Authentic Salesforce Certification Exam Integration-Architect Questions Answers

To translate abstract business needs into a functional Integration Architecture, an architect must move beyond "what" the business wants to "how" the data will technically flow. The details in Option B represent the fundamental building blocks of any integration design.

Source and Target Systems: Determining which systems are involved dictates the available APIs (REST, SOAP, Bulk) and required security protocols (OAuth, Mutual SSL).

Directionality: Knowing if the update is unidirectional or bidirectional is critical for record mastering, identifying the "System of Record," and preventing infinite data loops.

Data Volume: This is a primary driver for selecting the Integration Pattern. High volumes (millions of records) require the Bulk API, while low-volume, real-time updates are better suited for Streaming or REST APIs.

Transformation Complexity: If data must be heavily massaged or merged from multiple sources, it justifies the need for Middleware (ESB/iPaaS).

Option A focuses on user interface and licensing, which are implementation details rather than architectural integration requirements. Option C deals with project management and resource allocation. While these are important for the project's success, they do not help the architect decide between a Request-Reply or Fire-and-Forget pattern. By focusing on systems, data direction, and volume, the architect ensures that the proposed solution is technically viable, scalable, and adheres to Salesforce platform governor limits.

In a contract-first integration approach using RAML, the specification acts as the single source of truth for request and response structures. Since Salesforce unit tests are prohibited from performing actual network callouts, the HttpCalloutMock interface must be used to simulate external API behavior.

To ensure unit tests truly confirm adherence to the RAML contract, the architect must mandate that the mock implementation specifically returns responses formatted per the RAML specification. This means the mock's JSON or XML body, headers, and HTTP status codes (e.g., 200 OK, 400 Bad Request) must exactly match the "interface contract" defined in the RAML file.

By strictly aligning the mock with the RAML spec, developers ensure that the Apex client's parsing logic (e.g., JSON.deserialize()) is tested against the agreed-upon data model. If the external service later changes its schema in a way that deviates from the RAML, the unit tests—which are based on that contract—will help identify where the Apex code might fail. Options B and C are technically incorrect: the client does not "call" or "implement" the mock; rather, the test runtime provides the mock instance to the client via Test.setMock().

In a Remote-Call-In or Batch Synchronization pattern where an external middleware initiates the connection to Salesforce, the external system must be authenticated. The standard Salesforce framework for this is the Connected App.

A Connected App provides a framework for external applications to integrate with Salesforce using APIs and standard protocols like OAuth 2.0. For a high-volume (100,000 records) batch process initiated by middleware every 6-12 hours, the architect would recommend a Connected App using a secure flow, such as the OAuth 2.0 JWT Bearer Flow. This allows the middleware to authenticate as a specific "Integration User" without storing clear-text passwords.

Option A (API Gateway) is used to manage and secure outbound calls from Salesforce or between external services; it does not handle inbound authentication to the Salesforce org itself. Option B (Remote Site Settings) is a whitelist configuration used purely to allow Salesforce to make outbound callouts to a specific URL; it provides no authentication mechanism for systems calling into Salesforce. By recommending a Connected App, the architect ensures that the middleware has the necessary permissions (scopes) to use the Bulk API—which is the appropriate mechanism for the 100,000 record volume—while maintaining a secure, auditable, and standard integration boundary.