SF-Data-Arch Salesforce Data Management Practice Question
Universal Containers is implementing a data retention strategy for a custom object called Invoice__c that stores 120 million records. They need to archive records older than seven years to an external system while keeping the most recent records immediately accessible in Salesforce. Compliance requires that archived records remain queryable for audit purposes without impacting Salesforce performance. Which two Salesforce features should the architect recommend to meet these requirements? (Choose two.)
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that standard backup or export utilities like Data Loader can serve as a compliant, queryable archive without impacting performance or requiring external infrastructure.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Big Objects with a custom index and asynchronous SOQL queries
Big Objects provide native, scalable storage for massive data volumes and support asynchronous queries, making them ideal for long-term archival within Salesforce. Salesforce Connect allows real-time access to external data without replication, so archived records remain queryable for audits. Together, they satisfy retention, performance, and compliance requirements without overloading the transactional object.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Big Objects with a custom index and asynchronous SOQL queries
Why this is correct
Big Objects are designed to store massive data volumes on the Salesforce platform and can be queried asynchronously using SOQL with the ASYNC keyword. By defining a custom index on the timestamp and other filter fields, the architect can archive older Invoice__c records into a Big Object, keeping them queryable for audit purposes without affecting the performance of the transactional object. This meets both retention and queryability requirements while staying within Salesforce.
- ✓
Salesforce Connect to expose external archived data via an external object
Why this is correct
Salesforce Connect can create an external object that maps to data stored in an external system, enabling users to query archived records in real time without storing them in Salesforce. This offloads storage and performance impact while keeping archived invoices accessible for audit. Combining this with a process to move older records out of Invoice__c meets the requirement to archive while retaining queryability.
- ✗
Standard Salesforce Recycle Bin retention policies
Why it's wrong here
The Recycle Bin only retains deleted records for a limited time (15 days for most orgs) and is not designed for long-term archival or compliance. It cannot store 120 million records for seven years, nor does it provide the query capabilities needed for audit. Using the Recycle Bin for archival would result in data loss and is not a viable retention strategy for large-scale historical data.
- ✗
Field Audit Trail and Data Retention policies for standard objects
Why it's wrong here
Field Audit Trail retains field history for up to 10 years, but it is designed for tracking changes to fields, not for archiving entire records. It does not remove records from the primary object nor provide a separate queryable archive. Data Retention policies allow deletion of old records but do not archive them. These features address auditing of changes, not long-term record retention and queryability.
- ✗
Salesforce Data Loader with a scheduled export to a local database
Why it's wrong here
Data Loader can extract records, but manually exporting 120 million records and maintaining a local database introduces significant operational overhead, security risks, and potential data inconsistencies. It also does not provide a native, queryable archive within Salesforce. This approach is not scalable or compliant for audit purposes and fails to address the need for immediate access to recent records while archiving older ones.
About these practice questions
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Salesforce exam blueprint
This SF-Data-Arch practice question is part of Courseiva's free Salesforce certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the SF-Data-Arch exam.