Background
MongoDB Atlas, a fully managed cloud database service, comprises two key components: the Control Plane and the Data Plane. Each plays a distinct role in administering and managing your database infrastructure and operations.
Atlas Control Plane
The Control Plane is the administrative layer of MongoDB Atlas. It handles tasks tied to cluster management, project configurations, user access management, feature toggling, and more. Examples of its responsibilities include:
Deploying and updating your cluster configurations.
Adding or removing database users.
Enabling or disabling various Atlas features.
The Control Plane can be accessed through several interfaces:
Atlas UI: The graphical interface within the Atlas platform.
Atlas Admin API: A RESTful API enabling programmatic interactions with Atlas.
Integrations: Third-party tools such as the Atlas Kubernetes Operator, Terraform Provider, and the Atlas CLI interact with the Control Plane using the Admin API.
Atlas Data Plane
The Data Plane is responsible for managing your application’s database traffic. It handles operations such as:
CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete).
Query execution and data analysis.
Processes like mongod or mongos run within the Data Plane, ensuring that your application interactions with your database operate seamlessly.
Is the Atlas Control Plane Multi-Region?
The Atlas control plane is deployed in AWS N. America, however MongoDB has business continuity plans well documented and audited in the event of failure of any of the components we rely on.
Implications of Control Plane Availability
While the Atlas Control Plane is robust and designed for resilience, it is important to understand what happens during rare instances of control plane unavailability:
Impact to administrative operations: If the Control Plane becomes temporarily unavailable, administrative actions such as updating cluster configurations, managing database users, or modifying project settings may be delayed or inaccessible.
No impact to application traffic: Crucially, your application's ability to execute CRUD operations on the database is not affected. The Atlas Data Plane operates independently of the Control Plane, ensuring uninterrupted application traffic and data processing.