To add a new user and enable authentication in MongoDB, which of the following steps need be executed?

Question

Options

• Aupdate users collection and restart mongodb
• BAll of the above
• Cupdate users collection and restart mongodb with -auth option
• Dupdate users collection and run db.enableAuthenticationQ

• A
  6% (1)
• B
  6% (1)
• C
  89% (16)

Explanation

Option C is correct because MongoDB's security model requires two steps: first, creating the user by updating the users collection (via db.createUser()), and then restarting MongoDB with the --auth flag to enforce authentication on connections. Without the --auth startup option, MongoDB runs in open mode and ignores credentials entirely.

Why the distractors fail:

• A - Restarting without --auth leaves authentication disabled; MongoDB simply ignores the users you created.
• D - db.enableAuthentication() is not a real MongoDB command; authentication is a server-level setting controlled at startup, not from the shell.
• B - "All of the above" is wrong because A and D are both incorrect methods.

Memory tip: Think of it as a two-lock system - you must set the lock (create the user) and turn the key (start with --auth). Either step alone leaves the door open.

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