Bring Fleet Management
to Cursor
Learn how to connect Balena to Cursor and start using 10 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the Balena MCP Server?
Connect your BalenaCloud account to any AI agent to orchestrate your IoT infrastructure through natural language. Monitor device health, manage fleet configurations, and handle deployments without leaving your chat interface.
What you can do
- Fleet & Device Monitoring — List all fleets (applications) and query specific devices using OData filters for precise status updates.
- Configuration Management — Dynamically create device-specific environment variables and metadata tags to organize your edge hardware.
- Release Tracking — Inspect deployment history and releases across your organizations to ensure your fleet is running the correct software.
- OS Provisioning — Query available balenaOS versions for specific device types and retrieve direct download URLs for rapid prototyping.
- Identity Management — Verify your current user profile, organizations, and active API keys associated with your account.
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- Enter your Balena API Key
- Start managing your edge infrastructure from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
Who is this for?
- IoT Engineers — quickly check device statuses or logs without navigating the BalenaCloud dashboard.
- DevOps Teams — automate environment variable updates and release inspections during deployment cycles.
- Product Owners — get high-level overviews of fleet health and organization-wide project statuses.
Built-in capabilities (10)
Create a device environment variable
Create a device tag
Get the download URL for a balenaOS image
List Balena API keys
Use OData $filter, $select, and $expand for advanced querying (e.g., $filter=uuid eq '<UUID>'). List devices in Balena fleets
Use OData $filter, $select, and $expand for advanced querying (e.g., $filter=slug eq '<SLUG>'). List Balena fleets (applications)
List Balena organizations
g., raspberrypi3). List available balenaOS versions for a device type
Use OData $filter to filter by fleet (e.g., $filter=belongs_to__application eq <FLEET_ID>). List Balena releases
Get current Balena user details
Why Cursor?
Cursor's Agent mode turns Balena into an in-editor superpower. Ask Cursor to generate code using live data from Balena and it fetches, processes, and writes. all in a single agentic loop. 10 tools appear alongside file editing and terminal access, creating a unified development environment grounded in real-time information.
- —
Agent mode turns Cursor into an autonomous coding assistant that can read files, run commands, and call MCP tools without switching context
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Cursor's Composer feature can generate entire files using real-time data fetched through MCP. no copy-pasting from external dashboards
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MCP tools appear alongside built-in tools like file reading and terminal access, creating a unified agentic environment
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VS Code extension compatibility means your existing workflow, keybindings, and extensions all work alongside MCP tools
Balena in Cursor
Balena and 4,000+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect Balena to Cursor through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 4,000+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for Balena in Cursor
The Balena MCP Server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS — a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts. All 10 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in Cursor only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
How Vinkius secures
Balena for Cursor
Every tool call from Cursor to the Balena MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find a specific device using its UUID?
You can use the list_devices tool with an OData filter. For example, provide $filter as uuid eq '<YOUR_UUID>' to retrieve the exact device metadata.
Is it possible to update a device's environment variables through the AI?
Yes! Use the create_device_env_var tool by providing the Device ID, the variable name, and the desired value. The AI will apply the change to the specific device immediately.
How do I get the download link for a specific balenaOS version?
First, use list_os_versions to find the correct version string for your device type. Then, call get_os_download_url with the device type and version to receive the direct ZIP download URL.
What is Agent mode and why does it matter for MCP?
Agent mode is Cursor's autonomous execution mode where the AI can perform multi-step tasks: reading files, editing code, running terminal commands, and calling MCP tools. Without Agent mode, Cursor operates in a simpler ask-and-answer mode that doesn't support tool calling. Always ensure you're in Agent mode when working with MCP servers.
Where does Cursor store MCP configuration?
Cursor looks for MCP server configurations in a mcp.json file. You can configure servers at the project level (.cursor/mcp.json in your project root) or globally (~/.cursor/mcp.json). Project-level configs take precedence.
Can Cursor use MCP tools in inline edits?
No. MCP tools are only available in Agent mode through the chat panel. Inline completions and Tab suggestions do not trigger MCP tool calls. This is by design. tool calls require user visibility and approval.
How do I verify MCP tools are loaded?
Open Settings → Features → MCP and look for your server name. A green indicator means the server is connected. You can also check Agent mode's available tools by clicking the tools dropdown in the chat panel.
Tools not appearing in Cursor
Ensure you are in Agent mode (not Ask mode). MCP tools only work in Agent mode.
Server shows as disconnected
Check Settings → Features → MCP and verify the server status. Try clicking the refresh button.
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