How can MongoDB dataSize be larger than storageSize?

Question

As far as I understand, the storage size for MongoDB should always be larger than data size. However, after upgrading to Mongo 3.0 and using WiredTiger, I start seeing that the data size is larger than the storage size.

Here's from one of the databases:

{ 
    "db" : "Results", 
    "collections" : NumberInt(1), 
    "objects" : NumberInt(251816), 
    "avgObjSize" : 804.4109548241573, 
    "dataSize" : NumberInt(202563549), 
    "storageSize" : NumberInt(53755904), 
    "numExtents" : NumberInt(0), 
    "indexes" : NumberInt(5), 
    "indexSize" : NumberInt(41013248), 
    "ok" : NumberInt(1)
}

Note that 202563549 > 53755904 by far margin. I am confused how this can be. Is the way to read db.stats() different now in Mongo 3.0?

Answer 1

The storageSize metric is equal to the size (in bytes) of all the data extents in the database. Without compression, this number is larger than dataSize because it includes yet-unused space (in data extents) and space vacated by deleted or moved documents within extents. However, as you are using the WiredTiger storage engine, data is compressed on the disk and is therefore smaller than the dataSize.