--- title: Business Link description: A Business Link stores each key combination that it reads from the Raw Vault once, with its hash key Link_HK, in a table of the Business Vault layer. --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-business-link#main-content) [Contact us](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [Go to Customer Portal](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/customer-portal?hsLang=en) [![TRI\_Logo\_biGENIUS\_2020\_RGB\_s](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Marketing/TRI_Logo_biGENIUS_2020_RGB_s.png?width=150&height=42&name=TRI_Logo_biGENIUS_2020_RGB_s.png)](https://www.bigenius-x.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Contact us](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/kb-tickets/new) - [Go to Customer Portal](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/customer-portal) How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [biGENIUS-X Knowledge Base](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [Generators](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/generators?hsLang=en) 3. [Model Object Type](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/generators?hsLang=en#model-object-type) # Business Link **Applies to** Platform: Microsoft SQL Server · Snowflake · Snowflake dbt · Databricks · Databricks dbt · Fabric Lakehouse · Fabric Warehouse · Oracle Architecture: Data Vault A Business Link stores each key combination that it reads from the Raw Vault once, with its hash key `Link_HK`, in a table of the Business Vault layer. Use it for a relationship that a business rule derives from Raw Vault data, such as the cashier, item and loyalty card of a sales transaction. After each load, the result view shows one row per key combination and the load that first delivered it. A Business Link works like a [Link](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-link?hsLang=en). It differs in its sources, its layer, its relationship targets and the `BDV_` prefix of its objects. ### Sources and relationships A Business Link reads the result views of Raw Vault objects, in one or more dataflows: Hubs, all Link types, all satellite types, Current Views and History Views. It also reads [BusinessVault Composites](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-business-vault-composite?hsLang=en) and [Hierarchy Flattens](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-hierachy-flatten?hsLang=en). It has one or more relationships to [Hubs](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-hub?hsLang=en) or [Business Hubs](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-business-hub?hsLang=en). The foreign-key terms of the relationships are the business keys of the Business Link. Business Link Satellites, Record Tracking Business Link Satellites, Effectivity Business Link Satellites, Non-Historized Business Link Satellites reference a Business Link. Business Current View, Business History View, Business PIT and [Vault Out](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-vault-out?hsLang=en) can read it as a source. ### Create the model object - With the wizard: open the menu of a Raw Vault Hub, Link or satellite, or of a BusinessVault Composite. Choose **Automate** and then **Create Business Link**. Its steps are [Create Model Object](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/wizard-step-create-model-object?hsLang=en), [Create Dataflow](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/wizard-step-create-dataflow?hsLang=en), [Create Multiple Relations](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/wizard-step-create-multiple-relations?hsLang=en), [Define Roles](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/wizard-step-create-relations-with-role?hsLang=en), [Map Foreign Key Terms](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/wizard-step-map-foreign-key-terms?hsLang=en) and [Add to View](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/wizard-step-add-to-view?hsLang=en). See [Create a Model Object with the wizard](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-model-object-with-the-wizard?hsLang=en). - Manually: [create a model object](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-model-object?hsLang=en) of type Business Link in the Business Vault layer, [add a relationship](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/add-a-relationship?hsLang=en) to each Hub or Business Hub, [create a dataflow set](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-data-flow-set?hsLang=en), [add the source model object](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/add-a-model-object-into-a-data-flow-set?hsLang=en) and [map the foreign-key terms](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/map-a-source-term-with-a-target-term?hsLang=en). A Business Link holds only foreign-key terms and Default Terms. Validation reports an error for any other term; descriptive data goes into a Business Link Satellite. ### Properties - [Implementation Type](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/implementation-type-model-object?hsLang=en): `Permanent` only. - [Foreign Key Mode](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/foreign-key-mode-model-object?hsLang=en): whether the table gets foreign keys to the Hub tables. With `Create Disabled`, the default, they are created and disabled. - [Load Caching](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/load-caching-model-object?hsLang=en): empty (default) or `Hashing`, which stores the hashing view in a table before the loader runs. - [Custom Singleton Values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/custom-singleton-values-model-object?hsLang=en): values of the unknown-member row. - [Deduplication Method](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/deduplication-method-model-object?hsLang=en) and [Sort Order within Partition](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/deduplication-partition-model-object?hsLang=en), per dataflow. - [Use Embryo Loader](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/embryo-loader?hsLang=en), per relationship: inserts business keys that the related Hub or Business Hub does not hold yet. ### Default Terms - [`Link_HK`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/link_hk?hsLang=en): hash of the business keys of all relationships and primary key of the table. See [How biGENIUS-X builds hash values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/how-bigenius-x-builds-hash-values?hsLang=en). - [`DVLINK_ForeignKey_Identity`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dvlink_foreignkey_identity?hsLang=en): names one hash-key column per relationship, `__HK`. It holds the key of the related Hub row. - [`BG_LoadTimestamp`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/bg_loadtimestamp?hsLang=en): the load that inserted the row. - [`BG_SourceSystem`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/bg_sourcesystem?hsLang=en): the source system of the row; empty unless you map it. - [`BG_DataQuality_ID`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/bg-dataquality-id?hsLang=en), [`BG_ErrorCount`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/bg_errorcount?hsLang=en) and [`BG_ErrorDescription`](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/bg_errordescription?hsLang=en): hidden terms of the data quality objects. When all foreign-key terms of a nullable relationship are NULL, the Business Link stores the key of the Hub's unknown-member row. See [Behaviour for Nulled Business Keys in Links](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/behaviour-for-nulled-business-keys-in-links?hsLang=en). ### Generated objects These are the names on Microsoft SQL Server for the Business Link `load_blnk` with one dataflow: | Role | Generated name | Purpose | | --- | --- | --- | | Source | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Source` | Reads the sources | | Deduplication | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Deduplication` | Removes duplicate rows | | Hashing | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Hashing` | Calculates the hash keys | | HashingStorage | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_HashingTable` | Stores the hashed rows | | HashingLoader | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_HashingLoader` | Fills the hashing table | | EmbryoLoader | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_EmbryoLoader` | Adds missing Hub keys | | Delta | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Delta` | Selects new key combinations | | Loader | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Loader` | Inserts the new rows | | Storage | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk` | Business Link table | | Result | `BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Result` | Query view | - Loaders are stored procedures; the Business Link table and the hashing table are tables; all other objects are views. - The deduplication view exists only with a Deduplication Method other than `None`. - The hashing table and hashing loader exist only with Load Caching `Hashing`. The delta view then reads the hashing table. - The embryo loader exists only when Use Embryo Loader is true on a relationship. It runs before the loader. - With several dataflows, all objects except the table and the result view exist once per dataflow, with the dataflow name in their names. - The table script inserts the unknown-member row with hash keys of zeros and foreign keys `0`. The result view hides it. - With Foreign Key Mode `Create Disabled`, the table script adds a foreign key per relationship and disables it. - The result view always exists, independent of [Create Result Views](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-result-views-project?hsLang=en). With the default settings, a load runs this chain: ``` Raw Vault _Result views -> _Source -> _Hashing -> _Delta _Delta -> _Loader -> BDV_LNK_load_blnk -> _Result _Result -> _Delta (key combinations already stored) ``` The source view reads the result views of its sources. The hashing view calculates `Link_HK` and one Hub key per relationship. The delta view keeps the rows whose `Link_HK` is not in the result view, and the loader inserts them with the load timestamp. The loader never updates or deletes rows. With the optional objects, `_Deduplication` sits between `_Source` and `_Hashing`, `_HashingLoader` fills `_HashingTable` before the delta view reads it, and `_EmbryoLoader` writes missing keys to the Hub tables. ### Example The Business Link `load_blnk` on Microsoft SQL Server reads the BusinessVault Composite `load_salestransaction_virtual_bcmp`, a view of sales transactions. It has relationships to the Hubs `common_employee`, `common_item` and `common_loyaltycard`, with the roles `EMPLOYEE`, `ITEM` and `LOYALTYCARD`. The composite delivers these transactions: - Load 1 on 2026-10-28 08:00: cashier 101 sells item 2 to loyalty card 501. - Load 2 on 2026-10-29 08:00: the same transaction, and cashier 102 sells item 3 to card 503. - Loads 3 and 4 on 2026-10-30 and 2026-10-31 08:00: the same transactions as load 2. ### Check the result Query the result view, here in the schema `p3b`: ``` SELECT FK_common_employee_EMPLOYEE_EMPLOYEE_ID AS EMPLOYEE_ID, FK_common_item_ITEM_ITEM_ID AS ITEM_ID, FK_common_loyaltycard_LOYALTYCARD_LOYALTYCARD_ID AS LOYALTYCARD_ID, BG_LoadTimestamp FROM p3b.BDV_LNK_load_blnk_Result ORDER BY BG_LoadTimestamp; ``` This is the result after load 4: ``` EMPLOYEE_ID ITEM_ID LOYALTYCARD_ID BG_LoadTimestamp 101 2 501 2026-10-28 08:00 102 3 503 2026-10-29 08:00 ``` - Load 2 inserted only the new combination of cashier 102, item 3 and card 503. - Loads 3 and 4 inserted no row. - The table holds a third row, the unknown-member row. ### Platform differences - Snowflake: names are in capitals, and the loader is a stored procedure. The load control task `LC_BDV_LNK__TASK` calls it. The dataflow properties [Use Stream](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/use-stream-model-object?hsLang=en) and [Warehouse Placeholder Variable Name](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/warehouse-placeholder-variable-name-dataflow?hsLang=en) apply. - Databricks and Fabric Lakehouse: table and view names are in lowercase, and the loader is the notebook `BDV_LNK__Loader`. The properties [File Format](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/file-format-model-object?hsLang=en), [Optimization Method](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/optimization-method-model-object?hsLang=en), [Optimization Method Columns](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/optimization-method-columns-model-object?hsLang=en) and [Use Sequential Dataflow Execution](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/use-sequential-dataflow-execution-model-object?hsLang=en) apply. Fabric Lakehouse allows only Foreign Key Mode `None`. - Databricks dbt and Snowflake dbt: the Business Link becomes the dbt models `bdv_lnk__source` and `bdv_lnk_`. The model `bdv_lnk__result` exists only when Create Result Views is true; the default on dbt is false. Load Caching and Use Embryo Loader are not available. - Fabric Warehouse: the same objects as on Microsoft SQL Server, deployed by notebooks. - Oracle: names are in capitals, and the loader is a PL/SQL package. [Partition Clause](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/partition-clause-and-table-storage-model-object?hsLang=en) adds its text to the `CREATE TABLE` statement. Table Compression, the tablespaces and the statistics properties also apply. - Foreign Key Mode `Create Enforced` exists only on Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle. ### Limitations - A Business Link has at least one relationship and at least one business key, and no terms other than foreign keys and Default Terms. - A Business Link keeps no history and no validity. Business Link Satellites store the descriptive data and its history. - A dataflow that delivers the same key combination twice in one load makes the loader fail with a primary key violation. A Deduplication Method removes such duplicates before hashing. ### Release differences - Generator 2.2: Use Embryo Loader is available. - Generator 2.3: Custom Singleton Values is available. ### Related articles - Previous: [Business Hub](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-business-hub?hsLang=en), [Hub](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-hub?hsLang=en), [BusinessVault Composite](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-business-vault-composite?hsLang=en) - Next: [Business Link Satellite](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-business-link-satellite?hsLang=en) - Reference: [Link\_HK](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/link_hk?hsLang=en), [DVLINK\_ForeignKey\_Identity](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/dvlink_foreignkey_identity?hsLang=en), [Foreign Key Mode (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/foreign-key-mode-model-object?hsLang=en), [Load Caching (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/load-caching-model-object?hsLang=en), [Custom Singleton Values (Model Object)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/custom-singleton-values-model-object?hsLang=en), [Behaviour for Nulled Business Keys in Links (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/behaviour-for-nulled-business-keys-in-links?hsLang=en), [Create Result Views (Project)](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-result-views-project?hsLang=en) - See also: [Link](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-link?hsLang=en), [Business Driving Key Link](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/business-driving-key-link?hsLang=en), [Embryo Loader](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/embryo-loader?hsLang=en), [How biGENIUS-X builds hash values](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/how-bigenius-x-builds-hash-values?hsLang=en), [Create a Model Object with the wizard](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/create-a-model-object-with-the-wizard?hsLang=en) - [Getting started](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Guidelines](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#guidelines) - [Start working](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#start-working) - [Account](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/getting-started?hsLang=en#account) - [General overview](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/general-overview?hsLang=en) - [Artificial Intelligence](https://knowledge.bigenius-x.com/artificial-intelligence?hsLang=en) - 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