C100DEV Drivers, Tools, Transactions, and Search Practice Question
Which MongoDB tool should be used to perform a point-in-time backup of a MongoDB cluster while the database is running?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often confuse mongodump with mongorestore or mistakenly believe it requires taking the database offline, not realizing it is designed for live cluster backups.
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 is the standard command-line utility for creating binary exports of MongoDB data. When used with the --oplog option, it allows for point-in-time recovery by capturing the operations log during the backup process. This is essential for maintaining data integrity in production environments where downtime must be avoided, allowing administrators to restore the cluster to a specific state as needed by business requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
mongoimport
Why it's wrong here
mongoimport is used for importing data from JSON, CSV, or TSV files into a collection. It is a data ingestion tool, not a backup and recovery utility. Using it for backups would be inefficient and would not capture the internal state of the database or provide point-in-time recovery capabilities.
- ✗
mongostat
Why it's wrong here
mongostat provides a real-time overview of the status of a running mongod or mongos instance. It reports statistics such as operations per second and memory usage. It is a monitoring and diagnostic tool, not a backup solution, and cannot be used to save the contents of your database to disk.
- ✓
mongodump
Why this is correct
mongodump creates a binary export of the database content. When combined with --oplog, it ensures that the backup is consistent by capturing changes that occur during the dump process. This resulting backup can be used to restore the entire database state to the exact point in time of the completion.
- ✗
mongorestore
Why it's wrong here
mongorestore is the utility used to import data from a binary backup created by mongodump. While it is essential for the recovery process, it is not the tool used to initiate the backup itself. You must use mongodump to create the backup file before mongorestore can perform the restoration.
About these practice questions
One of 259 original C100DEV practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. 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.