Salesforce Org Splits: What, Why, and How
What Is a Salesforce Split, and Why Would You Want to Do One?
For Salesforce Admins, understanding when and why to split your database is critical to maintaining a thriving environment. A range of situations can arise where splitting out your data into multiple databases may be necessary – whether you’re rolling out new features across an entire org or need to ensure security protocols are met by segregating certain high-risk information – which means having an intimate knowledge of what’s involved in the process is essential. Let’s take a closer look at precisely what it takes with this comprehensive guide on a Salesforce split and why you might want or need to do one!
What Is a Salesforce Split?
A Salesforce split is a process companies use to divide their customer database between two or more Salesforce instances. Companies employ this strategy for various purposes, primarily to separate operational concerns from analytical ones.
In addition, it can also be used for security: for instance, specific business users may have access to one database but not the other. This allows companies the flexibility to adjust access permissions without disrupting all users. Furthermore, having multiple databases means that feature-specific processes or services don’t need to impact the entire team, making it easier and more efficient to test new features or roll out updates.
Salesforce splits are often done for performance, legal, compliance, or scalability reasons. When splitting a Salesforce instance, care must ensure that all data, customization, and configuration are correctly migrated to the new instances. Otherwise, users may experience disruptions in service or data loss.
There are several factors that Salesforce Admins need to consider before embarking on a split project:
- Data: All data must be carefully analyzed to determine which records need to be migrated to the new instance. In some cases, it may be necessary to create duplicate records to maintain data integrity.
- Users: All users must be assigned to the correct new instance, with their permissions and access levels correctly configured.
- Integrations: Any integrations with third-party applications or services must be reconfigured to work with the new instance.
- Automation: Any automation rules or processes must be tested and updated to work with the new instance.
- Customization: Any customizations made to the Salesforce environment must be ported to the new instance. This includes things like custom objects, fields, page layouts, etc.
To learn more about Salesforce org splits, download Metazoa’s white paper “Snapshot Best Practices.”
What Is the Difference Between Splits, Clones, and Reboots?
Many people are unaware of the crucial differences between a Salesforce split, cloning a Salesforce org, and rebooting a Salesforce instance.
- A Salesforce split is when an existing Salesforce org is divided into two or more distinct databases.
- Cloning an org is precisely as it sounds – creating an exact duplicate of an existing org and making changes to that copy only.
- A reboot of a Salesforce instance involves refreshing and restarting, usually after resolving any issues.
Each process has its purpose and application and can benefit companies using Salesforce for their business needs. Knowing which one to use will help to enhance user experience and ensure satisfaction on all sides.
What Are the Benefits of Splitting a Salesforce Org?
1. Increased data security
Splitting data into multiple databases within a Salesforce org can effectively increase data security, particularly when preparing to sell a division or business unit or when compliance rules require the partitioning of specific data. It allows companies to separate and secure sensitive customer and employee data and other pertinent information more effectively to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards. By using different databases to access different data types, companies can implement granular levels of access control that help protect their most sensitive information.
For example, when a company plans to sell off a division or business unit, it may need to provide access to certain parts of its system for due diligence. Utilizing multiple databases within the Salesforce platform can secure this process by granting only the necessary people access to the required database while keeping all other internal information secure from outsiders. This can help protect a company’s valuable intellectual property and confidential customer data from being viewed and potentially used by those who do not have authorization. Additionally, when compliance rules require specific customer or employee data to be separated from the larger pool of employees or customer records, having multiple databases makes it much easier for companies to segment this type of information and keep it safe from unauthorized access.
Furthermore, using multiple databases within Salesforce also helps with enterprise-wide governance and risk management initiatives as they provide additional layers of security that can help protect against potential intrusions or malicious attacks. With increased visibility over where specific customer or employee details are stored and which accounts have access rights, organizations can better monitor and track user activity logs to identify any suspicious activity quickly. This ultimately helps reduce risk across the organization by decreasing the likelihood of unauthorized access or breach incidents causing costly damage down the line.
Splitting up Salesforce orgs into multiple databases can benefit companies looking to increase their security measures to comply with various regulations while protecting their customers’ personal information from any possible breach risks. This approach allows businesses more flexibility in segmenting customer/employee data for greater protection and improved visibility over user activities for better monitoring capabilities throughout the organization.
2. Improved performance
Splitting a Salesforce org into multiple databases can be highly beneficial to companies that need to improve the performance of large data sets. By separating the data into individual databases, companies can optimize their storage and processing capabilities, allowing them to scale more efficiently when large amounts of data are present. This means they can better manage high-volume workloads and get faster reports and analytics without being hindered by a single database’s limitations.
By utilizing more than one database, companies can better secure their data from threats that could arise from a single source. For example, if one database were hacked or corrupted, only a portion of the information would be lost rather than the entirety of it. Additionally, this approach allows easier access control to ensure that sensitive information is only available to those with permission.
Furthermore, splitting up a Salesforce org into multiple databases also provides better redundancy should something happen to one of the databases. In this case, all other systems will continue to run in tandem with minimal disruption while any potential issue is resolved. Finally, with multiple databases, companies can gain improved scalability and extend their capacity without purchasing additional services due to limited storage or processing capabilities on a single system.
3. Increased flexibility & scalability
Splitting a Salesforce org into multiple databases can be an excellent way for companies to increase flexibility and scalability. By creating separate databases, companies can easily segment their data and most efficiently store different types of information. This gives them greater control over managing their data and allows them to adapt as needed quickly.
For example, suppose a company has multiple departments or product lines that each need specialized data stored in different locations. In that case, this can be accomplished by splitting the Salesforce org into multiple databases. By doing so, each department or product line would have its database with dedicated field structures and customizations tailored to its particular needs. This eliminates the need for users to navigate through complex menus or make unnecessary changes throughout the system to access certain information.
Splitting a Salesforce org into multiple databases is an effective way for organizations to increase flexibility while simultaneously improving efficiency and security measures. By creating separate systems for different types of data, companies gain greater control over how they manage their information without sacrificing scalability or performance when it comes time for customers to purchase products online or interact with customer service representatives via chatbots and other automated systems.
To learn more about some of the benefits of splitting a Salesforce org, check out Metazoa’s white paper, “Snapshot Best Practices.”
How to Determine if a Salesforce Split Is the Right Solution for Your Business.
1. Define your business goals
Defining your business goals is the first step in determining if splitting your Salesforce org is right for your business. What are you hoping to achieve by splitting your org? Are you looking to improve your performance? Are you looking to reduce costs? Once you clearly understand your goals, you can assess whether splitting your org will help you achieve them.
2. Assess your current org setup
The next step is to assess your current org setup. How many users do you have? How many objects do you have? How complex are your workflows? Answering these questions will give you a better understanding of the scale of your org and whether or not it would be feasible to split it into multiple orgs.
3. Consider the benefits of splitting your org
Several benefits can be gained by splitting your Salesforce org. For example, splitting your org can improve performance by reducing the amount of data that needs to be processed in each org. Additionally, splitting your organization can reduce costs by allowing you to share resources between multiple orgs.
4. Consider the drawbacks of splitting your org
Some drawbacks must be considered when deciding whether or not to split your Salesforce org. For example, splitting your org can increase the complexity of managing multiple orgs. Additionally, splitting your org can create data silos if data is not correctly synchronized between the multiple orgs.
5. Weigh the pros and cons
Once you have considered the benefits and drawbacks of splitting your Salesforce org, it’s time to weigh the pros and cons. Is the increased performance worth the increased complexity? Are the cost savings worth the risk of creating data silos? Ultimately, only you can answer these questions for your specific situation.
6. Make a decision
After weighing the pros and cons, it’s time to decide whether or not splitting your Salesforce org is right for your business. If you decide it is, the next step is planning how to split your organization into multiple orgs. If you decide it isn’t, you can continue using a single org and focus on other ways to improve performance or reduce costs.
7. Plan for success
Planning for success is essential if you decide splitting your Salesforce org is right for your business. Several factors must be considered when planning for a successful split, such as which objects will be included in each new org and how data will be synchronized between the multiple orgs.
Essential Questions You Should Answer Before Initiating a Salesforce Org Split
1. What is the primary reason for wanting to split the Salesforce org?
There are a few different reasons why you should split your Salesforce org. Your company has acquired another, and you need to separate the two data sets. Or your company has grown so much that you need to create a new organization to manage all the data. Whatever the reason, it’s essential to know the primary motivation for wanting to split the org so that you can ensure that the split is done in the most efficient way possible.
2. What are the business requirements for the new org?
Before you can even begin to think about splitting your org, you need to understand the business requirements of the new org clearly. What type of data will be stored in the new org? How will users be accessing the data? What are the security requirements? Once you have answers to these questions, you can start to determine how best to split your org.
3. What is the timeline for implementing the split?
Another important consideration is the timeline for implementing the split. If you need to split your org immediately, you’ll need to take a different approach than if you have a few months to plan and execute the split. Knowing the timeline upfront will help you determine how much time and resources you need to allocate to this project.
4. How many users will be using the new org?
Will all users be moving over to the new org or just a subset of users? This is essential because it will impact user licenses and data storage limits. If only a small subset of users will be using the new org, you might not need as many user licenses as you would if all users were moving over.
5. What data needs to be moved over to the new org?
Not all data needs to be moved over to the new org – only data relevant to the business requirements of the new org. For example, if you’re splitting off a subsidiary company, you’ll only need to move over data related to that subsidiary. A clean data export will save you time and storage space in the new org.
6. How will users be accessing data in both orgs?
If users need access to data in both orgs, then you’ll need to set up some integration between them. Depending on your specific needs, this could be as simple as setting up a daily export from one org to another or more complex. You should also consider how users log in to each org – will they use separate usernames and passwords, or will they use some single sign-on solution?
7. What are your long-term plans for maintaining both orgs?
Splitting off a new Salesforce org is not a one-time project – it’s something that you’ll need to maintain over time. You should have a plan for how often data will be refreshed between orgs, who will be responsible for maintaining them, and what happens if one of them needs to be shut down or deleted.
What Are the Steps Involved in Splitting a Salesforce Org
1. Define the scope of the project
The first step in any Salesforce org split project is to define the project’s scope. This includes identifying which objects, data, and users will be included in each org and which org will be the primary.
2. Create a project plan
The next step is to create a project plan. This plan should include a timeline for each task that needs to be completed and who is responsible for each task.
3. Configure the new orgs
Once the project scope has been defined and the project plan has been created, the next step is configuring the new orgs. This includes creating user accounts, setting up object permissions, and configuring data-sharing settings.
4. Migrate data to the new orgs
The fourth step is to migrate data to the new orgs. This can be done using several different tools, such as the Salesforce Data Loader or Apex Data Migration Service.
5. Test the new orgs
After all of the data has been migrated to the new orgs, testing them to ensure that everything is working as expected is essential. This includes testing user login, data access, and workflow functionality.
6. Go live with the new orgs
Once all the tests have been completed, it is time to go live with the new orgs. This involves making all users aware of the change and training them on using the new orgs.
7. Monitor usage and performance
Even after going live with the new orgs, monitoring usage and performance on an ongoing basis is essential. This includes tracking user adoption rates and monitoring system performance metrics such as response times and error rates.
Next Steps
Understanding what is involved in a Salesforce org split and why companies take this step is no small task. However, with the right resources, processes, and experience, a Salesforce org split can offer significant scalability benefits to companies of all sizes.
Taking the time to determine your team’s needs and educating yourself on best practices can make this transition much smoother. By taking a proactive approach towards splitting your Salesforce database, you’ll undoubtedly benefit from having multiple databases better tailored to your specific needs.
With the help of Metazoa’s detailed checklist for splitting a Salesforce org, we hope you feel empowered to take on this transition with enthusiasm and confidence. After all, delivering excellent results goes hand in hand with utilizing modern technology solutions like Salesforce! So what are you waiting for?
Click here to download Metazoa’s free white paper on splitting a Salesforce org now!
Stay tuned for Article #2 in this series: How To Manage A Salesforce Split Project: Key Steps
