What Is c8y-nitro?
c8y-nitro is a Nitro module for building Cumulocity IoT microservices without re-solving the platform integration layer every time.
If you already like Nitro's file-based routing, server utilities, and runtime model, this package adds the Cumulocity-specific pieces that usually sit around your app instead of inside it.
What Problem It Solves
Building a Cumulocity microservice is rarely just writing route handlers. You also need to deal with:
- bootstrap credentials and tenant registration,
- a valid
cumulocity.jsonmanifest, - probe routes and deployment packaging,
- multi-tenant credential access,
- tenant option loading,
- development-time user simulation,
- and often a client layer for a separate Angular UI.
c8y-nitro pulls those concerns into a single Nitro-native workflow.
What You Still Build Yourself
This package does not try to replace your service logic.
You still build:
- your routes,
- your business logic,
- your domain types,
- your task handlers,
- and your UI, if you have one.
The module handles the platform plumbing around them.
When It Fits Well
c8y-nitro is a good fit when:
- you want Nitro as the server foundation,
- you deploy as a Cumulocity microservice,
- you want packaging and bootstrap automated,
- and you want runtime helpers that already understand tenant-aware execution.
It is less interesting if you only need a plain Node service or if your deployment pipeline is completely outside the Cumulocity microservice model.
Core Capabilities
Development workflow
In local development, the module can register the microservice, subscribe the tenant, and persist bootstrap credentials so you can focus on the actual service.
Packaging workflow
On build, it can generate the manifest, build the Docker image, and emit the deployable zip artifact expected by Cumulocity.
Runtime utilities
At runtime, it gives you helpers for user context, credentials, tenant options, authorization checks, structured logging, and runtime task scheduling (one-shot and recurring).
Typed surface
Roles, tenant option keys, and configuration all stay close to TypeScript instead of becoming loosely documented conventions.