In enterprise Salesforce implementations, data is the foundation of everything—automation, analytics, integrations, and user experience. As organizations scale, managing large volumes of data efficiently becomes a major challenge. This is where Salesforce Data Architecture and Big Objects Design play a crucial role. In this blog, we explore how Salesforce data architecture works, when to use Big Objects, and why these concepts are essential topics in a Salesforce course.
What Is Salesforce Data Architecture?
Salesforce Data Architecture refers to how data is structured, stored, related, accessed, and secured within the Salesforce platform. A well-designed data architecture ensures that applications are scalable, performant, and easy to maintain over time.
Good data architecture helps organizations:
Handle growing data volumes efficiently
Maintain fast query and report performance
Ensure data accuracy and consistency
Support long-term business growth
Without proper planning, even powerful Salesforce features can fail under heavy data load.
Overview of Salesforce Data Model
Salesforce stores data in objects, which are similar to tables in a relational database.
Types of Objects in Salesforce
Standard Objects: Account, Contact, Lead, Opportunity, Case
Custom Objects: Created to meet specific business requirements
External Objects: Used to access external data via Salesforce Connect
Big Objects: Designed for extremely large datasets
Objects are connected using relationships such as Lookup and Master-Detail, forming a complete data model.
Why Proper Data Architecture Matters
Poor data architecture leads to serious issues such as:
Slow SOQL query performance
Storage limits being reached quickly
Inaccurate reports and dashboards
Difficult system maintenance
A well-planned architecture, on the other hand, provides:
Clean and normalized data
Optimized performance
Secure and controlled data access
Flexibility for future enhancements
This is especially critical in enterprise Salesforce environments.
Salesforce Data Modeling Best Practices
- Choosing Between Standard and Custom Objects
Before creating a custom object, always evaluate whether a standard object can meet the requirement. Standard objects come with built-in features, reporting support, and scalability benefits.
Custom objects should be created only when necessary.
- Designing Relationships Carefully
Salesforce supports two primary relationship types:
Master-Detail Relationship
Strong dependency between records
Supports roll-up summary fields
Child records inherit ownership and security
Lookup Relationship
Loosely coupled relationship
More flexible
Independent security and ownership
Choosing the wrong relationship can cause data loss or security issues.
- Field-Level Optimization
Avoid creating unnecessary fields. Too many fields can impact performance and usability.
Best practices include:
Making only essential fields mandatory
Using Field-Level Security to protect sensitive data
Avoiding duplicate or unused fields
What Are Big Objects in Salesforce?
Big Objects are special Salesforce objects designed to store and manage extremely large data volumes—up to billions of records. They are optimized for scale rather than frequent updates or real-time reporting.
Common Use Cases for Big Objects
Event and activity logs
IoT sensor data
Audit and compliance records
Historical transaction archives
Big Objects are ideal for long-term, read-heavy data storage.
When Should You Use Big Objects?
Big Objects are suitable when:
Data volume is very high
Records are rarely updated or deleted
Data is mostly accessed asynchronously
Long-term retention is required
They are not recommended for transactional data that requires frequent updates, complex reporting, or real-time UI access.
Key Big Objects Design Principles
- Index Design Is Mandatory
Every Big Object must have at least one custom index defined. Queries can only be performed using indexed fields.
A poor indexing strategy can make data retrieval inefficient or impossible.
- Data Access Patterns
Big Objects are primarily accessed through:
Asynchronous Apex
Batch processing
APIs
They are not designed for heavy UI interaction or standard Salesforce reports.
- SOQL Limitations
Big Objects come with several query restrictions:
WHERE clauses must use indexed fields
Limited support for joins and aggregations
No standard reporting support
These limitations must be considered during the design phase.
Big Objects vs Custom Objects
Feature Custom Objects Big Objects
Data Volume Limited by org limits Extremely large
CRUD Operations Full support Limited
Reporting Fully supported Very limited
Best Use Case Transactional data Historical / archive data
Real-World Enterprise Example
Consider a financial services company that generates millions of transaction logs daily. Regulatory requirements mandate storing this data for more than 10 years.
A common solution:
Recent transactions stored in Custom Objects
Older historical data archived in Big Objects
This approach ensures:
High system performance
Optimized storage usage
Regulatory compliance
What You Learn in a Salesforce Course
In a Salesforce course focused on Data Architecture and Big Objects, learners gain:
Strong data modeling fundamentals
Best practices for scalable Salesforce design
Hands-on experience with Big Objects
Enterprise-level architectural thinking
Interview-ready real-world scenarios
These skills are especially valuable for large-scale implementations.
Career Importance
Salesforce professionals with data architecture expertise are in high demand.
Common roles include:
Salesforce Administrator
Salesforce Consultant
Salesforce Solution Architect
Understanding Big Objects is a strong differentiator in enterprise Salesforce projects.
Conclusion
Data Architecture and Big Objects Design are critical for building scalable, high-performance Salesforce solutions. While good data modeling ensures system stability and usability, Big Objects help organizations manage massive data volumes efficiently. Mastering these concepts through a structured Salesforce course prepares professionals for complex, real-world challenges and long-term career growth in the Salesforce ecosystem.
https://courses.frontlinesedutech.com/salesforce-course-in-telugu-by-flm/
Top comments (0)