Salesforce Connect data virtualization versus copying external health data into the org
Key Takeaway
When large external data stays outside the org and users need small amounts of the latest data at a time, use Salesforce Connect with an adapter such as OData, not copies or custom callouts.
When health data lives in an external system, a consultant has to choose how Salesforce users will see it. One option is to copy the data into the org. The other is data virtualization with Salesforce Connect, which leaves the data where it is and shows it live in Salesforce. The right choice depends on how much data there is, how much of it users need at a time, and how current it must be.
How Salesforce Connect works
Salesforce Connect maps external objects in Salesforce to data tables in an external system. Each external object maps to one data table. Its fields map to that table's columns.
Salesforce Connect then reads the data on demand and in real time through web service callouts. Nothing is copied.