Data Storage Planning

Data storage planning is critical for Salesforce orgs to ensure adequate capacity, manage costs, and plan for growth. Understanding how Salesforce calculates storage, what counts toward storage limits, and how to plan for future needs enables effective capacity management.

Data storage planning encompasses calculating current storage usage, understanding storage limits by edition, identifying objects that don’t count toward storage, planning for future growth, and managing storage efficiently. The approach differs by Salesforce edition and org type.

Most organizations need to monitor storage usage regularly and plan for growth. Understanding storage calculation and limits enables proactive capacity management and cost planning.

Core Concepts

How Salesforce Calculates Storage

What it is: Salesforce calculates storage based on data and file storage, with different limits for different storage types.

Storage components:

Storage calculation:

Storage limits by edition:

Calculating Current Storage

What it is: Determining how much storage is currently used in org.

Calculation approach:

Tools for calculation:

Best practices:

Objects That Don’t Count Toward Storage

What it is: Some objects don’t count toward data storage limits.

Objects that don’t count:

Why it matters: Understanding what doesn’t count helps with storage planning and optimization.

Planning for Future Growth

What it is: Estimating future storage needs based on growth trends and business plans.

Planning approach:

Growth factors:

Best practices:

Deep-Dive Patterns & Best Practices

Storage Optimization Strategies

Data Archiving

What it is: Moving old or infrequently accessed data to Big Objects or external storage.

When to use: When data storage is approaching limits, or when old data is rarely accessed.

Approach:

Benefits: Reduces data storage usage, maintains access to historical data, enables compliance.

File Storage Management

What it is: Managing file storage efficiently to avoid exceeding limits.

Strategies:

Best practices:

Field History Optimization

What it is: Managing field history tracking to minimize storage impact.

Strategies:

Best practices:

Storage Monitoring

Regular Monitoring

What it is: Regularly checking storage usage to identify trends and issues.

Monitoring approach:

Tools:

Storage Alerts

What it is: Setting up alerts when storage approaches limits.

Alert thresholds:

Best practices:

Implementation Guide

Prerequisites

High-Level Steps

  1. Assess current storage: Calculate current data and file storage usage
  2. Identify storage trends: Analyze storage growth over time
  3. Project future needs: Estimate storage needs based on growth
  4. Plan optimization: Identify opportunities to optimize storage
  5. Implement optimization: Archive data, manage files, optimize field history
  6. Monitor regularly: Set up monitoring and alerts
  7. Plan for growth: Purchase additional storage if needed

Key Configuration Decisions

Storage monitoring frequency: How often to monitor? Weekly or monthly depending on growth rate.

Alert thresholds: When to alert? Typically 75% warning, 90% critical.

Archiving strategy: When to archive? Depends on data access patterns and retention requirements.

Storage purchase: When to purchase additional storage? Plan ahead, don’t wait until limit is reached.

Common Pitfalls & Anti-Patterns

Bad Pattern: Not Monitoring Storage

Why it’s bad: Storage limits can be hit unexpectedly, causing data load failures and user issues.

Better approach: Monitor storage regularly. Set up alerts. Plan for growth. Purchase additional storage before hitting limits.

Bad Pattern: Tracking All Fields for History

Why it’s bad: Field history tracking consumes significant storage. Tracking unnecessary fields wastes storage.

Better approach: Track only fields that need auditing. Review field history tracking regularly. Archive old field history.

Bad Pattern: Not Archiving Old Data

Why it’s bad: Old data accumulates, consuming storage without providing value.

Better approach: Implement data archiving strategy. Move old data to Big Objects or external storage. Set up regular archiving processes.

Bad Pattern: Ignoring File Storage

Why it’s bad: File storage can grow quickly and is often overlooked in storage planning.

Better approach: Monitor file storage separately. Implement file archiving. Use external storage for large files. Clean up unused files regularly.

Real-World Scenarios

Scenario 1: Approaching Data Storage Limit

Problem: Org is at 85% of data storage limit, growing at 5% per month.

Context: Enterprise edition, 10 GB data storage limit, no archiving strategy.

Solution: Implement data archiving strategy. Move old records (older than 2 years) to Big Objects. Set up regular archiving process. Monitor storage trends. Plan for storage purchase if needed.

Scenario 2: High File Storage Usage

Problem: File storage is at 90% of limit, mostly from old attachments.

Context: Many old attachments, no file management process.

Solution: Archive old attachments (older than 1 year) to external storage. Implement file retention policy. Use ContentVersion instead of Attachments for new files. Set up regular file cleanup process.

Scenario 3: Planning for Rapid Growth

Problem: Organization is growing rapidly, need to plan for storage needs.

Context: Adding 100 users per quarter, transaction volume increasing, need 24-month storage plan.

Solution: Analyze historical growth trends. Project storage needs based on user and transaction growth. Plan for data archiving. Budget for additional storage purchases. Set up monitoring and alerts.

Checklist / Mental Model

Storage Planning

Storage Management

Mental Model: Proactive Capacity Management

Think of storage planning as proactive capacity management. Monitor regularly, plan for growth, optimize usage, and purchase additional storage before hitting limits. Don’t wait until storage is full to act.

Key Terms & Definitions

Q&A

Q: How do I calculate current storage usage in Salesforce?

A: Calculate usage by: (1) Use Setup → Storage Usage to view storage by object and file type, (2) Use Data Storage and File Storage pages for detailed breakdowns, (3) Calculate data storage by summing records (typically 2KB per record), (4) Calculate file storage by summing file sizes. Regular monitoring helps track usage and plan for growth.

Q: What objects don’t count toward data storage limits?

A: Objects that don’t count: (1) Big Objects (separate limit), (2) Platform Events, (3) Change Data Capture events, (4) Knowledge Article Versions (archived), (5) Email Templates, (6) Reports and Dashboards. Understanding what doesn’t count helps with storage planning and optimization.

Q: How do I plan for future storage growth?

A: Plan by: (1) Analyze historical storage growth trends, (2) Project storage based on business growth (users, transactions, data), (3) Consider data retention policies and archiving, (4) Plan 12-24 months ahead, (5) Include buffer for unexpected growth. Proactive planning prevents storage issues.

Q: What’s the difference between data storage and file storage?

A: Data storage is for records in objects (typically 2KB per record). File storage is for files, attachments, and documents (actual file size). Both have separate limits and should be monitored separately. Data storage and file storage are calculated and managed independently.

Q: How do I optimize storage usage?

A: Optimize by: (1) Archive old data to Big Objects or external storage, (2) Manage file storage (use ContentVersion, archive old files, compress files), (3) Optimize field history tracking (track only necessary fields, archive old history), (4) Regularly clean up unused data and files, (5) Monitor storage usage regularly.

Q: When should I purchase additional storage?

A: Purchase when: (1) Approaching 80-85% of limit (plan ahead, don’t wait), (2) Growth projections indicate need (plan for future growth), (3) As part of capacity planning (include in budget). Don’t wait until limit is reached - purchase proactively to avoid issues.

Q: How do I monitor storage usage effectively?

A: Monitor by: (1) Monitor regularly (weekly or monthly), (2) Set up alerts at 75% (warning), 90% (critical), 95% (action required), (3) Track storage trends over time, (4) Identify objects using most storage, (5) Include storage trends in monitoring dashboards. Regular monitoring enables proactive management.

Q: What’s the best approach for data archiving?

A: Archive by: (1) Identify old or infrequently accessed data, (2) Move to Big Objects for historical data, (3) Export to external storage and delete from Salesforce, (4) Set up regular archiving processes, (5) Update processes to archive data automatically. Archiving helps manage storage and maintain performance.

Q: How do I handle file storage management?

A: Manage file storage by: (1) Use ContentVersion instead of Attachments (more efficient), (2) Archive old files to external storage, (3) Compress files when possible, (4) Delete unused files regularly, (5) Set up file retention policies, (6) Monitor file storage separately from data storage. File storage has separate limits and requires separate management.

Q: What storage limits apply to different Salesforce editions?

A: Storage limits: (1) Professional - 1 GB data, 1 GB file, (2) Enterprise/Performance/Unlimited - 10 GB data, 10 GB file (can purchase additional), (3) Big Objects have separate storage limits (don’t count toward data storage). Understand limits for your edition and plan accordingly. Additional storage can be purchased for Enterprise+ editions.