> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flowx.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Unmanaged MongoDB
> Connect to externally managed MongoDB instances as a data source in FlowX workflows.
## Overview
Unmanaged MongoDB is a data source type that lets you connect FlowX workflows to **external MongoDB databases that your organization manages independently**. Unlike the built-in [FlowX Database](./flowx-database) — which provisions and manages MongoDB collections automatically — Unmanaged MongoDB connects to existing databases and collections you control.
Connect to MongoDB instances you already manage, including Atlas, self-hosted, or cloud-managed deployments
Use the same CRUD operations (find, insert, update, delete) as FlowX Database
Browse available databases and collections directly from the Designer after connecting
Configure pool size, idle timeouts, and maintenance frequency per data source
***
## Managed vs unmanaged MongoDB
| Aspect | FlowX Database (managed) | Unmanaged MongoDB |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Collection creation** | Automatic — FlowX creates and manages collections | Manual — you provide an existing collection |
| **Schema management** | Defined in FlowX Designer | Optional — you manage schemas externally |
| **Index management** | CRUD via Designer UI | You manage indexes externally |
| **Connection** | Internal, handled by FlowX | You provide a connection URI |
| **Auth** | Internal | Username/password (SCRAM-SHA-256), or credentials embedded in the connection URI |
| **Use case** | Data sharing between FlowX processes | Integrate with existing MongoDB infrastructure |
Use **FlowX Database** when you need FlowX to manage the full lifecycle of your data. Use **Unmanaged MongoDB** when you need to read from or write to databases that exist outside FlowX.
Both [FlowX Database](./flowx-database) (managed) and Unmanaged MongoDB are served by the same **nosql-db-runner** service. Managed collections are stored in nosql-db-runner's own MongoDB database, while an Unmanaged MongoDB data source opens a separate, isolated connection to the external instance you specify — it never touches nosql-db-runner's internal database. Point it at infrastructure you own and manage.
***
## Prerequisites
* A MongoDB 6.0+ instance accessible from your FlowX deployment
* An existing database and collection on the target instance
* A MongoDB user with appropriate permissions (read, write, or both)
* Network connectivity between FlowX services and the MongoDB instance
* For TLS/SSL connections: appropriate certificates configured on the MongoDB instance
***
## Creating an Unmanaged MongoDB data source
Navigate to **Integrations** → **Data Sources** in your project.
Click **New Data Source** and select **Unmanaged MongoDB** as the type.
Enter the MongoDB connection URI:
```
mongodb+srv://username:password@cluster.example.net
```
Or standard format:
```
mongodb://username:password@host:27017
```
Click **Test Connection** to verify connectivity and credentials.
After a successful connection test, browse available databases and select the target database. Then browse and select the target collection.
In the **Authorization** tab, configure authentication if not embedded in the connection URI.
Click **Save** to create the data source.
The target collection must already exist on the MongoDB instance. FlowX does not create collections on unmanaged databases.
***
## Connection pool configuration
Each Unmanaged MongoDB data source has its own connection pool. You can tune pool settings in the data source **Settings** tab:
| Setting | Description | Default |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| **Min pool size** | Minimum number of connections maintained | `0` |
| **Max pool size** | Maximum number of concurrent connections | `100` |
| **Max idle time** | How long an idle connection stays open | `60000` ms (1 min) |
| **Max lifetime** | Maximum lifetime of a connection | `0` (unlimited) |
| **Wait queue timeout** | How long a request waits for an available connection | `120000` ms (2 min) |
| **Maintenance frequency** | How often the pool checks for idle connections to close | `60000` ms (1 min) |
For production workloads, set **Min pool size** to match your baseline concurrent usage to avoid connection warm-up latency.
***
## Operations
Unmanaged MongoDB supports the same operations as [FlowX Database](./flowx-database):
| Operation | Description |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
| `find` | Retrieve multiple documents based on criteria |
| `findOne` | Retrieve a single document |
| `insertOne` | Add a single document |
| `insertMany` | Add multiple documents at once |
| `updateOne` | Modify a single document |
| `updateMany` | Modify multiple documents at once |
| `deleteOne` | Remove a single document |
| `deleteMany` | Remove multiple documents at once |
Operations are configured the same way as FlowX Database operations — with filters, projections, sorting, and parameter substitution using `${paramName}` syntax. You can test operations directly in the Designer before using them in workflows.
The **Documents** tab on the data source page lets you browse documents in the collection with pagination, filtering, and sorting.
For details on configuring each operation, see the [FlowX Database operations documentation](./flowx-database#mongodb-operations-supported).
***
## Using in workflows
Unmanaged MongoDB data sources are used in workflows the same way as other data sources:
Define operations on the data source (find, insert, update, delete).
Add a **Data Source** node to your workflow.
Select the Unmanaged MongoDB data source and operation.
Map input/output parameters in the data mapper.
***
## Deployment
No additional microservices are required. Unmanaged MongoDB uses the existing **nosql-db-runner** service to execute operations against your external MongoDB instance.
Ensure the `nosql-db-runner` service has network access to your MongoDB instance. If your MongoDB is behind a firewall, configure the appropriate network rules.
***
## Related resources
Managed MongoDB data storage within FlowX
Overview of all data source types and workflow building
Deployment configuration for the database runner service