What is the primary use of External Objects in Salesforce?

The primary use of External Objects in Salesforce is indeed to provide read-only access to external data. These objects allow Salesforce to connect to external data sources, such as databases or cloud services, via the Salesforce platform without creating duplicate data.

External Objects use a special integration feature called Salesforce Connect, which enables users to expose data from external systems as if it were part of the Salesforce environment. This allows users to view and interact with the data in real-time, ensuring that they can access the most up-to-date information without the need for data replication.

By using External Objects, Salesforce administrators can create applications that pull in data for reporting or data visualization purposes while keeping the external data intact and unaltered. This functionality helps organizations to leverage their existing data systems effectively while working within the Salesforce framework.

The other choices, while related to data management and integration, do not capture the primary purpose of External Objects. Handling large volumes of data and storing external data within Salesforce do not align with the read-only nature of External Objects. Similarly, while External Objects may assist in reporting, they are not designed for creating complex reporting capabilities specifically—it is their read-only access to the external data that is the main focus.