Related guide: dv-satellite.

A Satellite stores descriptive attributes that change over time for a Hub or a Link. Classic examples are customer name and address, product descriptions, order status history, or relationship-level quantities and terms on a link satellite.

Satellites are insert-only: when tracked attribute values change for a parent key, the load pipeline inserts a new row with the new values and the current load timestamp. Previous rows are kept, giving you a complete history.

How satellite updates work

For each load, the generated pipeline:

  1. Reads parent business keys (to compute the parent hash key), satellite attributes, and (when Store record source indicator is enabled) the record source indicator from your catalog feed.

  2. Calculates the parent hash key (from the parent hub, or from the parent link’s participating hubs).

  3. Compares incoming attribute values against existing satellite rows for that parent (and driving key, when used).

  4. Inserts only rows that are new or that contain changed attribute values.

  5. Adds the batch load date to every inserted row.

Because change detection compares actual attribute values, you do not get duplicate "no-change" rows. The attribute list in this dialog is the same list used for DDL, loading, and change detection.

Dialog layout

The editor opens from a satellite box on the Data Vault model canvas (double-click or context menu → Edit).

Area Contents

Header

Name and description (apply to the satellite definition everywhere in the model)

General tab

Integration mode, physical table, default record source, store record source indicator, parent hub or link, driving keys

Attributes tab

Columns to historize and the Load from source action

Status tracking tab

Optional Status Tracking Satellite (STS) for full-snapshot deletion detection

Footer

OK, Validate, Cancel, and Help

Use Validate to run model checks against your current edits without closing the dialog. Use Check model on the graph toolbar for a full-model validation pass.

Three meanings of "record source"

As with hubs, "record source" appears in more than one place:

Concept Where you set it Example

Catalog feed

Default record source on the General tab

CRM-customer (a DV_SOURCE in the Data Catalog)

Value in the vault row

Catalog source → source indicator or indicator field

CRM or a column from the feed

Target column name

Data Vault model configuration (global default); only written when Store record source indicator is on

RECORD_SOURCE

The Default record source dropdown lists catalog DV_SOURCE entries (logical feeds), not individual source columns. Configure the value written to each loaded row on the catalog source definition when the satellite stores the indicator column.

A default record source is required for Hop-managed satellites, even when the satellite reads the same physical table as its parent hub.

General tab

Field Description

Integration mode

Hop managed (default) — Hop generates DDL and update pipelines. External read-only — the table is loaded elsewhere (e.g. dbt); Hop documents structure for Business Vault and dimensional publishing only. Custom pipelines — Hop runs your own .hpl files from customUpdatePipelinePaths instead of generating pipelines.

Physical table name

Target table in the vault database. Leave blank to default to the satellite Name.

Default record source

Catalog DV_SOURCE that feeds this satellite. Required for generated pipelines. Changing this refreshes the Driving key source field dropdown.

Store record source indicator

When checked (default), the satellite table includes the model record-source column and loads write the feed’s source indicator into it. Uncheck for VaultSpeed-style mono-source satellites that omit the source-indicator column from the physical table. The catalog feed is still required. Hubs and links always store record source.

Parent hub

Dropdown of hubs defined in this model. Select the hub this satellite describes (normal hub satellites). Choose either a parent hub or a parent link, not both. If the current value is not in the model (e.g. after an external reference), it is still listed and pre-selected.

Parent link

Dropdown of links defined in this model. Select the link for link satellites that historize relationship-level attributes. Leave Parent hub empty when using a link satellite.

Driving key column

Target column name that, together with the parent hash key and load date, makes each row unique. Leave empty for a standard single-active satellite. Set both driving key fields for multi-active satellites (e.g. multiple current phone numbers per customer).

Driving key source field

Source column in the default record source that supplies the driving key value. Renamed to the driving key column in the update pipeline and stored in the target table. Populated from fields declared on the selected catalog source.
Satellite type Parent Typical use

Hub satellite

Parent hub set, Parent link empty

Descriptive attributes of a core business entity (customer name, product category, …)

Link satellite

Parent link set, Parent hub empty

Attributes that belong to the relationship (quantity, discount, contract status on an order line link)

For link satellites, configure source-to-attribute mappings on the link editor’s Satellite sources tab after setting Parent link here.

Attributes tab

The attributes table defines which descriptive columns are historized. Each row has:

Column Description

Name

Physical column name in the satellite table (and default source field name when mappings are 1:1).

Description

Business meaning of the attribute.

Data type

Target type for DDL and loading (String, Integer, Date, Timestamp, Decimal, …).

Length

Maximum length where applicable.

Precision

Decimal precision for numeric types.

Include in CDC

When Y, changes to this column can trigger a new satellite row. Set N for audit columns, technical fields, or columns you do not want to version (e.g. source last_updated timestamps).

Empty attribute list

If you leave the attributes table empty, the plugin auto-includes all non-key fields from the default record source at pipeline generation time. For hub satellites this excludes:

  • Business key source fields from the parent hub

  • The driving key source field and driving key column (when multi-active mode is configured)

Check model reports this as an informational comment so you can confirm the behaviour is intentional.

Load from source

Load from source on the Attributes tab appends rows from the default record source catalog definition:

  1. Select a Default record source on the General tab first.

  2. Click Load from source.

  3. Review the added rows; remove columns you do not want to historize, adjust types/lengths, and set Include in CDC as needed.

For hub satellites, fields that match the parent hub’s business key mappings (and the driving key source field, when set) are skipped automatically. The button does not remove existing attribute rows — it only appends new ones.

Status tracking tab

Enable a separate Status Tracking Satellite (STS) when your feed is a full snapshot and you need to detect keys that disappeared from the latest extract (logical deletes).

Field Description

Enable status tracking satellite

Turns on STS pipeline and table generation alongside the main satellite load.

Status table name

Physical STS table. Defaults to sts_ + parent hub or link name when empty (e.g. sts_hub_customer).

Status field name

Column storing active/deleted status per load. Default: record_status.

Active status value

Value written for keys present in the current snapshot. Default: ACTIVE.

Deleted status value

Value written for keys missing from the current snapshot. Default: DELETED.

STS requirements enforced by Check model:

  • Default record source must be set.

  • The catalog source must be configured as a full snapshot feed (FULL_SNAPSHOT), not changes-only.

  • Active and deleted status values must both be set and must differ.

  • A resolvable status table name and status field name are required.

Detail fields on this tab are disabled until Enable status tracking satellite is checked.

Target table layout

Hop-managed DDL and pipelines typically produce a satellite table with:

  1. Parent hash key — column name taken from the parent hub’s hash key field (or from the parent link’s link hash key for link satellites).

  2. Driving key column — when multi-active mode is configured.

  3. Attribute columns — in the order listed on the Attributes tab (or all qualifying source fields when the list is empty).

  4. Record source column — name from Data Vault model configuration (or per-parent overrides where applicable).

  5. Load date column — from model configuration.

When status tracking is enabled, a separate STS table is created with the parent hash key, status field, record source, and load date.

Multi-source hubs

When a hub is fed by multiple catalog sources, the recommended pattern is one satellite per source, each with:

  • The same Parent hub

  • Its own Default record source (the feed it loads from)

  • Its own attribute list (often identical across satellites)

This keeps record source values and change history cleanly separated per origin system while still describing one business concept.

Check model warns when a hub satellite’s default record source is not listed on the parent hub’s Record sources tab — add the feed there, or use a dedicated satellite per source as above.

Checks that involve satellites

Validate (in this dialog) and Check model (on the graph) report problems such as:

Check Severity Meaning

No default record source

Error

Required for Hop-managed pipeline generation

Not linked to hub or link

Error

Set Parent hub or Parent link

Parent hub/link missing from model

Error

Referenced parent does not exist

No attributes defined

Comment

All qualifying non-key source fields will be auto-included

Attribute with no name

Error

Every attribute row needs a name

Attribute not in record source

Error

Named attribute is not declared on the catalog source

Driving key only partly set

—

Both Driving key column and Driving key source field are required together for multi-active mode

Record source not on parent hub

Warning

Hub satellite feed not listed on the hub’s Record sources tab

Source-to-target type mismatch

Error / warning

Mapped source column incompatible with attribute definition

STS on non-full-snapshot feed

Error

Status tracking requires a full snapshot catalog source

STS misconfiguration

Error

Missing table name, status field, or distinct active/deleted values

Type validation compares catalog source columns to satellite attribute definitions (and to auto-included fields when the attribute list is empty).

Worked examples

Hub satellite: customer details

sat_customer_crm describes hub_customer from catalog feed CRM-customer:

Setting Value

Parent hub

hub_customer

Parent link

(empty)

Default record source

CRM-customer

Attributes

first_name, last_name, email, … (via Load from source, then trimmed)

Ensure CRM-customer appears on `hub_customer’s Record sources tab.

Multi-active hub satellite: phone numbers

Multiple active phone numbers per customer at the same time:

Setting Value

Parent hub

hub_customer

Driving key column

phone_type

Driving key source field

phone_type (from the CRM feed)

Attributes

phone_number, is_primary, …

Each distinct (parent hash key, phone_type) pair can have its own current history chain.

sat_lnk_order_line describes relationship attributes on lnk_order_line:

Setting Value

Parent link

lnk_order_line

Parent hub

(empty)

Default record source

E2E-order-line

Attributes

quantity, unit_price, discount_pct

List sat_lnk_order_line under Participating link satellites on the link editor, then map source columns on the link’s Satellite sources tab.

Full snapshot with status tracking

A nightly full customer extract where removed customers must be flagged:

Setting Value

Default record source

CRM-customer-snapshot (catalog source delivery type: full snapshot)

Enable status tracking satellite

checked

Status table name

(empty → defaults to sts_hub_customer)

Active / deleted values

ACTIVE / DELETED

Tips

  • Define catalog DV_SOURCE feeds in the Data Catalog perspective before selecting a default record source.

  • Use Load from source, then review the list. Remove large free-text or technical columns you do not need in history.

  • Use Include in CDC = N for source audit columns that would otherwise create unnecessary new satellite versions.

  • For link descriptive data, create a link satellite (Parent link set) rather than overloading a hub satellite.

  • Run Validate before OK when you change parent, record source, or attributes — especially after renaming hubs or links in the model.

  • When the parent hub has several feeds, prefer one satellite per feed over one satellite trying to load all sources.