A Push pattern is the most efficient for processing background check results because it allows the external system to notify Dataverse immediately upon completion, rather than Dataverse repeatedly polling (Pull) for updates. This minimizes latency and resource consumption.

For applying changes, Upsert is the optimal choice. It utilizes a single request to either update an existing record (if a match is found based on a unique identifier or alternate key) or create a new one if it doesn't exist. This ensures data integrity and simplifies the integration logic by handling both scenarios in one operation, which is standard practice for synchronizing external status updates into Dataverse.

Microsoft Official Documentation: "Choose a data integration pattern," Microsoft Learn. Sections on "Push-based integration" and "Asynchronous vs. synchronous patterns."

Microsoft Power Platform Developer Guide: "Use Upsert to insert or update a record," Dataverse Web API / Organization Service sections.

Microsoft Dataverse SDK: "UpsertRequest Class" documentation, highlighting the use of Upsert for synchronizing data from external sources to avoid duplicate records.

Dynamics 365 Architecture Guide: "Integration Patterns," specifically discussing the advantages of event-driven push notifications for external status changes.