SF-Data-Arch Large Data Volume Considerations Practice Test 3 — 15 Questions

Question 1

Which TWO strategies help manage row locking when inserting records into an object with multiple lookup relationships?

Accepted Answer

Sort the input data by the lookup field values.. High-volume loads often fail due to locking on parent records referenced by lookups. Sorting the input data by the lookup ID ensures that all children for a single parent are processed together, reducing the time a parent record remains locked. Additionally, avoiding unnecessary triggers on the parent object prevents downstream locking, significantly improving throughput for bulk data migrations.

Answer

Use the Bulk API 2.0 in serial mode.

Answer

Increase the batch size to 10,000.

Answer

Convert all lookups to master-detail.

Question 2

A large custom object has 20 million records. A SOQL query is taking too long. What should the architect evaluate first?

Accepted Answer

Verify if the query filters are selective and indexed.. The architect should first inspect the query's filter criteria to determine if it is selective. If the filter is not indexed or is too broad, the system will perform a full table scan. Verifying the selectivity of the query and ensuring an index exists is the fundamental first step in optimizing performance for large data volumes within the Salesforce platform.

Answer

Check if the object has too many fields.

Answer

Increase the organization's total storage limit.

Answer

Rewrite the query to use the Data Loader API.

Question 3

Which design pattern effectively handles high-volume record updates while avoiding 'Too many SOQL queries' errors?

Accepted Answer

Use a Map to cache related records.. The use of Maps for caching parent records is essential to avoid repeated querying. By querying all necessary parent records once, storing them in a Map, and accessing them by ID in a loop, you reduce the SOQL query count to one. This pattern is the industry standard for handling large collections of records without hitting governor limits.

Answer

Perform a SOQL query inside the trigger loop.

Answer

Use the Future method for every record update.

Answer

Call the update DML statement inside the loop.

Question 4

What is the primary function of a skinny table in Salesforce?

Accepted Answer

To improve performance by avoiding table joins.. Skinny tables are used to optimize performance by flattening data from multiple related objects into a single table. This removes the need for joins when querying across related records, which significantly speeds up SOQL queries and reporting. They are a powerful tool for large-scale data environments where complex relationship traversal is the main bottleneck for query latency.

Answer

To provide more storage for large objects.

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To automatically archive old records.

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To encrypt data for security compliance.

Question 5

Refer to the exhibit. A batch job is failing consistently with the provided error message. The job updates child records that have a Master-Detail relationship with a parent Account. What is the primary cause of this error?

Accepted Answer

Multiple concurrent threads are updating child records pointing to the same parent.. This error occurs due to row-level locking when multiple threads attempt to update records associated with the same parent simultaneously. In Salesforce, updating a child record in a Master-Detail relationship implicitly locks the parent record. When high-volume parallel batches attempt to update children of the same parent, they contend for this single lock, causing transaction failures. Architecturally, you must serialize these updates or reduce parallel threads to avoid collision.

Answer

The batch job is exceeding the heap size limit.

Answer

The sharing rules on the Account object are too complex.

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The batch job is processing records in an incorrect order.

Question 6

You are auditing a Salesforce environment and discover a custom object with 20 million records. Users report that searching for records by a custom field 'External_ID__c' is extremely slow. What is the most appropriate action to take?

Accepted Answer

Mark the field as an External ID to trigger an automatic index.. When an object has large data volumes, non-indexed fields cause full table scans, which are highly inefficient and slow. By marking the 'External_ID__c' field as an External ID or unique field, Salesforce automatically creates a database index. This allows the query engine to perform a targeted lookup rather than scanning all 20 million records, providing an immediate and significant performance improvement for queries and searches involving that specific field.

Answer

Create a custom report type to better filter the data.

Answer

Increase the batch size of the user's list view.

Answer

Convert the custom object into a Big Object.

Question 7

Which strategy should be employed when designing a data archiving solution for a high-volume object to ensure continued system performance?

Accepted Answer

Offload historical records to an external system or Big Object.. Archiving is critical for maintaining performance in Salesforce. By moving stale data to an external data store or a Big Object, you keep the active 'working set' of records small. This ensures that queries, reports, and DML operations remain fast. An effective strategy involves identifying criteria for record age or status and offloading these records periodically to prevent the primary object from reaching a state that degrades system performance.

Answer

Store all historical data in a hidden custom object within Salesforce.

Answer

Regularly delete records that are older than three years.

Answer

Use Salesforce Sharing Rules to hide older records from users.

Question 8

What is the primary architectural goal of using the Salesforce Bulk API 2.0?

Accepted Answer

To efficiently manage large volume data operations.. The Bulk API 2.0 is designed specifically for handling large data volumes by automating the batching process. It simplifies the developer experience while optimizing for high throughput. By offloading the batching logic to the Salesforce platform, it ensures that data loads occur in a manner that respects system resources and governor limits, which is the foundational requirement for managing enterprise-scale data in the cloud.

Answer

To provide real-time updates for end-user applications.

Answer

To bypass all security and validation rules.

Answer

To allow for direct SQL query access to the database.

Question 9

When designing a system that requires frequent querying of very large objects, which approach provides the best performance while maintaining data integrity?

Accepted Answer

Implement custom indexing or Skinny tables.. Denormalization via techniques like Skinny tables or indexing is the standard way to optimize read performance for large volumes. These strategies shift the cost from query time to write time, which is usually preferable in high-volume systems where users need quick access to data. By aligning the database schema with the specific query patterns of the application, you minimize the work the database must do to return results.

Answer

Always use SOQL with complex joins across many tables.

Answer

Move all data to a custom object to simplify the schema.

Answer

Use the Salesforce REST API for all data retrieval.

Question 10

Which TWO of the following are consequences of having excessive indexes on a Salesforce object with large data volumes?

Accepted Answer

Increased time to complete DML operations.. While indexes improve read performance, they impose a cost on write operations. Every time a record is inserted, updated, or deleted, Salesforce must update all associated index tables. With an excessive number of indexes, this overhead becomes significant, leading to slower transaction times, potential lock contention, and overall system instability during high-volume DML activities. Balancing read performance needs with write performance costs is critical in data architecture.

Answer

Improved insert and update performance.

Answer

Faster SOQL query execution times.

Answer

Automatic reduction in storage space usage.

Question 11

Why is it recommended to perform large data deletes using a soft-delete approach followed by a hard-delete during off-peak hours?

Accepted Answer

To prevent record locking and system-wide performance degradation.. Large-scale deletions are resource-intensive and can trigger cascading deletes if records have child relationships. By first marking records for deletion (soft-delete), you can manage the process in controlled batches. This prevents the system from locking up during a massive operation. Performing the actual hard-delete during off-peak hours minimizes the impact on concurrent user activity and reduces the risk of reaching governor limits during peak times.

Answer

To keep the Recycle Bin empty at all times.

Answer

To allow for data recovery if a mistake is made.

Answer

To ensure that all triggers are fired during the deletion.

Question 12

Which TWO of the following are true regarding the impact of 'Formula Fields' on Large Data Volumes?

Accepted Answer

Filtering on formula fields causes full table scans.. Formula fields are calculated at runtime, which means their values are not stored in the database. When querying or filtering on a formula field, the system must compute the value for every record, which is computationally expensive. As the data volume grows, this causes significant performance issues because the database cannot utilize indexes on formula fields (unless they are deterministic and specifically indexed), leading to slow, resource-intensive queries.

Answer

Formula fields are indexed by default.

Answer

They improve query performance by pre-calculating data.

Answer

Values are stored in the database for fast retrieval.

Question 13

What is the primary architectural benefit of using 'External Objects' (Salesforce Connect) for large volumes of historical data?

Accepted Answer

To keep the local Salesforce database lean and performant.. External objects allow Salesforce to access data stored in an external system in real-time without importing it into the local database. This keeps the Salesforce storage usage low and avoids the performance impacts associated with hosting millions of records locally. It is an ideal solution for historical or secondary data that needs to be visible in the UI but does not require being in the same transactional database.

Answer

To speed up the performance of local object triggers.

Answer

To bypass the need for API callout security.

Answer

To allow for complex joins between local and external objects.

Question 14

A company is importing 50 million records into a custom object. Which strategy should be used to minimize record locking contention during the high-volume insert operation?

Accepted Answer

Sort the data by OwnerID and process records in serial mode.. Minimizing locking contention requires optimizing the database interaction patterns within Salesforce. Serializing record processing and organizing batches by OwnerID or AccountID prevents multiple threads from attempting to lock the same parent records simultaneously. This approach ensures that the database index updates are serialized per specific record groups, drastically reducing the incidence of 'UNABLE_TO_LOCK_ROW' errors during large volume data loads in a multi-tenant environment.

Answer

Perform the load using the standard Salesforce UI 'Import Wizard'.

Answer

Increase the batch size to the maximum allowed limit of 10,000.

Answer

Disable all Validation Rules and Apex Triggers permanently.

Question 15

When dealing with LDV, what is the primary benefit of using External Objects via Salesforce Connect instead of standard Salesforce tables?

Accepted Answer

It avoids storing massive amounts of data in the Salesforce database.. External Objects allow organizations to view and interact with data stored in external systems without importing it into Salesforce. This strategy keeps the Salesforce database lean, avoiding the storage limits and performance degradation associated with managing hundreds of millions of records locally. It is the architectural standard for offloading non-critical, high-volume historical data while keeping it accessible within the platform's user interface.

Answer

External objects are automatically indexed by Salesforce.

Answer

It keeps the data within Salesforce for better reporting performance.

Answer

External objects allow for full Apex trigger functionality.