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db.dropDatabase()

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  • Definition
  • Compatibility
  • Syntax
  • Behavior
  • Example
db.dropDatabase(<writeConcern>)

Removes the current database, deleting the associated data files.

You can use db.dropDatabase() for deployments hosted in the following environments:

  • MongoDB Atlas: The fully managed service for MongoDB deployments in the cloud

  • MongoDB Enterprise: The subscription-based, self-managed version of MongoDB

  • MongoDB Community: The source-available, free-to-use, and self-managed version of MongoDB

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

Field
Description
writeConcern

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

{ 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".

See also Behavior.

New in version 4.2.

The db.dropDatabase() wraps the dropDatabase command.

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.

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.

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 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".

If you intend to create a new database with the same name as the dropped database, you must follow these additional steps for using the dropDatabase command, specific to your version of MongoDB:

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.

Starting in MongoDB 5.0, the dropDatabase command and the db.dropDatabase() method return an error if you try to drop the admin database or the config database from a mongos.

Warning

Dropping the admin database or the config database can leave your cluster in an unusable state.

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

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

use temp
db.dropDatabase()

Tip

See also:

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