Welcome to the first article in our series where we tech-splain how, when, and why you should use AWS Cloud to archive old Salesforce data, and how DataArchiva makes the entire process smarter, faster, and more cost-efficient.
AWS remains one of the most widely adopted cloud platforms, offering 200+ services backed by unmatched global infrastructure, security, and scalability. Whether you need unlimited processing power or enterprise-grade storage, AWS provides it at a fraction of the cost of traditional CRM storage.
If you are already using AWS but are new to Salesforce and believe AWS can finally solve your Salesforce data storage challenges, you’re absolutely right. This guide explains exactly how that works.
Salesforce Technical Limitations That Make Archiving Necessary
Before we jump into “how”, it’s important to understand “why” large orgs must archive:
Slow Queries & Reports
- Large object volumes reduce SOQL query performance.
- Reports take longer to process.
- Dashboards refresh slower.
API Performance Bottlenecks
- Heavy historical data slows down API calls.
- ETL jobs take more time.
- Integration performance degrades.
Storage Threshold Impacts
- Salesforce starts showing warnings at 75%.
- Features degrade at 85%.
- At 100%, data ingestion can stop.
Limited Database Throughput
Salesforce is not designed to hold tens of millions of historical records.
Expected Archiving Performance with a dedicated archiving engine like DataArchiva:
| Volumee | Typical Archival Timeframe |
|---|---|
| 1 million records | 30–60 minutes |
| 5 million records | 2–3 hours |
| 10 million+ records | 4–6 hours (depending on object size & data model) |
Why You Need AWS for Salesforce Data Archiving
Salesforce is a world-class CRM, but its storage strategy is designed for active operational data — not long-term retention. As data grows over the years, storage fills up quickly, and costs begin to skyrocket.
Before we deep dive into the process, here’s what causes the real problem.
Technical Limitations of Salesforce Storage (The Real Reason You Need Archiving)
These limitations are often not visible until your org grows — but at scale, they become hard to ignore:
Extremely Limited Storage Allocation
- 10 GB base data storage.
- 20 MB per user license.
Large organizations cross these limits in just months.
High Cost With No Flexibility
Salesforce charges ~$125/month per additional GB of data storage.
There is:
- No cold storage tier.
- No custom retention layer.
- No cost advantage over long-term storage.
Performance Degradation at Scale
When the database becomes heavy:
- SOQL queries slow down.
- Reports take longer.
- List views load slower.
- API calls increase during large queries.
Big Objects Have Limitations
While Salesforce Big Objects offer scale, they come with:
- Query limitations.
- No real-time reporting.
- Complex setup.
- No easy restore.
Lack of Low-Cost, Enterprise-Grade Archiving
Salesforce simply doesn’t provide a native, cost-efficient, long-term archival solution.
Result: You need a more scalable, cheaper, and compliant destination for your inactive Salesforce records. AWS is the ideal choice.
Reduce Storage Cost by 80% and Improve Salesforce Performance in Just 7 Days
Salesforce Storage vs AWS Database Cost Breakdown
| Storage Type | Approx Pricing (per GB/month) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Data Storage | ~$5–$10/GB | Expensive, limited, impacts performance |
| Salesforce File Storage | ~$2–$4/GB | till significantly higher than cloud storage |
| AWS RDS (Postgres/MySQL) | ~$0.10–$0.20/GB | 40–80× cheaper than Salesforce |
| AWS S3 | ~$0.023/GB | Ideal for long-term retention |
| AWS Redshift | ~$0.25–$0.40/GB | Best for analytical workloads |
How to Archive Salesforce Data Using AWS Cloud Using DataArchiva
Step 1: Connect Salesforce to Your AWS Cloud Using DataArchiva
To archive Salesforce data into AWS databases like RDS Postgres, MySQL, MS SQL, or Redshift, you need a secure and stable connection.
Without DataArchiva, you’d need:
- Expensive custom APIs.
- Middleware connectors.
- Complex integration layers.
With DataArchiva External Archiving:
- Salesforce ↔ AWS connection is established natively.
- No third-party apps or connectors needed.
- All data movement is secure and encrypted.
- Integration costs drop to near-zero.
This foundation enables seamless archival of Salesforce records to AWS RDS/Postgres with confidence.
Worried About Reaching Salesforce Data Storage Limit? Get the Datasheet to Archive Data to AWS
Step 2: Choose Your AWS Archive Destination
Best practice is to archive data into self-owned cloud repositories for full control.
DataArchiva allows archiving into:
- AWS RDS Postgres.
- RDS MySQL.
- Redshift.
- S3 (for specific use cases).
This ensures:
- Ownership & compliance.
- Encryption under your AWS KMS.
- High control over retention policies.
Step 3: Configure Your Archival Process in DataArchiva
This is where you choose what to archive and how.
With DataArchiva, you get:
- No-code configuration.
- Auto-indexing for optimal query performance.
- One-click archival execution.
- Policy-based archiving rules.
You can archive based on:
- Record age.
- Last modified date.
- Field criteria.
- Object volume thresholds.
This makes archiving structured and repeatable.
Step 4: Automate Archiving with DataArchiva Scheduling
Manual archiving isn’t scalable for growing orgs.
DataArchiva allows:
- Hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly archiving.
- Multiple parallel archival jobs.
- Backend processing with minimal Salesforce impact.
- Policy-based automation.
This creates a hands-free Salesforce → AWS archival pipeline.
Restoring Salesforce Data from AWS Using DataArchiva
DataArchiva supports:
- Full or partial restore.
- Point-in-time restore.
- Relationship-aware restoration.
- Restore from RDS/Postgres back into Salesforce objects with a click.
This ensures AWS storage remains accessible and reversible.
Why DataArchiva Is the Best Way to Archive Salesforce Data Using AWS Cloud
- Built for large-volume archiving (1M–10M+ records).
- Offers 40–80× cost savings vs Salesforce storage.
- Direct AWS integration with no middleware.
- Supports RDS/Postgres/MySQL/Redshift.
- Data encryption & compliance built-in.
- Performance-optimized & enterprise-grade.
See Why 200+ Salesforce Customers Trust DataArchiva
DataArchiva is an enterprise data management application built for Salesforce that offers complete data management solutions including archive, backup, and seeding.
