When Salesforce admins start running into data storage limits, performance slowdowns, or compliance challenges, one of the first native tools they explore is Salesforce Big Objects. Big Objects are designed to handle massive datasets, billions of records, directly within the Salesforce platform. But while setting them up manually can work for some teams, enterprises often face a big question:
Should you build your Salesforce Big Objects manually or go with an automated, purpose-built solution like DataArchiva?
Let’s unpack both approaches, compare setup steps, speed, ROI, and maintenance effort, and find out which delivers better long-term value.
That’s where a pre-built, automation-driven solution like DataArchiva changes the equation, making the setup faster, maintenance minimal, and ROI significantly higher.
Manual Salesforce Big Object Setup
100-Year-Old French Technology Service Provider Effectively Managed Salesforce Data with DataArchiva
Building Salesforce Big Objects manually means creating everything from scratch, including the schema, indexes, data movement logic, and visibility layers. It’s a full-fledged technical project handled by Salesforce developers or admins.
Here’s how the manual setup process typically looks:
Step 1: Designing the Schema
You start by identifying which data needs to be archived and creating a Big Object schema that mirrors your existing objects. You define fields, relationships, and indexes. Since Big Objects have strict index limitations (and can’t be modified after deployment), getting this design right is critical.
Step 2: Building Indexes
Indexes determine how your Big Object stores and retrieves data. You can only define one index per Big Object, and once deployed, it’s permanent. If you make a mistake in indexing, you’ll have to delete and recreate the entire Big Object, which can mean data loss and weeks of rework.
Step 3: Data Loading and Archiving Logic
The next step involves moving data from your live Salesforce environment to Big Object. You can do this using Apex, Data Loader, Batch Apex, or custom integration scripts. Each approach requires careful testing to ensure data integrity and performance efficiency.
Step 4: Building a Retrieval UI
Unlike standard or custom objects, Big Objects don’t come with a native UI. You’ll need to create a custom interface, Visualforce or Lightning Components, for users to view or search archived data. This is another development-heavy step that requires additional time and resources.
Step 5: Maintenance and Monitoring
Once deployed, you’ll have to continuously monitor storage usage, optimize queries, handle schema changes, and perform periodic maintenance. This adds to the long-term cost and administrative overhead.
In short, manual Big Object setup is doable, but it demands time, technical depth, and ongoing effort. For enterprises dealing with terabytes of Salesforce data, it’s not always the most scalable or ROI-friendly option.
Manage Billions of Salesforce Records Natively with Big Objects
Setting Up Salesforce Big Objects with DataArchiva
That’s exactly what DataArchiva does: it simplifies Salesforce data archiving by giving you a structured, scalable solution that works out of the box and just runs.
Step 1: Quick Installation and Configuration
As an AppExchange-certified solution, DataArchiva can be installed directly into your Salesforce org. Within hours, you can start configuring your data archiving policies, no weeks of development or manual scripting required.
Step 2: Automated Schema and Policy Setup
DataArchiva automatically identifies your data model and helps configure archiving policies for both standard and custom objects. It leverages Salesforce Big Objects or your own external cloud/on-prem database (AWS, Azure, GCP, Heroku, etc.) as the target storage.
Step 3: The In-Built Pull Process
Here’s where the magic happens: DataArchiva’s advanced pull process performs the archiving operation without consuming significant Salesforce resources. This ensures business continuity even while large-scale data offloading is in progress. Because most activities happen server-side, you avoid hitting Salesforce’s governance limits, even when archiving millions of records.
Step 4: Fast and Seamless Data Offloading
DataArchiva is engineered for speed. The platform can migrate up to 1 million records within 100 minutes, making it one of the fastest Salesforce data archiving solutions available.
That means you can start freeing up storage, improving performance, and meeting compliance goals almost immediately, without waiting weeks for development or testing cycles.
Step 5: Instant Access and Data Restore
Even though your archived data moves to an external database or Big Object, DataArchiva ensures complete accessibility from within Salesforce. Users can view archived records through familiar interfaces without disrupting workflows.
Need the data back? The quick restore feature allows archived records to be instantly moved back to the live Salesforce environment without breaking object relationships or compromising data integrity.
The ONLY Native Data Archiving Application for Salesforce with Big Objects
Why DataArchiva Outpaces Manual Salesforce Big Object Setup
When comparing manual Big Object setup vs DataArchiva, the difference becomes evident in speed, scalability, and ROI.
Speed & Time to Value
| Criteria | Manual Big Object Setup | DataArchiva |
|---|---|---|
| Speed & Time to Valu | Weeks or months of design, development, and testing | Ready-to-use setup with automated processes and value from day one |
| ROI & Cost Efficienc | Hidden costs in development, rework, and long-term maintenance | Up to 90% storage cost savings and 5x–10x ROI as archived data grows |
| Compliance & Data Retention | Retention logic must be built and managed manually | Built-in retention policies supporting 7, 10, or unlimited years |
| Reporting & Search | Limited querying and reporting capabilities | Global search and BI tool integrations like Tableau and Power BI |
| Platform Flexibility & Control | Architecture-dependent and less adaptable | Works with AWS, Azure, or on-prem, keeping data fully under your control |
The ROI That Keeps Growing
With DataArchiva, organizations not only accelerate setup and deployment but also enjoy long-term benefits. Faster implementation leads to faster results. The super quick setup and instant data offloading mean you can begin optimizing storage costs and system performance almost immediately.
DataArchiva’s automation reduces manual intervention, minimizes risk, and ensures compliance, delivering a 5x or higher ROI in large-scale deployments. The more data you archive, the higher your return.
In most enterprise cases, DataArchiva offers the perfect balance between speed, cost-efficiency, compliance, and scalability. While manual Big Object setup provides control, it often delays outcomes and increases maintenance complexity. DataArchiva eliminates those challenges with a faster, smarter, and fully native Salesforce data archiving solution.
Final Thoughts
Both manual Big Object setup and DataArchiva rely on the same foundation, Salesforce Big Objects, but the difference lies in execution. Manual approaches require time, coding, and long-term oversight. DataArchiva, on the other hand, brings automation, UI, compliance workflows, and advanced processing that streamline the entire archiving lifecycle.
If your Salesforce org is hitting storage limits, struggling with performance issues, or preparing for a compliance audit, now is the right time to explore how DataArchiva can help.
Manage massive Salesforce data with Big Objects
