Ingesting Large Amounts of Data into Salesforce Cloud

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Ingesting substantial data volumes into the Salesforce cloud environment necessitates a strategic approach to ensure efficiency, data integrity, and optimal system performance. Several best practices and tools are available to facilitate this process.

Best Practices for Large Data Ingestion:

• Data Deduplication: Prior to import, it is crucial to eliminate duplicate records to maintain data quality and prevent reporting errors. Employ ETL tools or spreadsheet software to identify and remove redundancies. Salesforce also offers standard and custom deduplication rules.
• Process Review: Evaluate existing Salesforce processes, such as triggers and workflows, to ensure they can accommodate large data volumes without exceeding governor limits. Consider adjusting batch sizes to remain within Salesforce limitations.
• API Selection: Salesforce provides different APIs for data import. The REST and SOAP APIs are suitable for smaller updates, while the Bulk API is specifically designed for mass data ingestion.
• Data Validation: Implement rigorous data validation rules to ensure data accuracy and compliance with Salesforce’s data model. Verify data types, field lengths, and required fields.
• Field Mapping and Transformation: Accurately map data fields from the source system to Salesforce fields. Apply any necessary data transformations to ensure compatibility.
• Incremental Data Loading: For frequent updates, consider incremental data loading, which involves loading only changed or new records since the last update.
• File Compression: Compress large data files to expedite transfer and loading into Salesforce.
• Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitor data loading performance to identify and address any bottlenecks or issues.
• Data Backup: Implement a robust backup strategy to protect against data loss or corruption during the import process.

Tools for Large Data Ingestion:

• Salesforce Data Loader: A free client application provided by Salesforce for bulk import and export of data. It supports insert, update, upsert, delete, and export operations using CSV files.
• Data Import Wizard: A built-in Salesforce tool for importing data into standard objects (accounts, contacts, leads, etc.) and custom objects. It is suitable for smaller imports (up to 50,000 records).
• Dataloader.io: A cloud-based data integration tool that offers a user-friendly interface and supports scheduling tasks.
• Jitterbit Data Loader: A free data migration tool for automating data import and export between flat files, databases, and Salesforce.
• MuleSoft Anypoint Platform: A comprehensive integration platform (now part of Salesforce) that provides advanced capabilities for connecting diverse systems.
• Third-party tools: Several other tools are available on the Salesforce AppExchange, such as SimpleImport and DataMover.

When selecting a tool, consider factors such as data volume, complexity of transformations, budget, and required features.