SF-PD2 Performance Practice Question
When designing a high-performance integration, what is the best practice for handling data updates to avoid record locking issues?
⚠ Common exam trap
Candidates often try to use 'FOR UPDATE' locks or complex try-catch blocks to handle row contention, ignoring the fact that record ordering is the primary preventative measure.
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
✓
Sort data by record ID before performing bulk DML operations.
Sorting data by ID before performing bulk updates is the most effective way to prevent record locking contention. When records are processed in a consistent order, multiple threads or processes are less likely to conflict, as they will attempt to lock records in the same sequence. This simple optimization prevents 'Unable to lock row' errors, which are common in high-volume, multi-threaded integration environments.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Process records in random order to distribute load.
Why it's wrong here
Random order processing increases the likelihood of deadlocks and record locking contention. If two threads attempt to update the same records in different orders, they are highly likely to encounter locking errors. A predictable, sorted order is necessary for maintaining stability in a multi-threaded integration environment.
- ✗
Perform all updates using a single user account.
Why it's wrong here
Using a single user account does not solve record-level locking issues. Even with one user, if different processes or threads try to update the same records simultaneously, the platform will still throw locking exceptions. Sorting and minimizing batch contention are the required strategies, not user account management.
- ✓
Sort data by record ID before performing bulk DML operations.
Why this is correct
Sorting by ID ensures that all threads or processes lock records in the same order, which is the standard technique for preventing deadlocks and row locking contention in Salesforce. This approach is highly recommended when handling large-scale data updates to ensure the stability and reliability of the integration.
- ✗
Disable all triggers during the bulk data update process.
Why it's wrong here
Disabling triggers is a dangerous practice that can lead to data integrity issues. It bypasses essential business logic, validation, and automation that are required for the application to function correctly. Performance issues should be solved through code optimization, not by removing the logic that ensures data quality.
About these practice questions
Courseiva writes every SF-PD2 question from scratch — 226 in total, each with an explanation and a wrong-answer breakdown. None are copied from real exams or dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
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-PD2 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-PD2 exam.