In the discovery and translation phase of a Salesforce project, an Integration Architect must move beyond high-level business goals to define the technical "DNA" of the data exchange. While organizational readiness and user experience are vital to project success, they do not dictate the architectural patterns required to move data between systems.
The most critical details for designing an integration architecture are the Timing and Volume requirements. Identifying whether a business process is Synchronous or Asynchronous is the primary decision point. For example, if a Salesforce user requires an immediate validation from an external system before they can save a record, a synchronous "Request-Reply" pattern using an Apex Callout is required. If the data update can happen in the background without blocking the user, an asynchronous "Fire-and-Forget" pattern is preferred to improve system performance and user experience.
Furthermore, understanding the Update Frequency (e.g., real-time, hourly, or nightly) and the Data Volume (e.g., 100 records vs. 1 million records) allows the architect to select the appropriate Salesforce API. High-volume, low-frequency updates are best handled by the Bulk API to minimize API limit consumption, while low-volume, high-frequency updates are better suited for the REST API or Streaming API. By specifically seeking out these timing and frequency aspects, the architect ensures that the chosen solution is scalable, stays within platform governor limits, and meets the business's Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Without these details, the architect risks designing a solution that is either too slow for the business needs or too taxing on system resources.
