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Step 3: Connect to Surface

Goal: Route your data to a Surface - the execution boundary where queries live.

What is a Surface?

A Surface is an execution boundary:

  • Where warm queries run
  • Where data gets processed and shaped
  • Isolated context for specific work
  • Can be deployed at the edge or in the cloud

Key distinction:

  • Workspace level = Management, holistic view
  • Surface level = Execution, specific goals

When data connects to a surface, it "spills onto" that execution boundary - creating an isolated context.

Option A: Drag and Drop

  1. Locate Surface in the Node Bank
  2. Drag it onto the canvas
  3. Name it (e.g., "BrewMonitor")
  4. Draw a connection from your "BreweryRoom" node to the Surface
Surface node on the workspace canvas, showing the layered squares icon that represents a surface execution boundary. Edge connecting the BreweryRoom Connection node to the BrewMonitor Surface node, showing the data flow direction.
Thinking Tip:

Multiple connections can feed the same surface. Multiple surfaces can share the same connection. The architecture is flexible.

Option B: Ask Azi

  1. Open the Azi chat panel
  2. Type: "Create a surface called BrewMonitor and connect BreweryRoom to it"
  3. Review Azi's proposal
  4. Click the checkmark (✓) to approve

Verify

Your surface is connected when:

  • Surface node appears on the canvas
  • Data flow line connects Connection → Surface
  • Click the surface to see the Inspector panel on the right
  • Inspector shows the surface settings and "Manage Surface" icon (cyan layered squares)
Surface Inspector panel showing the surface name, settings, and the cyan Manage Surface icon (layered squares) at the bottom to enter the surface.

Entering the Surface

To work inside a surface:

  1. Click on the Surface node to open its Inspector
  2. In the Inspector panel, click the cyan layered squares icon ("Manage Surface")
  3. You're now "inside" the surface - this is where warm queries live
  4. The breadcrumb at the top shows: {workspace} (Workspace) / {surface} (Surface)
Inside surface view showing the surface canvas with breadcrumb navigation at the top. The breadcrumb shows the workspace name followed by the surface name, allowing navigation back to workspace level.
Thinking Tip:

To exit the surface and return to workspace level, click the workspace name in the breadcrumb at the top.

Inside the surface, you're working in an isolated execution context. Queries you create here only see data routed to this surface.

Thinking Tip:

Your data pipeline is already deployed and flowing from Step 2! If you made changes to the surface, save and deploy again before continuing.

What's Next

Your surface is connected and data is flowing. Now we'll build a Warm Query with Azi - creating and populating a query in one governed conversation.

Next: Step 4 - Build Query with Azi →

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