Replace MongoDB references with DocumentDB to prioritize open-source

[gahl-levy]

This tutorial lists database options for local development, so recommendations should stick to open-source solutions. MongoDB is source-available under the Server Side Public License (SSPL), which is not an OSI-approved open-source license; see the OSI license list: https://opensource.org/licenses/. This change removes MongoDB as a recommended option and replaces mentions with DocumentDB (with MongoDB compatibility). DocumentDB was developed by Microsoft and is now part of the Linux Foundation, released under the MIT license. .

[learn-build-service-prod]

Learn Build status updates of commit 692aecd:

💡 Validation status: suggestions

File	Status	Preview URL	Details
WSL/tutorials/wsl-database.md	💡Suggestion	View	Details

WSL/tutorials/wsl-database.md

• Line 209, Column 3: [Suggestion: docs-link-absolute - See documentation] Absolute link 'https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/documentdb/commands/query-and-write/find' will be broken in isolated environments. Replace with a relative link.
• Line 210, Column 3: [Suggestion: docs-link-absolute - See documentation] Absolute link 'https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/documentdb/commands/' will be broken in isolated environments. Replace with a relative link.

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[gahl-levy]

#sign-off

[GrantMeStrength]

Thanks for raising this — DocumentDB is a genuinely interesting project and it's good to see it get visibility.

That said, I'd recommend against this change as written, for a few reasons:

The page is explicitly audience-driven, not license-curated. The intro cites the Stack Overflow developer survey as the basis for what's listed. MongoDB consistently appears in the top 5 databases on that survey; DocumentDB doesn't appear yet because it's very new. Replacing a tool millions of developers use with one that's largely unknown doesn't serve a developer who arrives here asking 'how do I set up a database in WSL?'

The SSPL argument would need to apply consistently. Redis — also listed on this page — switched to SSPL in 2024, which creates the same licensing situation. If SSPL is the disqualifying factor, that's a policy decision that should be applied uniformly across Microsoft docs, not handled file-by-file.

The replacement removes useful practical guidance. The current MongoDB section includes a helpful note about systemd support in WSL and the version selector in the MongoDB docs — real gotchas developers hit. The replacement links to a GitHub README. That's a step down in quality for the reader.

A better approach: add DocumentDB alongside MongoDB. If the goal is to promote DocumentDB as a modern, MIT-licensed, MongoDB-compatible alternative, the most honest way to do that is to present it as an additional choice — not a silent substitution. Something like:

Looking for a fully open-source MongoDB-compatible option? DocumentDB (MIT license, Linux Foundation) offers wire-protocol compatibility and can be used as a drop-in alternative.

That gives DocumentDB genuine exposure to the right audience (developers already thinking about MongoDB) without misrepresenting what the page covers or removing content that developers depend on.