CloudLink Setup Overview

Understand CloudLink fundamentals and choose your data platform integration

CloudLink enables secure, high-performance connections between your data platforms and Elementum. This guide helps you understand the fundamentals and choose the right setup approach for your organization.

Supported Data Platforms

Snowflake

Integration with Snowflake Data Cloud including Cortex AI support

What is CloudLink?

CloudLink is Elementum’s secure data integration solution that 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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Critical: Understanding the Platform Schema Field

Do NOT enter your data schema/dataset here. The Schema field in the CloudLink setup form is for Elementum’s internal platform operations.

You must create a new, empty schema (e.g., ELEMENTUM_PLATFORM) and enter that. Your actual data tables are selected separately after the connection is established.

If you enter your data schema here, it will be hidden from workflow building and you won’t be able to access your data.

Why This Matters

What You Enter	What Happens
❌ Your data schema (e.g., PUBLIC, SALES)	Your data becomes inaccessible in Elementum
✅ Empty platform schema (e.g., ELEMENTUM_PLATFORM)	Elementum stores operational data here, your data remains accessible

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Prerequisites

Before setting up CloudLink, ensure you have:

1. Platform Requirements

   Snowflake:

   • ACCOUNTADMIN role access for setup
   • Tables/views with unique identifiers (primary key)
   • Network policy permissions (for IP whitelisting)
2. Elementum Access

   • Admin privileges (required): Elementum account with admin privileges to configure CloudLink connections
   • Domain whitelisting (included): Your organization domain is automatically whitelisted. Format: [your-org].elementum.io
3. Network Configuration

   Required: Whitelist Elementum IP addresses in your data platform

   Region	IP Addresses
   US East	44.210.166.136, 44.209.114.114, 52.72.254.246
   Europe	3.124.57.142, 3.126.230.195, 3.76.143.79

   Add these IPs to your platform’s network policy/firewall before attempting connection.

Get Started

Snowflake Setup Guide

Best for: Organizations using Snowflake Data Cloud

Features:

• ✅ RSA key-pair authentication
• ✅ Change tracking for real-time sync
• ✅ Cortex AI/ML integration
• ✅ Native App support (License Patrol)

Time to complete: 15-30 minutes

Security and Compliance

CloudLink provides:

Key-Pair Authentication

RSA Key-Pair: Elementum uses cryptographic key-pair authentication instead of passwords. The private key never leaves Elementum’s infrastructure.

Key Rotation: Snowflake’s dual-key support enables zero-downtime key rotation.

Network Security

IP Whitelisting: Only authorized Elementum IPs can access your data

Encrypted Connections: All data transfer uses TLS encryption

VPC Support: Compatible with private network configurations

Access Control

Role-Based Access: Dedicated service account with minimal permissions

Data Isolation: Each organization has separate access controls

Audit Trail: Complete logging of all data access and modifications

Compliance

Standards: Contact your Elementum representative to discuss SOC 2, GDPR, HIPAA, and other compliance requirements.

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.

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.

During table connection, Elementum runs a test query to measure response time. If the query takes longer than optimal, you’ll receive a performance warning before completing the connection.

Performance Warning Levels:

Warning Level	Query Time	Recommendation
✅ Optimal	Under 3 seconds	Proceed with connection
⚠️ Moderate	3-5 seconds	Review table optimization before proceeding
❌ Slow	Over 5 seconds	Strongly consider optimization before connecting

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

Slow table queries cascade through your entire solution — affecting workflow execution times, user experience when loading records, and automation reliability. Addressing performance at the connection stage prevents issues later.

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.

Common Issues and Solutions

Connection Failures

Symptoms: Unable to establish CloudLink connection

Common 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 visible

Common 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 connection

Common 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

Next Steps

Snowflake Setup Guide

Complete Snowflake setup guide

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

Getting Help

Technical Support

Get help with technical issues and troubleshooting

Data Best Practices

Optimize your data models for Elementum