Converting Standard To High Volume Platform Events: A Guide
Hey guys! Ever wondered how to transition your standard volume platform events to high volume ones? You're in the right place! With Spring '19 making High Volume platform events generally available, it's a smart move to optimize your event handling. This guide will walk you through the process, addressing common hurdles and offering best practices. Let's dive in and make your platform events supercharged!
Understanding the Need for High Volume Platform Events
Before we jump into the how-to, let's clarify why you might need high volume platform events. Standard volume platform events are fantastic for many use cases, but they have limitations, especially when dealing with a large influx of data or real-time processing needs.
When you're dealing with scenarios like IoT device data streaming, real-time analytics dashboards, or integrating with systems that generate a massive number of events, standard volume events can become a bottleneck. This is where high volume platform events come into play. They're designed to handle significantly higher throughput and offer better scalability, ensuring your applications remain responsive and efficient even under heavy load.
Consider a scenario where you're tracking user activity on a popular e-commerce website. Every click, page view, and purchase generates an event. During peak shopping seasons or flash sales, the volume of these events can skyrocket. Standard volume events might struggle to keep up, leading to delays or even data loss. High volume platform events, on the other hand, are built to handle this surge in traffic, providing a reliable and scalable solution.
Another crucial aspect is real-time processing. If your application needs to react to events as they happen, latency becomes a critical factor. High volume platform events are optimized for low latency, ensuring that events are processed quickly and efficiently. This is particularly important for applications like fraud detection, security monitoring, and real-time marketing campaigns.
Furthermore, high volume platform events offer enhanced durability and reliability. They're designed to withstand failures and ensure that events are delivered even in challenging network conditions. This is essential for mission-critical applications where data loss is not an option.
In a nutshell, if you're experiencing limitations with standard volume events or anticipate high event volumes in the future, transitioning to high volume platform events is a strategic move. It's about future-proofing your applications and ensuring they can handle the demands of a growing and dynamic environment. So, let's move on to the practical steps of making this conversion happen!
The Challenge: Direct Editing Isn't the Answer
So, you've decided to make the switch. You might think, like many others, that the easiest way to convert your standard volume event is to simply edit the event object in Setup. You go to the object manager, find your platform event, and start looking for a setting that lets you change the volume type. Unfortunately, it's not that simple, guys. Salesforce doesn't allow direct editing of the volume type for platform events once they're created. This can be a bit frustrating, but there's a good reason behind it. Changing the volume type can have significant implications for your application's architecture and performance. It's not a simple flip of a switch.
This limitation is in place to prevent unintended consequences and ensure data integrity. Imagine if you could switch an event type on the fly. Existing subscribers and triggers might not be prepared for the change in volume, potentially leading to errors, performance issues, or even data loss. Salesforce wants to ensure that you carefully consider the implications of this change and make the necessary adjustments to your application.
Therefore, the direct editing route is a dead end. You won't find a magical checkbox that converts your event. This is where the real work begins. You'll need to adopt a more strategic approach to achieve your goal. Don't worry, it's not as daunting as it sounds. We'll break it down step by step.
The inability to directly edit the volume type is a common stumbling block for developers new to high volume platform events. It's a valuable lesson in understanding the underlying architecture and the importance of planning for scalability from the outset. It also highlights the need to carefully consider the implications of your design choices.
Think of it like renovating a house. You can't just change the foundation without impacting the rest of the structure. Similarly, changing the volume type of a platform event requires a more holistic approach. You need to consider the entire ecosystem of subscribers, triggers, and processes that rely on that event.
So, what's the solution? Since directly editing the event object is out of the question, we need to explore alternative methods. The most common and recommended approach is to create a new high volume platform event and migrate your existing logic to it. This might sound like a lot of work, but it's the safest and most reliable way to ensure a smooth transition. Let's delve into the steps involved in this process.
The Solution: Create a New High Volume Platform Event
Since you can't directly convert an existing standard volume event, the recommended approach is to create a brand new High Volume Platform Event. Think of it as building a new, more robust pipeline for your events. This might sound like more work, but it's the cleanest and safest way to ensure a smooth transition. Here's a breakdown of the steps involved:
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Define Your New Event: Start by planning the structure of your new high volume event. It's crucial to carefully consider the fields you'll need and how they map to your existing event. While you could technically create an event with a completely different structure, it's generally best practice to mirror the fields of your standard volume event as closely as possible. This will minimize the amount of code you need to rewrite and make the migration process much smoother.
Think about the data you're currently capturing in your standard volume event. What fields are essential? Are there any fields you can eliminate or consolidate? This is a good opportunity to optimize your event structure for performance and efficiency. Consider using data types that are appropriate for the data you're storing. For example, use integers for numeric values, text fields for strings, and so on.
Also, think about any future needs you might have. Are there any additional fields you might want to include in your event in the future? Planning ahead can save you time and effort down the road.
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Create the New Platform Event: Head over to Setup, then Platform Events, and create a new event. When creating it, make sure you select the High Volume option. This is the critical step that ensures your new event is designed to handle the increased throughput.
Give your new event a clear and descriptive name. This will make it easier to identify and manage in the future. Consider using a naming convention that includes the term "High Volume" or "HV" to clearly differentiate it from your standard volume event.
As you define the fields for your new event, pay close attention to data types. Using the correct data types can improve performance and reduce storage costs. For example, if you're storing a Boolean value, use the Boolean data type instead of a text field.
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Migrate Your Publishers: This is where you'll need to update your code that currently publishes events to the standard volume event. You'll need to modify this code to publish to your new high volume event instead. This might involve changing the event name in your Apex code, Process Builder, or Flow configurations.
This step requires careful planning and execution. You'll want to thoroughly test your changes to ensure that events are being published correctly to the new event. Consider using a phased approach, migrating publishers in batches to minimize the risk of disruption.
As you migrate your publishers, think about error handling. What happens if an event fails to publish? You'll want to implement appropriate error handling mechanisms to ensure that you don't lose data. Consider using a retry mechanism or logging errors to a custom object.
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Migrate Your Subscribers: Just as you updated your publishers, you'll also need to update your subscribers. This includes any Apex triggers, Process Builders, Flows, or other applications that are listening for your standard volume event. You'll need to modify these subscribers to listen for your new high volume event instead.
This is another critical step that requires careful planning and testing. Make sure you thoroughly test your changes to ensure that your subscribers are correctly processing events from the new event.
As you migrate your subscribers, consider the impact on performance. High volume platform events can generate a large number of events, so you'll want to ensure that your subscribers are designed to handle this increased throughput. Consider using asynchronous processing techniques, such as Queueable Apex, to avoid performance bottlenecks.
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Testing is Key: Before you fully switch over, thoroughly test your new setup. Publish events to the high volume event and ensure your subscribers are processing them correctly. Monitor performance and look for any potential issues.
Testing is absolutely essential to ensure a smooth transition. Create a comprehensive test plan that covers all of your use cases. Test different scenarios, including peak load conditions, to ensure that your new setup can handle the demands of your application.
Monitor your system closely during the testing phase. Look for any errors, performance issues, or unexpected behavior. Use monitoring tools, such as the Salesforce Event Monitoring add-on, to gain insights into your system's performance.
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Deactivate the Old Event (Eventually): Once you're confident that everything is working smoothly with the new high volume event, you can eventually deactivate your old standard volume event. However, it's a good idea to keep it around for a while as a backup, just in case.
Deactivating the old event should be the final step in your migration process. Before deactivating, make sure that you've completely migrated all of your publishers and subscribers to the new event. Consider running a reconciliation process to ensure that you haven't missed any events.
Even after deactivating the old event, it's a good idea to monitor your system closely for a period of time. This will help you identify any potential issues that you might have missed during the testing phase.
By following these steps, you can successfully convert your standard volume platform event to a high volume event, ensuring your application can handle the demands of a growing and dynamic environment.
Code Example: Publishing to the New High Volume Event
Let's get practical! Here's a simple Apex example showing how to publish an event to your new high volume platform event. Assume you have a platform event named HighVolumeEvent__e with a field called Message__c.
// Create a new instance of the platform event
HighVolumeEvent__e event = new HighVolumeEvent__e(Message__c = 'Hello, High Volume World!');
// Publish the event
List<Database.SaveResult> results = EventBus.publish(event);
// Check for errors
for (Database.SaveResult result : results) {
if (!result.isSuccess()) {
for (Database.Error error : result.getErrors()) {
System.debug('Error publishing event: ' + error.getStatusCode() + ' - ' + error.getMessage());
}
}
}
This code snippet demonstrates the basic steps involved in publishing a platform event. First, you create a new instance of the event object, setting the values for any required fields. Then, you use the EventBus.publish() method to publish the event. Finally, you check the results to ensure that the event was published successfully. If there are any errors, you can log them or take other appropriate actions.
Remember to adapt this code to your specific event and fields. The key is to use the correct event name (HighVolumeEvent__e in this example) and set the values for the fields you've defined in your platform event.
This example provides a starting point for publishing events to your new high volume platform event. You can extend this code to handle more complex scenarios, such as publishing multiple events in a batch or implementing custom error handling logic.
Key Considerations and Best Practices
Converting to high volume platform events isn't just about creating a new event object. It's about rethinking your architecture for scalability and performance. Here are some key considerations and best practices to keep in mind:
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Asynchronous Processing: High volume events are best consumed asynchronously. Avoid using synchronous triggers that can slow down event processing and impact performance. Instead, use Queueable Apex or other asynchronous mechanisms to process events in the background. This allows your application to handle a large volume of events without blocking the main thread.
Asynchronous processing is crucial for handling high volumes of data. It allows you to decouple event processing from event publication, preventing bottlenecks and ensuring that your application remains responsive. Consider using Queueable Apex, Batch Apex, or Platform Event Triggers to implement asynchronous processing.
When designing your asynchronous processes, think about the potential for concurrency issues. If multiple processes are operating on the same data, you'll need to implement appropriate locking mechanisms to prevent data corruption. Consider using database locks or custom locking mechanisms to ensure data integrity.
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Governor Limits: Be mindful of governor limits, especially when processing events in bulk. High volume events can quickly consume your limits if you're not careful. Optimize your code to minimize resource consumption and avoid hitting limits.
Governor limits are a critical aspect of the Salesforce platform. You need to be aware of these limits and design your application to operate within them. High volume platform events can generate a large number of events, so it's essential to optimize your code to minimize resource consumption.
Consider using bulk operations to process events in batches. This can significantly reduce the number of SOQL queries and DML operations you need to perform, helping you stay within governor limits. Also, avoid using nested loops or other inefficient coding practices that can consume excessive resources.
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Error Handling: Implement robust error handling. With high volumes, errors are more likely to occur. Make sure you have mechanisms in place to detect, log, and handle errors gracefully. This will help you identify and resolve issues quickly, minimizing the impact on your application.
Error handling is essential for any application, but it's particularly important when dealing with high volumes of data. You need to have mechanisms in place to detect, log, and handle errors gracefully. This will help you identify and resolve issues quickly, minimizing the impact on your application.
Consider using a centralized error logging mechanism to track errors across your application. This will make it easier to identify patterns and troubleshoot issues. Also, implement appropriate retry mechanisms to handle transient errors, such as network connectivity issues.
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Monitoring: Set up monitoring to track event volumes, processing times, and error rates. This will give you valuable insights into the health and performance of your event-driven architecture.
Monitoring is crucial for ensuring the health and performance of your event-driven architecture. You need to set up monitoring to track event volumes, processing times, and error rates. This will give you valuable insights into your system's behavior and help you identify potential issues before they become critical.
Consider using the Salesforce Event Monitoring add-on or other monitoring tools to track your platform events. Also, implement custom monitoring mechanisms to track specific metrics that are relevant to your application.
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Schema Evolution: Plan for schema evolution. As your application evolves, you might need to add or modify fields in your platform event. Consider the impact of these changes on your existing subscribers and implement a strategy for handling schema changes gracefully.
Schema evolution is an inevitable part of software development. As your application evolves, you'll likely need to add or modify fields in your platform event. It's essential to plan for these changes and implement a strategy for handling them gracefully.
Consider using versioning to manage schema changes. This allows you to introduce new versions of your platform event without breaking existing subscribers. You can also use schema validation techniques to ensure that events conform to the expected schema.
By keeping these considerations in mind and following best practices, you can build a robust and scalable event-driven architecture using high volume platform events.
Conclusion
Converting from standard to high volume platform events is a strategic move for applications needing enhanced scalability and real-time processing. While you can't directly edit the event object, creating a new high volume event and migrating your logic is the way to go. Remember to test thoroughly, handle errors gracefully, and monitor your system's performance. With careful planning and execution, you can unlock the full potential of high volume platform events and build truly scalable applications. Good luck, and happy coding! You've got this, guys!