This comprehensive guide explores what Big Objects are, why they matter for Salesforce data archiving, and how DataArchiva, a leading Salesforce data archiving & backup solution, unlocks the true potential of Big Objects to help enterprises stay compliant, cost-efficient, and performance-optimized.
Salesforce Big Objects are a specialized data storage model designed to handle large volumes of data natively within Salesforce. Unlike standard or custom objects, Big Objects are optimized for performance and scale, allowing organizations to store and query millions—or even billions—of records without affecting the operational performance of their Salesforce org.
Big Objects are purpose-built for long-term data retention, audit logging, and storing infrequently accessed records, making them a strategic fit for archiving scenarios.
Salesforce’s standard data storage is costly and limited. As an organization grows, so does its volume of case records, emails, attachments, transactional logs, and audit trails. Without an efficient way to offload this data, businesses face multiple issues:
Big Objects solves these challenges by offering a native and scalable repository for historical data. Instead of deleting old data or moving it outside Salesforce, organizations can archive it within Big Objects—keeping it secure, queryable, and compliant.
By enabling long-term storage at a fraction of the cost of standard storage, Big Objects ensure Salesforce remains fast, efficient, and compliant.
While Big Objects provide a robust infrastructure, using them directly without the right support layer can be challenging for most organizations.
As a result, many organizations fail to fully utilize Big Objects, missing out on their true potential. That’s where DataArchiva changes the game.
DataArchiva is a Salesforce application purpose-built to help organizations archive their structured data into Big Objects—seamlessly and securely. It eliminates the complexity associated with manual Big Object setup and offers a powerful UI-driven approach to manage archived data.
With DataArchiva, enterprises can achieve:
Implementing DataArchiva is straightforward and tailored to your organization’s data model. Here’s how it works:
With minimal setup, DataArchiva empowers Salesforce admins and IT teams to take control of their data lifecycle.
A government agency needed to retain 10+ years of citizen service records for compliance, resulting in massive data volumes. Using DataArchiva, they archived millions of case records into Big Objects, meeting retention mandates while ensuring their Salesforce org ran efficiently.
A global fintech company achieved high-volume transaction logs using DataArchiva to meet internal audit requirements and avoid high storage costs. Archived data remained easily accessible for review and reporting.
A healthcare provider used DataArchiva to retain historical patient interactions and medical records in compliance with HIPAA. Big Objects offered a secure, native solution to store sensitive data.
A large university archived student admission and academic records into Big Objects to comply with FERPA. DataArchiva enabled easy record retrieval for alumni verification and audits.
A SaaS enterprise running a support-heavy Salesforce system archived resolved cases and emails to maintain performance and avoid exceeding storage limits.
These real-life scenarios demonstrate how Big Object archiving via DataArchiva can address storage, compliance, and performance goals simultaneously.
| Criteria | Manual Setup | DataArchiva |
|---|---|---|
| Setup Time | Weeks of development | Ready in hours |
| User Interface | Not available | Intuitive UI in Salesforce |
| Query & Access | Complex SOQL | Simple search & filters |
| Maintenance | High ongoing effort | Minimal admin time |
| Compliance Support | Requires custom dev | Built-in logs & audit support |
| Cost | High TCO | Cost-effective licensing |
DataArchiva bridges the gap between Salesforce’s powerful but technical Big Objects and the practical business need for automated, secure, and compliant data archiving.
As Salesforce usage grows, so does the need for intelligent, scalable, and compliant data management strategies. Big Objects provide the architectural foundation for long-term data retention, but on their own, they can be complex and underutilized.
DataArchiva brings simplicity, automation, and enterprise-grade capabilities to Big Object archiving—offering a truly native solution that’s trusted by industries like government, healthcare, and financial services.
With DataArchiva, organizations can:
Future-proof your Salesforce org with DataArchiva and transform how you manage your growing data.
Yes, but it requires a significant technical setup, index configuration, and lacks a native UI. DataArchiva simplifies and automates the process.
DataArchiva follows Salesforce security architecture, supports Shield encryption, and provides role-based access controls.
You can archive structured data from both standard and custom objects, such as cases, tasks, emails, logs, etc.
Yes, DataArchiva allows one-click restoration of archived records back to the live object.
Absolutely. You can set automated archiving schedules, filters, and retention policies based on your business needs.
