实现从Salesforce到Twilio之间的批量消息传递，达到Salesforce API的限制

Question

I am building an integration between Salesforce and Twilio that sends/receives SMS using TwilioForce REST API. The main issue is getting around the 10-call API limit from Salesforce, as well as the prohibition on HTTP call outs from a trigger.

I am basing the design on Dan Appleman's Asynchronous Request processes, but in either Batch mode or RequestAsync(), ASync(), Sync(), repeat... I'm still hitting the limits.

I'd like to know how other developers have done this successfully; the integrations have been there for a while, but the examples are few and far between.

Answer 1

Are you sending unique messages for each record that has been updated? If not, then why not send one message to multiple recipients to save on your API limits?

Unfortunately, if you do actually need to send more than 10 unique messages there is no way to send messages in bulk with the Twilio API, you could instead write a simple application that runs on Heroku or some other application platform that you can call out to that will handle the SMS functionality for you.

Answer 2

I have it working now using the following structure (I apologize for the formatting - it's mostly pseudocode):

ASyncRequest object: AsyncType (picklist: 'SMS to Twilio' is it for now), Params (long text area: comma-separated list of Ids)

Message object: To (phone), From (phone), Message (text), Sent (boolean), smsId (string), Error (text)

Message trigger: passes trigger details to CreateAsyncRequests() method.

CreateAsyncRequests: evaluate each new/updated Message__c; if Sent == false for any messages, we create an AsyncRequest, type=SMS to Twilio, Params += ',' + message.Id.

// Create a list to be inserted after all the Messages have been processed List requests = new List();

Once we reach 5 message.Ids in a single AsyncRequest.Params list, add it to requests. If all the messages have been processed and there's a request with < 5 Ids in Params, add it to requests as well.

If requests.size() > 0 {
  insert requests;
  AsyncProcessor.StartBatch();
}

AsyncProcessor implements .Batchable and .AllowsCallouts, and queries ASyncRequest__c for any requests that need to be processed, which in this case will be our Messages list.

The execute() method takes the list of ASyncRequests, splits each Params value into its component Message Ids, and then queries the Message object for those particular Messages.

StartBatch() calls execute() with 1 record at a time, so that each execute() process will still contain fewer than the maximum 10 callouts.

Each Message is processed in a try/catch block that calls SendMessage(), sets Message.smsId = Twilio.smsId and sets Message.Sent = true.

If no smsId is returned, then the message was not sent, and I set a boolean bSidIsNull = true indicating that (at least) one message was not sent.

** If any message failed, no smsIds are returned EVEN FOR MESSAGES THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL **

After each batch of messages is processed, I check bSidIsNull; if true, then I go back over the list of messages and put any that do not have an smsId into a map indexed by the Twilio number I'm trying to send them From.

Since I limited each ASyncRequest to 5 messages, I still have the use of a callout to retrieve all of the messages sent from that Twilio.From number for the current date, using

client.getAccount().getMessages('From' => fromNumber, 'DateSent' => currentDate)

Then I can update the Message.smsIds for all of the messages that were successful, and add an error message to Message.Error_on_Send__c for any that failed.

Answer 3

Most of the international Texting API (twilio , nexmo... ) are not suitable for salesforce as per the limitations.

Utilizing 1 API call for 1 SMS is not a good option. It is not suggested way by using batch job or future methods to handle these calls.

Dynamic message creation is also some time challenging when you are referring cross object fields.

We have created an App where it can process up to 40K SMS in "1" API call and it is very easy to manage SMS template like Email Template.

You can also setup SMS from workflow or Process builder like Email.

You can use ValueText SMS Api to send bulk SMS from any platform.

ValueText SMS App : https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N3A00000EFoedUAD