Automation20% of the exam
Automation Studio activities, query tuning and monitoring
Which Automation Studio starting source, wait, extract, transfer, send and query design fits a data requirement, how to keep SQL Query activities inside their limits, and where to monitor activity errors and automation health.
Given a customer scenario, provide the appropriate automation type and activities that should be utilized.
~8 min read · 14 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Choose the starting source, schedule and run options for a new automation, including external file locations.
- Design waits inside an automation and predict which runs are skipped.
- Pick the activities that move data in and out: Data Copy or Import, data extracts, File Transfer and Send Email.
- Tune SQL Query activities: data action, scope, field design, searchable arguments, staging and concurrency.
- Direct a client to the right monitoring view for one activity or for automation health over time.
- Key terms: starting source (Schedule, File Drop or Trigger); Safehouse (the secure file location extracts write to); data action (Append, Overwrite or Update for a query's target); data staging (splitting a large query into smaller queries that write holding tables); object detail page (an activity's configuration and run history).
Key facts
New scheduled automation
- Detail
- Paused until activated
QueuedFile after pause
- Detail
- Status kept permanently
Combined wait time
- Detail
- At most one year
Run due during a wait
- Detail
- Skipped
Extract then transfer
- Detail
- File Transfer in a separate step
Tracking extract time zone
- Detail
- CST without DST unless Use Local TZ in Query
Classic-editor Send Email activity
- Detail
- Not editable; replace it
SQL Query timeout
- Detail
- 30 minutes
Large copies
- Detail
- Extract plus import, not a query
Queries per step
- Detail
- One
SQL Query statements
- Detail
- SELECT only, against data extensions and data views
No-opens sample query
- Detail
- Jobs under 500,000 subscribers; larger jobs use intermediate tables
History dashboard
- Detail
- Updated daily; downloads as CSV
Sources for this section (9)
- Schedule an Automationhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Automation Starting Sourceshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Wait Activityhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Data Extract Activityhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Send Email Activityhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Optimizing a SQL Query Activityhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- SQL Referencehelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Query: Subscribers with No Opens or Clickshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Get Automation Historyhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- When should a SQL Query activity move to a different tool even though it still finishes?
- Which Automation Studio activities have an object detail page?
- Why might rows in a standard data extension extract file be out of insertion order?
- Why doesn't the History dashboard show an automation that's running now?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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