SF-Data-Arch Data Modeling and Database Design Practice Question
Universal Containers maintains a custom object, Shipment__c, that has a Master-Detail relationship to Account and a Lookup to Carrier__c. A Data Architect is asked to design a new object, Shipment_Line__c, that must always belong to exactly one Shipment__c, must inherit Shipment__c's sharing rules, and must not be independently owned by a different user. Which relationship type should be used between Shipment_Line__c and Shipment__c?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming that a required Lookup is functionally equivalent to Master-Detail for containment and sharing inheritance.
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
✓
Master-Detail, with Shipment__c as the master and Shipment_Line__c as the detail.
The requirement is true containment with inherited sharing and no separate ownership. A Master-Detail relationship enforces that the detail cannot exist without the master, rolls up the master's sharing and organization-wide defaults, and ties the detail's ownership to the master. A required lookup can approximate containment but leaves the child independently owned and separately shared, which violates the stated constraints.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Hierarchical relationship, using the User object to control ownership and access to Shipment_Line__c.
Why it's wrong here
Hierarchical relationships are only available between a custom object and the User object for role-based access, not between two custom objects. They cannot model a Shipment-to-Shipment-Line containment. Using this would not enforce that every line belongs to a shipment, and it would not deliver the required sharing inheritance, so it is technically inapplicable here.
- ✗
Lookup, with a required field to Shipment__c and a sharing rule that grants access based on the Shipment__c owner.
Why it's wrong here
A Lookup does not enforce true containment: a required lookup prevents null values but does not inherently inherit the parent's sharing model, and sharing rules must be separately maintained. The child still has its own owner and sharing table. This adds configuration complexity and can drift from the master's access model, so it fails the inherit-sharing and no-independent-owner requirements.
- ✗
Self-relationship on Shipment__c, with a field pointing to the parent Shipment__c record.
Why it's wrong here
A self-relationship creates a link from a Shipment__c record to another Shipment__c record. It does not create a separate child object, so it cannot represent line items with their own fields and layouts. It also provides no automatic sharing inheritance from a parent shipment, and ownership remains on the same object, so it does not meet the design goal.
- ✓
Master-Detail, with Shipment__c as the master and Shipment_Line__c as the detail.
Why this is correct
Master-Detail makes the detail record dependent on the master, so a Shipment_Line__c cannot exist without a Shipment__c. The detail inherits the master's organization-wide defaults and sharing, and the detail's owner is effectively the master's owner, so it cannot be independently owned. This matches the stated requirements for containment, sharing inheritance, and ownership.
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Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Salesforce exam blueprint
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