific version of MongoDB by using a list of required packages with versions, e.g.:
```dockerfile
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y mongodb-org=3.0.1 mongodb-org-server=3.0.1 mongodb-org-shell=3.0.1 mongodb-org-mongos=3.0.1 mongodb-org-tools=3.0.1
```

MongoDB requires a data directory. Let's create it as the final step of our
installation instructions.

```dockerfile
# Create the MongoDB data directory
RUN mkdir -p /data/db
```

Lastly we set the `ENTRYPOINT` which will tell Docker to run `mongod` inside
the containers launched from our MongoDB image. And for ports, we will use
the `EXPOSE` instruction.

```dockerfile
# Expose port 27017 from the container to the host
EXPOSE 27017

# Set usr/bin/mongod as the dockerized entry-point application
ENTRYPOINT ["/usr/bin/mongod"]
```

Now save the file and let's build our image.

> **Note:**  The full version of this `Dockerfile` can be found [here](https://github.com/docker/docker.github.io/blob/master/engine/examples/mongodb/Dockerfile).

## Building the MongoDB Docker image

With our `Dockerfile`, we can now build the MongoDB image using Docker. Unless
experimenting, it is always a good practice to tag Docker images by passing the
`--tag` option to `docker build` command.

```dockerfile
# Format: docker build --tag/-t <user-name>/<repository> .
# Example:
$ docker build --tag my/repo .
```
Once this command is issued, Docker will go through the `Dockerfile` and build
the image. The final image will be tagged `my/repo`.

## Pushing the MongoDB image to Docker Hub

All Docker image repositories can be hosted and shared on
[Docker Hub](https://hub.docker.com) with the `docker push` command. For this,
you need to be logged-in.

```bash
# Log-in
$ docker login

Username:
..
```

```bash
# Push the image
# Format: docker push <user-name>/<repository>
$ docker push my/repo

The push refers to a repository [my/repo] (len: 1)
Sending image list
Pushing repository my/repo (1 tags)
..
```

## Using the MongoDB image

Using the MongoDB image we created, we can run one or more MongoDB instances
as daemon process(es).

```bash
# Basic way
# Usage: docker run --name <name for container> -d <user-name>/<repository>
$ docker run -p 27017:27017 --name mongo_instance_001 -d my/repo

# Dockerized MongoDB, lean and mean!
# Usage: docker run --name <name for container> -d <user-name>/<repository> --noprealloc --smallfiles
$ docker run -p 27017:27017 --name mongo_instance_001 -d my/repo --smallfiles

# Checking out the logs of a MongoDB container
# Usage: docker logs <name for container>
$ docker logs mongo_instance_001

# Playing with MongoDB
# Usage: mongo --port <port you get from `docker ps`>
$ mongo --port 27017

# If using docker-machine
# Usage: mongo --port <port you get from `docker ps`>  --host <ip address from `docker-machine ip VM_NAME`>
$ mongo --port 27017 --host 192.168.59.103
```

> **Tip:** If you want to run two containers on the same engine, then you will need to map
the exposed port to two different ports on the host

```bash
# Start two containers and map the ports
$ docker run -p 28001:27017 --name mongo_instance_001 -d my/repo

$ docker run -p 28002:27017 --name mongo_instance_002 -d my/repo

# Now you can connect to each MongoDB instance on the two ports
$ mongo --port 28001

$ mongo --port 28002
```

 - [Linking containers](../userguide/networking/default_network/dockerlinks.md)
 - [Cross-host linking containers](../admin/ambassador_pattern_linking.md)
 - [Creating an Automated Build](/docker-hub/builds/)