CloudLink

CloudLink is how Elementum connects securely to your data warehouse so workflows, apps, and automations can use that data where it already lives. This page brings together what CloudLink is, how to set it up safely, and where to go next.

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Core concepts

CloudLink connects Elementum to your organization’s data warehouse (for example Snowflake, Google BigQuery, or Databricks). Your data stays in your warehouse; Elementum accesses it through governed connections. You configure which tables and fields to use—often via Tables—and that data can feed Elements, Data Mining, automations, and reporting without writing SQL for day-to-day work. CloudLink provides:

• Secure access — Direct, encrypted connections to your data with IP whitelisting and role-based access control
• In-place data — Your data stays in your platform. No data is copied or moved to external systems.
• Centralized management — Configuration through Elementum’s interface with automated monitoring
• Scalable architecture — Supports small teams through enterprise-scale deployments

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Supported platforms and setup guides

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Authentication methods

Key-pair authentication (recommended) Key-pair authentication uses an RSA key pair to secure the connection between Elementum and your warehouse. Elementum generates and stores the private key and gives you the public key to assign to your service user, so there is no shared password to leak or rotate manually. Key-pair authentication is required for full Elementum feature support, including change tracking, Cortex AI integration, and automated workflows on supported platforms. Step-by-step setup for Snowflake is in Connecting Snowflake to Elementum. Password authentication Password authentication can be simpler to set up but is not recommended. Key-pair authentication is stronger and required for full feature access on platforms where it applies. If you use password authentication today, plan to migrate using your warehouse guide (for Snowflake, see key-pair authentication).

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Critical: Understanding the platform schema field

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Why this matters

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Prerequisites

These prerequisites focus on Snowflake; BigQuery and Databricks have additional requirements in their guides above. Before setting up CloudLink, ensure you have:

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Security and Compliance

CloudLink provides:

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Business intelligence and external access

If you need warehouse data in BI tools such as Power BI or Tableau, do not point those tools at Elementum’s platform schema or bypass Elementum’s access model. Use Elementum Tables to define views and exports that external tools can consume safely.

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Using CloudLink data after connection

Once CloudLink is connected:

1. Expose data — Select tables, columns, refresh behavior, and permissions through Tables (and related app configuration as needed).
2. Build apps and workflows — Use connected data in apps and Flow.
3. Automate — Add Data Mining, automations, and notifications driven by warehouse-backed data.

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Common use cases

• Sales — Opportunity routing, approvals, and pipeline monitoring from CRM or warehouse tables.
• Customer support — Priority routing and response tracking from ticket and interaction history.
• Finance — Reconciliation, spend monitoring, and reporting from ledger or transaction data.
• Supply chain — Inventory, reorder, and supplier metrics from operational and logistics tables.

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Best practices

1. Authentication — Prefer key-pair authentication where supported; rotate credentials on your security schedule; limit who can change CloudLink settings.
2. Schema — Keep the Elementum platform schema dedicated and documented; never hand-edit Elementum-managed objects there.
3. Data quality — Use clear column names and consistent formats in source tables; keep data current for reliable workflows.
4. Scope — Connect only the tables you need; grant the minimum warehouse permissions required.
5. Performance — Plan refresh frequency for table size and cost; treat performance warnings seriously before production workflows depend on a table.

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Performance considerations

To improve CloudLink performance, choose the right sync approach: Real-time updates (change tracking) — Use for immediate synchronization. Best for transactional data with minimal latency. Enable Snowflake Change Tracking when using Snowflake. Scheduled updates — Use for batch processing. Best for analytical data and resource-efficient runs. Intervals are configurable from minutes to days.

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Automatic table performance validation

When connecting tables through CloudLink Explorer, Elementum automatically validates query performance to ensure your workflows run efficiently. Since Elementum executes queries directly against your data platform, slow underlying tables will impact the overall solution performance. Performance warning levels: If you receive a performance warning:

1. Review table structure - Large tables without proper indexing or partitioning can cause slow queries
2. Consider materialized views - Pre-compute complex joins or aggregations
3. Check warehouse sizing - Ensure adequate compute resources are allocated
4. Optimize query patterns - Add clustering keys or reduce unnecessary columns

You can acknowledge the warning and proceed if the performance is acceptable for your use case. Optimizing tables that show moderate or slow performance improves workflow reliability.

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Common issues and solutions

Connection Failures

Symptoms: Unable to establish CloudLink connectionCommon Causes:

• IP addresses not whitelisted
• Service account credentials incorrect
• Role/permissions insufficient
• Network firewall blocking connection

Solutions:

1. Verify IP whitelist configuration in your platform
2. Test service account login directly in your platform
3. Review role permissions against setup guide requirements

Cannot See Data Tables

Symptoms: Connected successfully but tables are not visibleCommon Causes:

• Most likely: You entered your data schema in the Platform Schema field
• Permissions not granted on specific tables
• Tables in a different database/catalog

Solutions:

1. Check the Schema field - it should be an empty schema for Elementum operations, NOT your data schema
2. Verify GRANT statements include all required tables
3. Confirm database/catalog access is granted

Performance Issues

Symptoms: Slow data synchronization, query timeouts, or performance warnings during table connectionCommon Causes:

• Compute resources undersized
• Large tables without optimization
• Network connectivity issues
• Missing clustering keys or indexes
• Complex views with expensive joins

Solutions:

1. Increase warehouse/cluster size
2. Implement partitioning or clustering for large datasets
3. Check network policies and routing
4. Create materialized views for complex query patterns
5. Review and optimize underlying table structures

Performance Warnings During Connection:If you receive a performance warning when connecting a table:

• Moderate Warning (3-5 seconds): Table is usable but may cause slower workflows. Consider optimization.
• Proceed with caution if performance is acceptable for your use case
• Optimize first for tables used in time-sensitive automations or high-traffic workflows

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Next steps

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After setup

Once your CloudLink connection is established:

1. Configure data access — Select which tables and fields to expose in Elementum
2. Set up apps — Create apps that use your connected data
3. Build automations — Create workflows that act on your data

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Getting help