In this scenario, a Lookup relationship is the most appropriate choice for relating the Audit custom object to the Account object. This relationship allows for flexibility, especially when it comes to data retention and access control requirements, as outlined by AW Computing's security team.
Lookup Relationship:
A Lookup relationship links two objects, allowing records from the custom Audit object to be associated with the Account object. Unlike a Master-Detail relationship, it offers greater flexibility in terms of record ownership, sharing, and visibility controls, which is particularly useful for sensitive data.
The Lookup relationship will enable administrators to set specific permissions, ensuring that only the audit team has access to the records, as required.
Additionally, records in the Lookup relationship are independent. Therefore, if the Account record is deleted, the Audit record can persist, aligning with the need to retain Audit records for 10 years.
Preservation and Access Control:
Given the 10-year retention requirement, the independence of records under a Lookup relationship is ideal. It ensures that Audit records are not automatically deleted when an associated Account record is removed.
Access to Audit records can be restricted to the audit team by setting up custom sharing rules or permissions, which is achievable through the Lookup relationship's flexible sharing model.
Incorrect options:
Master-Detail: In a Master-Detail relationship, the detail (child) records are dependent on the master (parent) record. Deleting an Account would automatically delete any associated Audit records, which would conflict with the retention requirement.
Many-To-Many: This type of relationship involves a junction object to associate multiple records from both sides. It is not necessary in this case, as the requirement is a one-to-many relationship from Account to Audit records.
Self: A self-relationship would allow records within the Audit object to be related to each other. This does not apply to linking the Audit object to the Account object.
In conclusion, the Lookup relationship provides the necessary flexibility for data preservation and access control, making it the optimal choice for this requirement.