db.dropDatabase()¶

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Definition
Behavior
Example

Definition¶

db.dropDatabase(<writeConcern>)¶

Removes the current database, deleting the associated data files.

The db.dropDatabase() method takes an optional parameter:

Field Description

writeConcern

Optional. A document expressing the write concern to use if greater than "majority".

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{ w: <value>, j: <boolean>, wtimeout: <number> }

Omit to use the default/minimum write concern of "majority".

When issued on a replica set, if the specified write concern results in fewer member acknowledgements than write concern "majority", the operation uses "majority". Otherwise, the specified write concern is used.

When issued on a sharded cluster, MongoDB converts the specified write concern to "majority".

Behavior¶

The db.dropDatabase() wraps the dropDatabase command.

Locks¶

Starting in version 4.2.2, the operation takes an exclusive (X) database lock only.

In versions 3.6-4.2.1, the operation takes an exclusive (X) database lock while dropping the collections in the database but a global lock when dropping the now-empty database.

User Management¶

This command does not delete the users associated with the current database. To drop the associated users, run the dropAllUsersFromDatabase command in the database you are deleting.

Indexes¶

Starting in MongoDB 4.4, the db.dropDatabase() method and dropDatabase command abort any in-progress index builds on collections in the target database before dropping the database. Aborting an index build has the same effect as dropping the built index. Prior to MongoDB 4.4, attempting to drop a database that contains a collection with an in-progress index build results in an error, and the database is not dropped.

For replica sets or shard replica sets, aborting an index on the primary does not simultaneously abort secondary index builds. MongoDB attempts to abort the in-progress builds for the specified indexes on the primary and if successful creates an associated abort oplog entry. Secondary members with replicated in-progress builds wait for a commit or abort oplog entry from the primary before either committing or aborting the index build.

Replica Set and Sharded Clusters¶

Replica Sets

At minimum, db.dropDatabase() waits until all collection drops in the database have propagated to a majority of the replica set members (i.e. uses the write concern "majority").

Starting in MongoDB 4.2, you can specify a write concern to the method. If you specify a write concern that requires acknowledgement from fewer than the majority, the method uses write concern "majority".

If you specify a write concern that requires acknowledgement from more than the majority, the method uses the specified write concern.

Sharded Clusters

When issued on a sharded cluster, MongoDB converts the specified write concern to "majority".

For MongoDB 4.2 and previous, when executing the dropDatabase command, you must perform the following additional steps if you intend to create a new database with the same name as the dropped database.

Note

MongoDB 4.4 does not require these additional steps when dropping and recreating a database with the same name.

For MongoDB 4.2, you must either:
- Restart all mongos instances and all mongod shard members (including the secondary members);
- Use the flushRouterConfig command on all mongos instances and all mongod shard members (including the secondary members) before reading or writing to that database.
For MongoDB 4.0 and earlier, you must either:
- Restart all mongos instances;
- Use the flushRouterConfig command on all mongos instances before reading or writing to that database.

These steps ensure that all cluster nodes refresh their metadata cache, which includes the location of the primary shard for the new database. Otherwise, you may miss data on reads, and may not write data to the correct shard. To recover, you must manually intervene.

Change Streams¶

The db.dropDatabase() method and dropDatabase command create an invalidate Event for any Change Streams opened on the dropped database or opened on the collections in the dropped database.

Example¶

The following example in the mongo shell uses the use <database> operation to switch the current database to the temp database and then uses the db.dropDatabase() method to drops the temp database:

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use temp
db.dropDatabase()