DIY Only

These instructions apply to DIY setup only. There are Nightscout as a service options which include database maintenance and setup as an included part of the service. See Nightscout as a service, for more details.

Attach a new Atlas database to your Heroku app⌁

In December 2020, mLab stopped operations.

If you didn't migrate your database from mLab to Atlas you need to create a new database for your Nightscout site.


If you prefer to follow a video

Use this easy guide. Make sure to use only letters and numbers in database name and password.


Step 1: Create an Atlas account⌁



  • Enter information then click Get Started Free


  • Select Create a cluster in Shared Clusters (FREE)


  • Leave all default values and click Create Cluster


Atlas will create your default cluster, wait until completion… (can take more than 3 minutes)


  • Click on CONNECT


  • Click on Allow Access from Anywhere

If you don't allow access from anywhere (IP 0.0.0.0/0) Nightscout will not be able to access your database.


  • Click on Add IP Address


  • Add a database username (for example nightscout) and a database password (in the example below soo5ecret).

Database credentials

Do not use your Atlas account credentials. Do not use special characters: only letters and numbers.

Write down these credentials in the boxes below (yes, in this browser window you're reading now, unless you're reading a printed version). You’ll need them later.

Database password:

Database username:


  • Then click Create Database User.


  • Click on Choose a connection method


  • Select Connect your application


  • Copy the connection string: click Copy.


  • Paste the string in the box below.


It should be similar to this (xxxxx will be different):

mongodb+srv://nightscout:<password>@cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net/myFirstDatabase?retryWrites=true&w=majority


  • Invent a name for your database, this is not a critical information (for example mycgmic), note that default is myFirstDatabase.

Database Name:


  • Click the Generate button (just here below this line: in this browser window you're reading):

The connection string will appear here


Warning

Keep this string safely aside, it is called your MONGODB_URI


  • If you want to do it manually: replace <password> with your database password as noted previously (in the example below soo5ecret) and <dbname> by any text you want, say mycgmic for example. The result will be like this:

mongodb+srv://nightscout:soo5ecret@cluster0.xxxxx.mongodb.net/mycgmic?retryWrites=true&w=majority

Note

There are no < and > characters in the final string, neither for password nor for database name.


Step 2: Add your connection string to Heroku⌁


Access your variables opening Heroku.

  • Select your app


  • Click Settings


  • Scroll down and click Reveal Config Vars


  • Scroll down Config Vars until you’ll see KEY and VALUE


  • In KEY write MONGODB_URI and paste in the field VALUE the connection string you obtained above from Atlas. Click Add

  • This new key will be inserted at the bottom of the list.


Step 3: Update Nightscout⌁


Update your Nightscout to latest release!

Versions older than 13.0.x won't probably run.

Versions 13.x are not optimized for the Atlas database.


Check your profile time zone is correct.