Salesforce Architecture & Ecosystem
What is Salesforce?
Salesforce is a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that
provides various applications for sales, service, marketing, and more. It enables businesses
to manage customer interactions, data, and workflows efficiently.
Multi-tenant Architecture Explained
Salesforce operates on a multi-tenant architecture where multiple customers share the
same infrastructure while keeping their data secure and isolated. This allows scalability and
efficient resource utilization.
Cloud Offerings
Salesforce offers specialized clouds such as:
- Sales Cloud: Manage leads, opportunities, and accounts.
- Service Cloud: Handle customer support and case management.
- Marketing Cloud: Automate marketing campaigns and analytics.
- Commerce Cloud, Health Cloud, Financial Services Cloud, etc.
Data Model, Objects, and Relationships
Salesforce stores data in objects similar to database tables. These include:
- Standard objects (e.g., Account, Contact, Opportunity)
- Custom objects defined by users
Relationships like master-detail and lookup define how objects relate to each other.
Integration Tools
Salesforce integrates with other systems using APIs, AppExchange packages, and
middleware tools. Connectors like MuleSoft enhance data exchange between Salesforce and
external applications.
Security Model
The security framework includes:
- Profiles: Define permissions for users.
- Roles: Determine data visibility in hierarchy.
- Sharing rules: Control access based on criteria.
- Field-level security and encryption ensure sensitive data protection.