C100DEV Drivers, Tools, Transactions, and Search Practice Question
A developer needs to create a backup of a MongoDB deployment that includes all databases and their indexes, and then restore it to a different server. The backup should be in a binary format that preserves BSON data types. Which tool should be used to create the backup?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse mongoexport with mongodump, thinking that JSON export is a suitable backup, but it loses BSON types and indexes.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
mongodump
mongodump creates a binary backup of a MongoDB deployment, preserving BSON data types and index definitions. mongoexport produces JSON/CSV, which loses type fidelity. mongorestore is for restoring, and mongofiles is for GridFS. Thus, mongodump is the correct choice for a binary backup.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
mongoexport
Why it's wrong here
mongoexport exports data in JSON or CSV format, which does not preserve all BSON data types (e.g., dates become strings or numbers). It also does not capture index definitions. While it can be used for data interchange, it is not suitable for a full binary backup that needs to be restored faithfully.
- ✗
mongofiles
Why it's wrong here
mongofiles is a utility for managing files in GridFS. It does not back up databases or collections. It is used to put, get, or delete files stored in GridFS, which is a specification for storing large files. It is not a backup tool for general MongoDB data.
- ✗
mongorestore
Why it's wrong here
mongorestore is used to restore a backup created by mongodump. It does not create backups. Using it to create a backup is not possible; it only reads BSON dump files and inserts them into a MongoDB deployment. Therefore, it is the wrong tool for this task.
- ✓
mongodump
Why this is correct
mongodump is the correct tool for creating a binary backup of a MongoDB deployment. It exports data in BSON format, preserving all data types, and includes index definitions. The resulting dump can be restored with mongorestore. It can back up an entire deployment or specific databases and collections, making it ideal for this scenario.
About these practice questions
This C100DEV question is part of Courseiva's 259-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official MongoDB exam blueprint
This C100DEV practice question is part of Courseiva's free MongoDB certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the C100DEV exam.