Gain practical experience designing and building high-performance, secure, and scalable Salesforce solutions using real-world scenarios.
Key Features
• Master each knowledge domain by applying key concepts to a real-world scenario
• Put all the skills covered in the book into action with two full mock scenarios
• Gain access to additional online assets including flashcards and exam tips
Book Description
This second edition is a complete guide to learning essential architectural concepts that'll enable you to deliver secure, high-performant Salesforce solutions and pass the Salesforce CTA review board exam with confidence. This second edition comes with updated content, additional supporting material such as cheat sheets, and detailed practical examples, and helps you learn key soft skills to craft a winning presentation.
You'll begin by reviewing vital architectural concepts needed to create a scalable end-to-end Salesforce solution. Next, you'll find out how to identify requirements and break down a problem into smaller, more solvable parts. As you advance, you'll gain practical experience in managing design decisions and defending them using real-world scenarios. The book also helps familiarize you with the correct methodology to structure your solution presentation and the necessary supporting artifacts. Finally, you'll practice providing solutions for two full hypothetical scenarios and structuring your playback step by step.
By the end of this Salesforce book, you'll be able to design a highly scalable Salesforce solution and create suitable material to comfortably explain the end-to-end solution to the CTA review board and potentially your customer, and have a higher chance of passing.
What you will learn
• Explore core architectural concepts essential for any Salesforce architect
• Understand Salesforce knowledge domains using practical examples
• Practice creating solutions using scenarios focusing on particular knowledge domains
• Discover key artifacts needed to document and explain an end-to-end solution
• Apply data life cycle management effectively in the Salesforce ecosystem
• Design appropriate enterprise integration interfaces to build your connected solution
• Know what to expect on the day of the review board along with valuable tips and tricks
Who this book is for
This book is for Salesforce architects who want to design secure, performant, and scalable technical solutions for their organizations and ultimately become Salesforce Certified Technical Architects. A solid understanding of the Salesforce platform is required, ideally combined with three to five years of practical experience as an application architect, system architect, enterprise architect, or solution architect.
Author(s): Tameem Bahri
Edition: 2
Publisher: Packt Publishing
Year: 2023
Language: English
Commentary: Publisher's PDF
Pages: 568
City: Birmingham, UK
Tags: Cloud Computing; Scalability; Cryptography; Best Practices; Software Requirements; Data Lake; Data Warehouse; Data Modeling; Access Management; Communication; Identity Management; Software Architecture; Software Development Life Cycle; Presentations; Data Integration; Data Security; Data Governance; Certification; Authentication; Data Architecture; Salesforce; Data Lifecycle
Cover
FM
Copyright
Contributors
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Starting Your Journey as a CTA
Understanding the Profile of a Salesforce CTA
The CTA Review Board’s Structure and Format
From Exam to Real Life—How to Train to Become a CTA
The Nature of the Exam: A Point Collection Exercise
What Kind of Artifacts You Need to Generate and Why
Actors and Licenses Diagram
Data Model Diagram
The System Landscape Diagram
The Role Hierarchy Diagram
The Business Process Flow Diagram
Development Life Cycle Diagram
The Contextual SSO Flow Diagram
Summary
Chapter 2: Core Architectural Concepts: Data Life Cycle
Differences Between Classic RDBMS and Salesforce
Understanding Data Governance
Understanding Data Security
Data Encryption
Data Restoration
Data Masking
Data Erasure
Data Regulatory Compliance
Exploring Data Categories
Transactional Data
Master Data and Master Data Management
Reference Data
Reporting Data
Metadata
Big Data
Unstructured Data
The Nature of Data Warehouses and Data Lakes
Choosing the Right Document Management System
Understanding Data Architecture Concepts
Conceptual-Level Data Architecture Design
Logical-Level Data Architecture Design
Physical-Level Data Architecture Design
Designing and Documenting Your Data Model
Normalization Versus Denormalization
Normal Forms
Using Database Relationships
Summary
Chapter Review Flashcards
Chapter 3: Core Architectural Concepts: Integration and Cryptography
Integration in the Enterprise: Understanding the Landscape
Integration Architecture Design Principles
Introducing Common Integration Styles
File Transfer
Unified Data store
Remote Procedure Invocation
Messaging
Mashup
Discussing Different Integration Tools
Point-to-Point Integration
Extract, Transform, and Load
Enterprise Service Bus
Reverse Proxies
API Gateways
Stream-Processing Platforms
Exploring Modern Integration Approaches
Service-Oriented Architecture
Microservices
API-led Architecture
Event-driven Architecture
Cryptography: Understanding the General Concepts
Cryptography Algorithm Types and Use Cases
Cryptography Use Cases
Putting Both Integration and Cryptography Together
Summary
Chapter Review Flashcards
Chapter 4: Core Architectural Concepts: Identity and Access Management
Understanding the General Concepts of IAM
Becoming Familiar with IAM Terms and Definitions
Becoming Familiar with the Common IAM Standards
Understanding Common IAM Standards
Getting to Know the Different Types of Tokens
Understanding the Key Authentication Flows
Becoming Familiar with the SAML 2.0 Flows
OAuth 2.0/OIDC Flows
Summary
Chapter Review Flashcards
Chapter 5: Developing a Scalable System Architecture
Understanding What You Should Know and Be Able to Do as a Salesforce System Architect
Determining the Appropriate Mix of Systems
Design Considerations for Reporting and Analytics
Org Strategy
Mobile Solutions and Strategy
Required License Types
Determining the Right Document Management Solution
Introducing the System Architecture Domain Mini Hypothetical Scenario: Packt United Builder
Scenario
Internal Stakeholders
External Stakeholders
Requirements
Determining the Appropriate Mix of Systems and Building Your Solution and Presentation
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter Review Flashcards
Chapter 6: Formulating a Secure Architecture in Salesforce
Understanding What You Should Be Able to Do as a Security Architect
Utilizing the Appropriate Platform Security Mechanisms
Design a Secure Portal Architecture
Control Record-level Security Using Declarative and/or Programmatic Features
Process of Creating and Calculating Record Access Data
Different Types of Access Grants
Impact of Object Relations on the Sharing Architecture
Use the Platform Security Features to Control Object and Field Access Permissions
Design an End-to-End Identity Management Solution
Introducing the Security Architecture Domain: Packt Innovative Retailers
Scenario
Current Situation
Requirements
Utilizing the Appropriate Security Mechanisms and Building Your Solution and Presentation
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter 7: Designing a Scalable Salesforce Data Architecture
Understanding What You Should Be Able to Do as a Salesforce Data Architect
Describing Platform Considerations, Their Impact, and Optimization Methods while Working with Large Data Volume Objects
Impact of LDVs
Mitigating the LDV Objects’ Impact
LDV Mitigation Tools
Explaining Data Modeling Concepts and Their Impact on the Database’s Design
Determining the Data Migration Approach, Tools, and Strategy
Introducing the Data Architecture Domain Mini Hypothetical Scenario—Packt Online Wizz
Scenario
Current Situation
Requirements
Learning about Data Architecture Considerations and Impact, and Building your Solution and Presentation
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter 8: Creating a Lean Solution Architecture
Understanding the Role of a Salesforce Solution Architect
Select the Right Combination of Declarative and Programmatic Functionalities
Augment Your Solution with the Right External Applications
Introducing the Solution Architecture Domain Mini Hypothetical Scenario: Packt Visiting Angels
Scenario
Current Situation
Requirements
Selecting the Appropriate Functionalities to Build Your Solution and Presentation
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter Review Flashcards
Chapter 9: Forging an Integrated Solution
Understanding What You Should Be Able to Do as a Salesforce Integration Architect
Recommend the Right Integration Landscape
Determine the Right Enterprise Integration Architecture Technology
Design Your Integration Interface Using the Right Integration Pattern
Select and Justify the Right Platform-Specific Integration Capabilities
Introducing the Integration Architecture Domain Mini Hypothetical Scenario: Packt Medical Equipment
Scenario
Designing the Enterprise Integration Interfaces to Build Your Connected Solution
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter 10: Development Life Cycle and Deployment Planning
Understanding the Roles of a Salesforce Development Life Cycle and Deployment Architect
Identify Project Risks and Develop Mitigation Strategies
Identify the Impact of Development Methodologies on Workstreams
Craft the Right Environment Management Strategy
Introducing the Development Life Cycle and Deploying a Small Hypothetical Scenario – Modern Furniture
Scenario
Current Situation
Requirements
Designing the Project Environment and Release Strategy
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter 11: Communicating and Socializing Your Solution
Understanding What You Should Do While Communicating Your Solution
Communicating Design Decisions and Considerations
Demonstrating Your Visualization Skills to Articulate the Solution
Mixed Diagrams
Handling Objections and Unexpected Roadblocks
Practicing Communicating a Mini Hypothetical Scenario
Scenario
Articulating Your Solution and Managing Objections
Understanding the Current Situation
Diving into the Shared Requirements
Summary
Chapter 12: Practice the Review Board: First Mock
Introducing the Full Mock Scenario: Packt Pioneer Auto
Project Overview
Current Landscape
Business Process Requirements
Data Migration Requirements
Accessibility and Security Requirements
Reporting Requirements
Project Development Requirements
Other Requirements
Analyzing the Requirements and Creating a Draft End-To-End Solution
Understanding The Current Situation
Analyzing the Business Process Requirements
Summary
Chapter 13: Present and Defend: First Mock
Continue Analyzing the Requirements and Creating an End-to-End Solution
Analyzing the Data Migration Requirements
Reviewing Identified LDVs and Developing a Mitigation Strategy
Analyzing the Accessibility and Security Requirements
Analyzing the Reporting Requirements
Analyzing the Project Development Requirements
Analyzing the Other Requirements
Presenting and Justifying Your Solution
Understanding the Presentation Structure
Introducing the Overall Solution and Artifacts
Presenting the Business Processes’ End-to-End Solution
Going Through the Scenario and Catching All Remaining Requirements
Justifying and Defending Your Solution
Summary
Chapter 14: Practice the Review Board: Second Mock
Introducing the Full Mock Scenario: Packt Lightning Utilities
Project Overview
Current Landscape
Business Process Requirements
Data Migration Requirements
Accessibility and Security Requirements
Reporting Requirements
Project Development Requirements
Other Requirements
Analyzing the Requirements and Creating a Draft End-to-End Solution
Understanding the Current Situation
Analyzing the Business Process Requirements
Summary
Chapter 15: Present and Defend: Second Mock
Continue Analyzing the Requirements and Creating an End-to-End Solution
Analyzing the Data Migration Requirements
Reviewing Identified LDVs and Developing a Mitigation Strategy
Analyzing the Accessibility and Security Requirements
Analyzing the Reporting Requirements
Analyzing the Project Development Requirements
Analyzing the Other Requirements
Presenting and Justifying Your Solution
Introducing the Overall Solution and Artifacts
Presenting the Business Processes’ End-to-End Solution
Justifying and Defending Your Solution
Summary
Appendix: Tips and Tricks, and the Way Forward
Anatomy of a Review Board Scenario
General Solving Tips
Go through the Scenario and Annotate First
Provide a Solution, Not a Set of Options
You Have a Limited Set of Tools to Solve a Problem
Use the Common Architects’ Language
Managing the Review Board
Help Them to Keep Up with You
Tie Your Solution back to the Requirement
Watch and Observe Their Reactions if Possible
Seed Some Questions
Show Your Professionalism
Time Management
Plan ahead and Stick to Your Plan
Rehearse and Perfect Your Timing
Practice the Two-Minute Pitch
Balance Where You Spend Your Time
Your Presentation: Make or Break
Show Confidence
Control the Tempo
Own the Stage
Use Your Artifacts
Enjoy It
Your Exam, Your Way
Next Steps
Practice and Practice More
Plan Some Time off before the Exam
Get in Touch with the Community and Study Groups
Stay Connected and Share Your Experience
Community and Available Training
Salesforce Training and Study Groups
Stories and Lessons Learned
Blogs and Training Providers
Index
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