SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Reviews

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is used for managing a large number of IPs, distributing them within my enterprise, and addressing issues related to them. People typically manage this through spreadsheets, so managing it through an already automated Manager is one significant use case for configuration. Another use case involves looking at policies we want to push and then taking backups and restoring them back using the tool. We acquire quite a lot of use cases, including network backup and restoring, which are significant aspects of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.

The feature of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager that had the most significant impact on network management tasks is the side-by-side comparison of the current version and the prior version, which highlights the changes. I think that is a beautiful version and a very good feature to have.

The value and impact to my company from using SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager derive from both fault monitoring and performance monitoring, both of which are equally important. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager handles the performance side, allowing companies to measure and improve their network performance, making it an excellent choice for enterprises needing a robust network insight tool.

I do not think there is anything I would like to improve at this point in time because SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager compares almost perfectly to what it is supposed to do. I think it is one of the best products in its category.

Regarding the automation capabilities of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, I think that is an area they will need to explore in making it more autonomous. Discovery happens through IP address scanning, but building out automation is something they need to focus on.

I absolutely believe in providing automation for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. It is essential to address how to deploy, discover, and remediate wherever possible. I think that is something they should already be looking at because AAFS is currently something everybody is focused on, and storage also needs to consider it.

My experience with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager spans more than four years.

I would rate the stability of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager at a nine out of ten. I rate the product stability at nine in general, as I believe it has been very good and stable across most of their modules.

I have not seen any issues with scalability, as it has been good. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is known for its network monitoring capability, where it started and continues to lead.

The support for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is quite supportive, and I can work with them in-depth, especially regarding installation.

I have not evaluated other vendors before working with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. Most customers I interact with prefer SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for its product features and pricing.

The setup for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is straightforward, and for similar-sized projects, the time it takes and the features it provides are extremely competitive from my standpoint.

It is pretty easy to deploy SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. The deployment process for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is already optimized, with steps that are fairly straightforward and well-documented.

The team needed for deployment and maintenance of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager can be minimal. I would say hardly one or two resources will be sufficient in an enterprise setting.

I have not done an ROI calculation for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, but from a cost perspective, it looks very competitive.

On pricing, I would rate SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as one of the best in its segment among leading products and competitors. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is positioned as one of the low-hanging fruit options, as I do not see any other vendor being as competitive.

As for the deployment model of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, all options are available. The company is transitioning to an HCL module for on-premise availability, while cloud options are just starting to come up. Most products have been on-premise thus far.

A challenging network issue that SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager can resolve involves basic network monitoring and performance monitoring. I need to know where my bandwidth is being spent or which devices are working or not working. It tracks flow, usage of bandwidth, and geographic performance, helping to identify whether issues arise from my ISP or bandwidth problems.

In terms of users, I interact with almost one or two who are keen on SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager solutions, either using it or wanting to explore it further.

I would rate this review a nine out of ten.

On-premises

Other

We use SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for network monitoring and server monitoring. We work with several SolarWinds products, including Orion NTA, IPAM, SAM, NetFlow, and SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.

The flexibility and reliability of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are particularly valuable. It allows for a significant amount of integrations, including with collaboration platforms like Microsoft Teams and Telegram, as well as ServiceNow and Microsoft BI. The solution facilitates compliance reporting through an NCM module, effectively generating out-of-the-box reports on software vulnerabilities and outdated software versions. Additionally, the real-time change detection feature significantly reduces the time to resolve issues by allowing alerts to be tracked through to resolution. The use of templates helps in deploying configuration standards, preventing configuration errors.

I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.

We have been working with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for about four years.

The initial setup process is fairly straightforward as long as you follow the manual.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is definitely scalable.

SolarWinds tech support is a strong point. I would rate them at about eight out of ten.

Positive

I have previously worked with ManageEngine and WhatsUp Gold.

To have the core application server up and running takes about two to three hours. Maintenance is required, such as applying patches, conducting SQL Server maintenance, and performing upgrades.

We usually have a core application server and use additional web servers. For additional licenses, we implement additional polling engines and are currently investigating high availability.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager improves the mean time to repair significantly, bringing measurable benefits to customers.

The licensing costs of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are expensive, but considering its reliability, feature enhancements, and support, it is worthwhile.

I have evaluated ManageEngine and WhatsUp Gold as alternatives to SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager.

I would recommend SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager because of its functionality, the level of support, and the number of integrated tools within the suite of products that can be leveraged within an environment. I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten.

On-premises

I work with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager as a significant part of our operations. Our primary use case involves handling configuration changes, especially within Cisco-related products.

Configuration pushing, upgrade capabilities, job backup, configuration backup, and real-time configuration change monitoring are highly beneficial features of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. Additionally, the product supports Cisco and other products well, enhancing its value in configuration backup and change management, including pushing configurations and managing upgrades.

Further improvements in automation are needed. Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly, and we expect more comprehensive device control.

I have been working with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for more than four years. It constitutes about ten percent of my responsibilities.

I did not encounter any significant issues with scaling up. With the introduction of stack licenses, scalability has been enhanced, supporting up to 48,000 devices.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is user-friendly and easy to use.

The product is scalable as SolarWinds increased its licensing capacity from supporting 12,000 devices to 48,000 devices with stack licenses. I rate its scalability as seven out of ten. While there are no severe issues, continuous improvement is necessary.

Technical support is limited but generally acceptable as we possess skilled personnel, making us less dependent on SolarWinds. For product-specific issues, we rely on them. However, simple troubleshooting takes some time.

Neutral

Deployment of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is straightforward and simple, not requiring any special skills for the manager.

I am a partner in working with all SolarWinds products, not limited to just NPM or NTA. I rate the overall solution seven out of ten, as there is always room for continuous improvement. I rate the overall solution as seven out of ten.

Other

It's primarily for network configuration. Our primary use case is for compliance, specifically patch compliance and backups. 

Backups are crucial for disaster recovery. Because of the backup, if I need to recover from any disaster, like a faulty switch, I can restore the switch configuration without starting from scratch. 

With a backup, I can flash that into the device along with the configuration, restoring everything as it was before the failure. 

NCM has the capability to back up the devices, which reduces my turnaround time significantly. If I need to come out of a situation, having a backup of the configuration makes it much easier. 

NCM also helps with vulnerability assessment and remediation. We can immediately remediate vulnerabilities on any specific switches or modules.

With respect to security and security standards, I want to ensure my environment is at least N minus one.

From a security standpoint, these devices are auditable, so I need to ensure patch compliance with security patches and manage configurations, such as enabled external and internal ports. All these compliance, I can manage it well with NCM. 

There is room for improvement in automation. If I want to do compliance or configuration flashing onto a specific switch or access point, more automation is needed. It is not mature; it is limited. The current automation is basic, but with AIOps and other advancements, more automation features should be included.

Even if there isn't full functionality yet, there should be some script-based automation to handle these tasks automatically, as network configuration is key to maintaining compliance, security, and backups.

I have experience with this product. 

The product is used by everyone, so around 30 people. It's used within the network space by architects, analysts, network SMEs, and network engineers.

There is room for improvement in the support. 

Neutral

From SolarWinds, we also use NPM, NCM, IPAM, and NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA).

The initial setup is pretty straightforward. All the modules within SolarWinds, once you bring in the product, require only a few tweaks and aren't complex.

For deployment, I'd rate my experience with the initial setup a nine out of ten, with ten being easy. The entire product, including NCM, IPAM, and Network Topology, is very user-friendly. I would have rated it ten, but a few configurations within the modules bring it down to nine.

Maintenance: Not a lot of maintenance is required unless there are patches released by SolarWinds. Otherwise, it mostly involves hardware or virtual machine patching. The product itself doesn't require much maintenance, just scheduled maintenance windows for application and database restarts.

It's a small team, in-house.

The return on investment is moderate. It takes a bit of time to reach a breakeven point because of the level of automation and maturity. If we bring in automation, then the ROI will be realized sooner. Automation is key. 

Otherwise, the features like compliance, backup, and vulnerability assessment are good and needed in this volatile security environment. These features help, but with more automation, realization will be much faster.

The pricing is okay. Overall, I would rate the pricing a three on a scale of one to ten, with ten being most expensive and one being cheap. 

The modules have a lot of features, but SolarWinds' support is a pain point.

I would rate it differently for automation and features. 

• For automation, I would rate it four out of ten. 
• For features, I would rate it eight out of ten.

We use the solution in our organization. We also implement it for our customers. The tool is used not only for monitoring purposes but also for device management. We can back up the running and startup configurations for all vendors. It’s the main use case of the tool.

The product is also used for network automation. If we want to configure the network devices, we can put the configuration in thousands of devices through the tool. It enables automation. The client mainly uses the automation features.

Sometimes, we have to push the configuration into 50 to 100 devices. We usually configure it on one device and check its compatibility for one to two days. If everything works well, we make rules and push the configuration into 1000 devices.

If we want to check something available out of the box, we create rules using the command in a policy. These rules can then be embedded in the policy, and the policy runs against the node. It will help detect vulnerabilities or check anything particular in the devices.

The backup and configuration-pushing features are valuable. We also use the product for vulnerability management. It provides out-of-the-box vulnerability policies. It provides a list of CVEs and helps us understand which CVE is more vulnerable. The tool is useful for security purposes.

I started working with compliance six to seven months ago. I have worked on compliance reports for some Cisco devices. The compliance features are fine. The product detects compliance well. If we find any compliance or vulnerability issues in the devices, we can correct them from the SolarWinds console. We can create some rules to detect issues. If there is a need for alteration, we can do it directly from the console.

The vendor recently introduced AI features to detect alerts. The AI features do not work well. It would be good if the vendor developed the AI feature so that we could understand what patterns the AI is detecting and what changes we can make to our environment to avoid such alerts in the future. The AI feature must be enhanced. I have already raised the concern with the support team, and the vendor is working on it.

I have been using the solution for seven years.

I rate the product’s ease of use and scalability a nine out of ten.

I always recommend the product for network automation and backup of network devices. However, it's only for the network devices, not the server. I have worked with other tools, too. SolarWinds has most of the functionalities.

Many customers use it for monitoring and security purposes. SolarWinds NPM’s NetPath feature has some limitations. We cannot add the cloud broker firewall. It would be great if the vendor could add the feature to NPM. They are working on it, and we can expect it in the next release.

Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Network Configuration Manager is a component of the SolarWinds suite, primarily utilized for managing configuration items, particularly for devices on the network like switches and routers from various vendors such as Juniper or Cisco. It employs scripts to access these devices, enabling the copying of configurations to SolarWinds for archival and review purposes. Additionally, it facilitates making mass changes, offering convenience in managing configurations across multiple devices.

Through its primary functionality, NCM streamlines our network configuration and compliance processes. By consolidating access to this information, NCM eliminates the need to retrieve configurations individually from multiple switches. Instead, it provides a centralized dashboard where all configuration data can be conveniently accessed.

We leverage NCM for network change management purposes. For instance, if our organization mandates password changes every three months or monthly, NCM excels in facilitating this task. It enables us to simultaneously push password changes to multiple devices efficiently.

The real-time change detection capability enhances our network security by enabling us to monitor and track any modifications as they occur.

When it comes to managing configurations across multi-vendor devices, NCM has some limitations. It's primarily focused on Cisco equipment, making it less compatible with other vendors like Telnet or Extreme Networks. While it's possible to configure other vendor equipment, it can be challenging to achieve seamless integration.

Its main functionality is highly beneficial as it centralizes the management of configuration items across the network. For instance, if you need to modify something like a VLAN name, Network Configuration Manager enables you to propagate that change across a wide range of devices without the need to individually log in to each one for the update.

The feature of NCM that I consider most critical for our network operations is likely the archive function. This feature retains configurations on file, which proves invaluable when there's a network change requiring a rollback to a previous configuration. Having an archive of older configurations readily available is immensely beneficial in such scenarios.

Releasing a product compatible with operating systems other than Windows would be advantageous. Currently, using it on Windows necessitates additional costs, including Windows Server licensing and Microsoft SQL Server licensing. This makes the overall product more expensive than necessary. Offering compatibility with platforms like Red Hat or Debian could reduce costs and potentially enhance functionality.

I have been utilizing SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for several years.

SolarWinds offers strong stability capabilities. The majority of stability issues typically arise from the underlying operating system rather than SolarWinds itself. I would rate it eight out of ten.

In the past, I've encountered scalability issues with SolarWinds. I would rate their scalability as midrange compared to some competitors. While the administrators are typically involved in system setup and maintenance, there could be a larger number of users, possibly ten or fifteen, who rely on the system for gathering information to inform future decisions.

I find their customer service and support satisfactory. I would rate it nine out of ten.

Positive

The initial setup was relatively easy. I would rate it seven out of ten.

The deployment timeframe varies depending on the scale of the network. I've completed deployments for small networks in less than a month, while larger deployments have taken six months or more. The duration is influenced by the network size and the desired functionality. SolarWinds NCM is just one component of the broader SolarWinds suite, which requires multiple products to be set up during deployment. Typically, deployment teams consist of system administrators responsible for server setup and security, along with network engineers familiar with network topology for data input. For maintenance, software updates and patches are typically handled by a system administrator, while tracking network changes falls under the purview of network administrators.

SolarWinds may initially appear cheaper than it is. Additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee are inevitable. Naturally, the greater the number of nodes, the higher the expense. I would rate it seven out of ten.

Overall, I would rate it six out of ten.

On-premises

We use the solution to manage network devices such as Cisco switches, Palo Alto devices, and Cisco devices in our 34 offices worldwide. We use it to ensure that all configurations of these network devices are properly backed up across our network infrastructure.

We have a limited number of devices, mostly Palo Alto and Cisco devices. It covers all our network assets. SolarWinds offers additional functionality, including warranty management. This feature ensures comprehensive management of warranties associated with network devices, providing users with a holistic solution for network infrastructure maintenance.

Changes on network administrators ideally go through proper change management approval processes in SolarWinds. However, suppose changes are made accidentally and result in a network outage. In that case, NCM allows administrators to log in and identify who made the changes on the devices that led to the outage.

The solution could have better integration.

I have been using SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager since 2012.

SolarWinds is stable. I would rate it as ten out of ten.

We haven't faced any challenges with the scalability. The solution's scalability is excellent. 

I rate the solution's scalability a ten out of ten.

There have been issues with quality and connectivity, resulting in delays when trying to connect with the support team. I report the NCM issue to support, and they always request the entire log of the SolarWinds device. It takes up to a week for issues to be resolved.

Positive

Setting up a solution involves configuring a server and a web console, which is straightforward. Network team coordination is necessary when applying it to devices. This involves creating device connection profiles and ensuring SNMP is enabled. Initially, there were challenges involved in this process, but once the setup was complete, operations proceeded smoothly.

All network devices are automatically added to NPM during auto-discovery in SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, including Network Configuration Manager features. Once configuration profile credentials are established in NCM, they are automatically deployed to all network devices.

The solution is easy to use and deploy, although initial setup may require coordination and overcoming challenges.

We are paying nearly 50,000 euros/year. It has a reasonable pricing for that level of service.

We have SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, SolarWinds Syslog service, and SolarWinds Syslock servers. We have purchased almost 13 different backlog products from SolarWinds. Although we have purchased licenses for these products, we have not received adequate support. Despite buying the permit, SolarWinds often states it's a free tool, which is confusing. Due to these issues, we are now considering getting rid of the SolarWinds Syslock servers.

Everything works fine with NPM in our IT environment, and we haven't faced any challenges. 

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.

On-premises

The primary use cases include configuration compliance, backup and restoration procedures, configuration change management, vulnerability management for core devices, and inventory capture of network devices. Recently, we have also started using the NCM solution for firmware upgrades of specific Cisco devices.

The primary benefit of using SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is its ability to save time and improve productivity. For example, in the event of an outage at a branch location, such as a bank with multiple branches, having network configuration backups allows for quick restoration of settings on a new device, eliminating the need to configure from scratch. This feature significantly reduces downtime and streamlines the recovery process.

The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and best practices. Automation capabilities have greatly impacted workflows, enabling tasks such as configuration backups, template deployment, and firmware upgrades to be automated, thereby streamlining processes and saving time. Compliance reporting features provide valuable insights into network compliance, offering pre-built security audit reports and customizable options to meet specific requirements.

Additional features like support for devices that don't use CLI for configuration backups, expanded inventory support for other vendors beyond Cisco, and compatibility with newer SD WAN devices. Support for SDWAN Orchestrators for NCM - config backup. These enhancements would further improve the product's versatility and utility for users. We hope for future enhancements, especially in supporting security devices that lack CLI backup options. New age devices also support API's. It will be good to see API integration with such devices.

We've been using SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for almost eight years. 

Very stable. In a large environment, proper planning of the SolarWinds architecture as regards the Application server, Web Server and Database server needs to done to ensure stability and reliability.

NCM is highly user-friendly and scalable, easily scoring a nine or ten in terms of ease of use. It's been efficiently handling over twenty-five thousand devices for our clients and deployment 

Technical support is fair, earning around an seven or eight rating. 

Positive

Prior to NCM, we hadn't worked with a similar product, and we don't see any significant weaknesses in NCM.

It typically takes under an hour, with us assisting our clients throughout the process.

In-house team. We are Elite reseller partners to SolarWinds and have certified resources who can implement the solution very well. 

ROI is almost instantaneous as the benefits start rolling in as soon as you implement. Misconfigurations, vulnerabilities can be identified very quickly resulting in quicker ROI. Under a month for a large environment.

NCM is not sold standalone anymore - this module is now a part of the SolarWinds Observability Self-Hosted platform.

On-premises

Other

We're interested in utilizing SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager for various purposes, including network monitoring, SNMP monitoring, and creating customized layouts and maps. We're particularly keen on the ability to customize maps to visualize our network infrastructure effectively. Additionally, we value features like the dashboard, which provides insights into recent issues, helping us stay on top of any potential problems.

In our network operations, we employ SolarWinds Configuration Manager to oversee all our devices, including network switches, computers, servers, virtualized equipment, POCs, and power meters. Whenever possible, we activate SMP capability for these devices and utilize it to gain insights into potential issues such as performance degradation, resource exhaustion, or downtime.

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager has greatly enhanced our network configuration and compliance management, revealing previously unnoticed issues with our switches. It has identified constraints in some of our links, indicating suboptimal quality. The built-in tools within the software have alerted us to any discrepancies in configuration that could potentially impact link performance.

With SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, real-time change notifications play a crucial role in mitigating network issues. We adopt a "manage by exception" approach, where notifications are configured to alert us to any deviations from the norm. Two key factors are critical in this process: the timing of these alerts and their integration into our reporting and fault-finding procedures. These alerts are instrumental in conducting root cause analysis and identifying the reasons behind network downtime.

The scanning features have proven to be highly valuable, particularly due to the comprehensive information they provide. Previously, we only received basic up and down status notifications, but now we're gaining deeper insights. We can now identify the types of addresses and devices connected to our portal switches, a level of detail we had never accessed before.

When considering network management tasks, I find certain features particularly beneficial. For instance, the mapping functionality is extremely valuable. Being able to create detailed maps and drill down into specific areas is essential for our operations. This capability enables us to filter alarms and organize different maps, providing us with a comprehensive overview. It effectively addresses our needs in problem identification and resolution.

Improvements are needed in the automatic network mapping function. Currently, the default setting generates care maps by end, which is not ideal. Additionally, navigating between maps can be cumbersome. You have to right-click, then click on the three dots, and finally select the desired map. A shortcut should be implemented where double-clicking on a map instantly takes you to it, eliminating the need for the right-click step. One aspect I find lacking in SolarWinds compared to the previous tool is the ability to view the history of an object, including its static up and down status, simply by clicking on it. In SolarWinds, accessing this information entails browsing the database within a specified timeframe, which is less user-friendly, particularly for reporting purposes. The concept is to have the device icon represent its current status. Upon double-clicking on the icon, I immediately see how long it has been in its current state. For instance, if it's showing an error, it would indicate the duration, such as "Error for twenty-five minutes." This instant visibility would be beneficial when troubleshooting or assessing device statuses.

I have been working with it for two weeks.

Initially, we encountered sluggish performance, prompting us to reassess our system specifications. We realized that operating with only 8GB of RAM and a quad-core CPU wasn't sufficient for our needs. Consequently, we upgraded the RAM to 42GB and boosted the CPU performance. With these enhancements, we've achieved satisfactory performance.

The scalability with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager involves acquiring additional licenses to expand the product's capacity. Initially, we started with a five-hundred-license limit. However, certain devices, like the DLCs and remote IO, as well as some file monitoring needs, don't support SNMP. Currently, we've only utilized around sixty licenses for the tasks we've undertaken. As we progress and potentially require more than five hundred licenses, we'll discuss acquiring additional licenses with management.

We reached out to tech support regarding an issue with scanning QNAP DNS boxes. Initially, the equipment type was not identified correctly, prompting advice from the support team. However, it was determined that upgrading the firmware on the QNAP device would resolve the problem. Following the firmware upgrade, the issue was successfully resolved. I would rate it nine out of ten.

Positive

We previously utilized the MicroTech Elite. However, the new versions operate atop the router, which deviates from our company's cybersecurity standard. Therefore, to align with our cybersecurity protocols, we opted for SolarWinds. Comparing the two platforms, they appear quite similar. In the previous tool, we didn't perform scans like we do now; instead, we assigned things by IP. Additionally, our ability to create custom maps seemed better in the previous tool compared to SolarWinds, mainly due to the need to manually connect links between objects in SolarWinds.

The initial setup is straightforward. It begins with a scan to populate the database with asset information. Once the scanning process is complete and the database is filled, you can easily manipulate and customize the view of these assets. Once you grasp the necessary steps, the process becomes simple and manageable.

Our deployment plan involves managing twenty-two plants and approximately three hundred and fifty computers, in addition to around a hundred and fifty switches. Currently, our focus with the Network Configuration Manager involves three main tasks. Firstly, we use it to scan our networks. Secondly, we utilize it to implement backups of our Cisco switch network configurations. Lastly, it provides us with comparison capabilities to identify any changes. Given the complexity of our network environment and the various tasks involved, we need to proceed through these steps systematically. We've divided our network into two main areas: the network area and the plant area. The network area comprises around ninety devices, while the plant area has approximately sixty devices. These are the initial areas we've chosen to focus on for learning purposes. On the first day, we successfully scanned all the devices in these areas. Overnight, we let the scanning process continue. By the second day, we began optimizing device names and creating maps to enhance our network management capabilities. The process was done by a team of four individuals. While database maintenance is essential, ensuring regular backups will be crucial moving forward.

Although it's early to determine the ROI, one immediate benefit we've noticed is the responsiveness of SolarWinds in flagging faults as alarms. This heightened visibility prompts us to investigate and address issues more promptly.

The licensing process wasn't particularly smooth. It required the machine to be connected to the internet for activation, which was a bit inconvenient.

I would recommend it as it will certainly indicate the issue, but it may not immediately provide the root cause. Additionally, it will display the devices connected to each port, albeit not always with their names, but with MAC addresses. If you have a DHCP server or a similar tool that can correlate MAC addresses to machines, it becomes easier to identify the device. Conversely, if you know the IP address, you can input it into SolarWinds to determine the switch it's connected to. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

On-premises

Our primary use case for this solution is the network configuration.

This solution has helped our organization by allowing us to store all the device configurations for the various network devices in NCM and making it easy for us to retrieve and look them over.

The most valuable feature for me is the network configuration piece itself. It helps us to make sure that all the changes in the environment are automatically reflected.

I would like to see more integration tools. Something like dialysis, for example.

I have been using this solution for about five years.

I would rate the stability of this solution a 10, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

I would rate the technical support of this solution an eight, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

Positive

I would say that the pricing is pretty good as we have an on-premises model and we don't have a subscription. We have a very old perpetual legacy license.

Our model of deployment is on-premises.

I would advise other people looking into this solution to read its documentation and better understand what it does before they start using it.

I would rate this solution as a whole a 10, on a scale from one to 10, with one being the worst and 10 being the best.

On-premises