# Setting up an Elemental Link input
<a name="input-create-link-device"></a>

This section describes how to create an Elemental Link push input. The AWS Elemental Link device *pushes* the content to MediaLive. 

To perform this setup, you must work with an operator of the AWS Elemental Link device.

**Topics**
+ [

# Obtain information
](setup-input-link-obtain-info.md)
+ [

# Create an Elemental Link input
](setup-uss-input-link.md)
+ [

# Result of this procedure
](setup-link-result.md)

# Obtain information
<a name="setup-input-link-obtain-info"></a>

Obtain the following information from the operator of the AWS Elemental Link device:
+ The name of the device or devices that will provide your source. For example:

  **hd-re87jr7crey**

  You need two device names for a standard-class input, or one device name for a single-class input. For information about input classes and their uses, see [Choosing the channel class and input class](class-channel-input.md).
+ The Region that the device is configured for, so that you can set MediaLive for that Region. These rules apply:
  + Both devices must be in the same Region.
  + The device, the input for that device, and the channel that uses the input must all be in the same Region.

# Create an Elemental Link input
<a name="setup-uss-input-link"></a>

After you have obtained information about the AWS Elemental Link hardware device, you can create an Elemental Link input.

**To create a Link input**

1. Make sure that you have the information from [step 1](setup-input-link-obtain-info.md).

1. Open the MediaLive console at [https://console.aws.amazon.com/medialive/](https://console.aws.amazon.com/medialive/).

1. Set the AWS Region to match the Region where the AWS Elemental Link device exists.

1. In the navigation pane, choose **Inputs**. On the **Inputs** page, choose **Create input**.

1. Complete the **Input details** section:
   + **Input** name – enter a name.
   + **Input type** – choose **Elemental Link**. 

1. In the **Input devices** section, for **Input class**, choose the class for this input:
   + STANDARD\$1INPUT
   + SINGLE\$1INPUT

1. In **Input devices**, choose one or two devices to attach to this input as the source. From the dropdown lists, choose the device names you previously obtained. The lists show only the devices that are set up in the current Region.
   + If the input is a standard-class input, complete both fields, to provide two source devices. 
   + If the input is a single-class input, complete the first field and leave the second field empty. 

1. In the **Tags **section, create tags if you want to associate tags with this input. For more information, see [Tagging resources](tagging.md).

1. Choose **Create**.

   The **Details** pane appears for the input, showing details about the input and the MediaLive device that it uses, including the following:
   + **ID** – A unique numerical ID for the input.
   + **ARN** – An input ARN that includes that numerical ID. 
   + **Input device** – The unique ID of the AWS Elemental Link device.
   + **Device thumbnail** – A thumbnail of the content that is currently being pushed by the device, if there is any being pushed. The device generates the thumbnails by capturing a video frame approximately every 5 seconds.

# Result of this procedure
<a name="setup-link-result"></a>

As a result of this setup, an Elemental Link input (the blue box) exists that identifies the AWS Elemental Link device or devices (the purple box) that are connected to MediaLive. There is no other setup for you to perform, because the AWS Elemental Link device is designed to work seamlessly with MediaLive. 

Keep in mind that with a push input, the upstream system must be pushing the video source to the input when you start the channel. The upstream system does not need to be pushing before then. 

At runtime of the channel, MediaLive reacts to and ingests the content that AWS Elemental Link is pushing. 

![\[Diagram showing AWS Elemental Link device connecting to Link input in MediaLive.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/medialive/latest/ug/images\link-uss-input.png)