| name | elemental-link-diagnostics |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| last_updated | 2025-04-12 |
| description | Use this skill to investigate and troubleshoot AWS Elemental Link problems by analyzing device registration, connectivity, input configuration, video quality, network settings, HDMI/SDI inputs, MediaLive integration, firmware updates, monitoring, multi-device management, and following structured runbooks. Activate when: device registration failures, connectivity issues, input configuration errors, video quality degradation, network problems, HDMI/SDI input errors, MediaLive integration failures, channel attachment issues, firmware update problems, device monitoring gaps, multi-device management issues, or the user says something is wrong with Elemental Link.
|
| compatibility | Requires AWS CLI or SDK access with medialive:*, mediaconnect:*, cloudwatch:*, ec2:Describe*, iam:Get*, and logs:* permissions. Physical access to Elemental Link hardware may be required for HDMI/SDI and network troubleshooting.
|
AWS Elemental Link Diagnostics
When to use
Any AWS Elemental Link investigation — device registration, connectivity, input configuration, video quality, network configuration, HDMI/SDI inputs, MediaLive integration, channel attachment, firmware updates, device monitoring, or multi-device management.
Investigation workflow
Step 1 — Collect and triage
aws medialive list-input-devices --query 'InputDevices[*].{Id:Id,Name:Name,Type:Type,DeviceSettingsSyncState:DeviceSettingsSyncState,ConnectionState:ConnectionState}'
aws medialive list-inputs --query 'Inputs[*].{Id:Id,Name:Name,Type:Type,State:State,AttachedChannels:AttachedChannels}'
aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/MediaLive --metric-name InputVideoFrameRate --dimensions Name=InputDeviceId,Value=<device-id> --start-time <start> --end-time <end> --period 300 --statistics Average
Step 2 — Domain deep dive
aws medialive describe-input-device --input-device-id <device-id>
aws medialive describe-input --input-id <input-id>
aws medialive describe-input-device-thumbnail --input-device-id <device-id> --accept image/jpeg
Step 3 — Detailed investigation
aws cloudtrail lookup-events --lookup-attributes AttributeKey=EventSource,AttributeValue=medialive.amazonaws.com --max-results 20
aws cloudwatch get-metric-statistics --namespace AWS/MediaLive --metric-name NetworkIn --dimensions Name=InputDeviceId,Value=<device-id> --start-time <start> --end-time <end> --period 300 --statistics Sum
aws medialive list-input-device-transfers --transfer-type INCOMING
Read references/guardrails.md before concluding on any Elemental Link issue.
Tool quick reference
| Tool / API | When to use |
|---|
medialive list-input-devices | List all Elemental Link devices |
medialive describe-input-device | Get device details and status |
medialive describe-input-device-thumbnail | Get current video thumbnail |
medialive list-inputs | List MediaLive inputs |
medialive describe-input | Get input configuration details |
medialive update-input-device | Modify device settings |
medialive transfer-input-device | Transfer device to another account |
Gotchas: AWS Elemental Link
- Elemental Link is a HARDWARE encoder that ships to your location. It connects to AWS MediaLive via the internet — it is NOT a software-only service.
- Devices must be registered to an AWS account before use. Registration happens automatically when the device connects to the internet and phones home to AWS.
- Elemental Link supports HDMI and SDI input types depending on the hardware model (Link HD vs Link UHD). Not all models support both input types.
- The device requires a stable internet connection with sufficient upload bandwidth. AWS recommends at least 2x the target bitrate for reliable streaming.
- Device settings sync state indicates whether local device settings match the cloud configuration. SYNCED means they match; SYNCING means an update is in progress.
- Elemental Link devices are region-specific. A device registered in us-east-1 cannot be used with MediaLive channels in eu-west-1 without transfer.
- Firmware updates are managed by AWS and pushed automatically. You cannot manually install firmware — only approve or defer updates.
Anti-hallucination rules
- Always cite specific device IDs, input IDs, or API responses as evidence.
- Elemental Link is physical hardware, NOT a software service. Never suggest software installation steps.
- Device registration is automatic on first internet connection. Never suggest manual registration APIs that don't exist.
- Firmware is managed by AWS. Never suggest downloading or manually installing firmware.
- Spend no more than 2 minutes on any single hypothesis. Pivot if inconclusive.
12 runbooks
| Category | IDs | Covers |
|---|
| A — Registration | A1–A2 | Device registration failures, device connectivity |
| B — Input | B1–B2 | Input configuration errors, video quality issues |
| C — Network | C1–C2 | Network configuration, HDMI/SDI input errors |
| D — Integration | D1–D2 | MediaLive integration, channel attachment issues |
| E — Maintenance | E1–E2 | Device firmware updates, device monitoring |
| F — Fleet | F1 | Multi-device management |
| Z — Catch-All | Z1 | General troubleshooting |
