The requirement is for an external system with a CometD client to receive immediate notifications of record changes from Salesforce. The Salesforce Streaming API is designed for this exact purpose, using the Bayeux protocol and a CometD implementation to push events to subscribers in near real-time. A PushTopic is a specific type of streaming event that monitors record changes (create, update, delete) based on a defined SOQL query. Creating a PushTopic on the Opportunity object allows the affiliate's CometD client to subscribe to a specific channel and receive immediate notifications whenever an Opportunity record is updated, directly meeting the requirements.

1. Salesforce Streaming API Developer Guide

"PushTopic Events": "Use PushTopic events to send notifications for record changes (creations

updates

deletions

and undeletes) that match a SOQL query that you define. A PushTopic is a sObject that contains the criteria of the events you want to listen to

such as a SOQL query and the record operations to notify on."

2. Salesforce Streaming API Developer Guide

"Subscribing to Channels": "Streaming API uses the Bayeux protocol. Clients subscribe to channels and receive event notifications from the server through a long-held connection... Salesforce offers a Java client library and a JavaScript client library (CometD) that implement the Bayeux protocol and handle the connection for you."

3. Salesforce Integration Patterns and Practices

"Event-Based Integration Styles": This document contrasts polling with event-based patterns

highlighting that event-based approaches like the Streaming API are superior for near real-time notifications. The "Fire-and-Forget" pattern

implemented via PushTopics

is described as a mechanism where the source system (Salesforce) publishes an event and doesn't wait for a response

which is ideal for this scenario.

4. Salesforce SOAP API Developer Guide

"getUpdated()": The documentation describes getUpdated() as a method to retrieve the list of records that have been updated during a specified time period. This confirms it is a polling mechanism

not a real-time push notification service.