Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) comparison

Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco DNA Center is ranked #13 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.2. Cisco DNA Center holds a 1.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 89% of Cisco DNA Center users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) users who would recommend it.

Cisco DNA Center

Read 41 Cisco DNA Center reviews

1,823 Views
1,148 Comparison Views

89% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Read 25 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews

816 Views
510 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Cisco DNA Center

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and Cisco DNA Center are key players in the network management category. Cisco DNA Center appears to have the upper hand due to its broader integration capabilities and effective centralized management features.

Features: Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller excels with its admin VDC management, a robust automation suite, and unparalleled insights into data centers. Users recognize its stability and innovative fabric suite automation. Cisco DNA Center provides centralized management, AI-driven insights, and enhanced security through software-defined networking, making it valuable for large-scale operations.

Room for Improvement: Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller users desire better third-party integrations, improvements in automation, and pricing adjustments. There are also calls for better VRF support and IPv6 integration. Cisco DNA Center could improve with cost-effective licensing models, better integration with non-Cisco products, and enhanced reporting capabilities. Its user interface and configuration complexity could be simplified to support smaller networks and ease the initial setup process.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Both products offer on-premises and private cloud options. Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller's deployment is straightforward but may involve complex hardware setups. DNA Center offers hybrid cloud flexibility with simple operational setup. Technical support for both is reliable, though there is some variability in response effectiveness. DNA Center benefits from high-quality technical engagement, albeit at a high cost.

Pricing and ROI: Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is perceived as expensive compared to market alternatives, with users finding value in its features for larger environments. Licensing is often tied to third-party hardware, and ROI is appreciated for its longevity and management capabilities. DNA Center pricing is also high, potentially deterring mid-market customers. Its extensive feature set and centralized management justify the cost for large enterprises, offering multiple licensing tiers that can escalate costs but promise significant ROI through reduced manual efforts and streamlined operations.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco DNA Center vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Report (Updated: April 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

April 2025

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Helped 851,604 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

13th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Management Applications (1st), Network Automation (2nd)

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

18th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 1.4%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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Upul Abhayasena

Manager - Technology at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees

Robust management tool with an easy setup and room for more features

DCNM is used by one of the airline customers in Qatar to manage many data centers and rack switches running on normal Nexus or NX-OS mode. They required a controller platform to manage these Nexus switches, and thus, they utilized DCNM as a Fabric controller. Given that ACI deployment is very low…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is very versatile in terms of analytics."

"What I found valuable in Cisco DNA Center is the Software-Defined Access Network, so the entire LAN network can be centralized and managed from a single dashboard. Cisco DNA Center is suitable for centralized management and lets you deploy switches in a centralized fashion. You can also do multiple switch port configurations simultaneously and segregate your traffic into multiple fabrics. Another valuable feature of Cisco DNA Center is enhanced security through Scalable Group Tags. Cisco DNA Center can be integrated with your Cisco ISE to enhance the port securities, and this paves the way for Software-Defined Networking in the LAN segment, which is the main advantage of Cisco DNA Center. I also like that you can use Cisco DNA Center for data assurance or correlation. The solution shows your network and client health parameters, which I find convenient for troubleshooting."

"It is simple to manage and it is all done from a single dashboard."

"The most valuable features of Cisco DNA Center are wireless assurance and visibility."

"The best feature of Cisco DNA Center is the visibility page, where you can see everything on the dashboard, and you don't have to be a technical person to view the issues."

"Automation helps configure devices without manual intervention, enabling zero-touch provisioning."

"It offers automation, security enforcement, analytics, and integration with other Cisco technologies, making it a key driver for efficient network operations and compliance with security protocols."

"I think that their LAN automation is a very good feature."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"It has a very nice dashboard so you can see what's currently happening in the network and the performance of the back story."

"The most valuable feature is the connectivity monitoring."

"It uses push technology, which pushes the changes to all relevant devices to ensure they are updated accordingly."

"Fabric suite automation is a great feature."

"The automation capability is more than enough. It depends on how we consider and integrate the automation engine. We need to ensure the automation engine and then how to perform it. It depends on the policy making, API integration, and other integrations."

"Automation of the ILS."

"The tool's most valuable feature is the consolidated dashboard, providing insights into parameters and overall usage of network features. It allows us to easily summarize insights through the dashboards. The solution offers automation capabilities, particularly in the context of connecting LAN sites with websites."

"Stability is not an issue."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros

Cons

"DNA Center has been on the market for a few years and they need to update it."

"As a user, it would be good if I could plug in controllers, suites, and devices from other vendors to Cisco DNA Center."

"The task failure reporting or provisioning failure reporting could be a little bit better in the UI, with more information given to the user."

"Cisco DNA Center was a new technology for us, at the beginning, it was not easy to do, but Cisco did a lot of training with us to a level we could handle everything. The team is managing itself now without the assistance of Cisco."

"The network, data center, and SD-WAN are all being treated as different services, but I would like to have only one solution to manage all of them."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

"The tool's IoT integration should be better."

"Integration with analytic tools and API integrations would be ideal."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The solution needs to improve reports."

"It's very costly."

"The tool's pricing strategy could be improved to compete more effectively in the market, especially against competitors like Huawei, Aruba, and Juniper."

"It's a relatively expensive product for some clients."

"API lacks robustness."

"If the customer thinks about using additional solutions, Cisco should make sure they are not left out."

"More integration features would be beneficial."

"We need better performance and reliability."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is a little bit expensive but depends a lot on the customer's usage. If you use it in the right place, you can easily pay for it."

"The price could be better. It's a very expensive tool."

"Cisco DNA Center is expensive."

"The solution is expensive."

"Cisco DNA Center is a licensed product with multiple levels of licensing available such as basic, advanced, and essential. I don't have the exact figure, but Cisco DNA Center is costly. For example, the box has information about the essential license and costs a considerable amount of money. You need to pay extra to use advanced features in Cisco DNA Center. My company sees Cisco DNA Center as a solution that's worth the money, which is why it invested in the solution. If you want centralized management for your network, especially when upgrading it, Cisco DNA Center is perfect, but it's more suitable for a large-scale rather than a small-scale network."

"It is an expensive solution."

"The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"The solution is very expensive."

"The price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."

"We usually opt for a yearly plan, commonly for three or five years upfront. Some customers may not utilize all the features included in the product, and this can lead to them paying for functionalities they don't need."

"The tool is always expensive, but their service, product quality, and support are good. We're happy with it, but it's still an expensive solution. There are cheaper alternatives but no similar platform across all domains."

"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."

"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."

"On average, Data Center Network Manager's pricing isn't too costly unless you choose a premier license."

"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

16%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Healthcare Company

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Real Estate/Law Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

The cost is very high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

See all answers

What do you like most about Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

It uses push technology, which pushes the changes to all relevant devices to ensure they are updated accordingly.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

The tool is always expensive, but their service, product quality, and support are good. We're happy with it, but it's still an expensive solution. There are cheaper alternatives but no similar plat...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

In a mixed architecture where Nexus switches are used as border devices and are connected to a Palo Alto firewall (e.g., version 9.1 or 10.1), you might encounter issues with BGP peering. For insta...

See all answers

Comparisons

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 11% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 6% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 4% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

Zabbix vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 17% of the time

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 14% of the time

Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 12% of the time

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center

May 2025

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

May 2025

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) report

Download Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

Cisco Data Center Network Manager

Overview

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco

The Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (NDFC) offers a comprehensive solution for managing Cisco NX-OS switches in hybrid-cloud environments, providing automation, visibility, and consistent operations. Designed to simplify and enhance data center management, NDFC integrates with Cisco Nexus Dashboard to streamline network connectivity, reduce deployment times, and ensure seamless transitions with minimal disruptions. Its modular architecture, new user interface, and support for non-Nexus OS platforms make it a robust tool for LAN, SAN, and IP Fabric for Media management. Additionally, NDFC enhances fabric reliability, automates workflows, and supports cloud connectivity with AWS and Microsoft Azure, making it ideal for businesses adapting to increasingly complex digital environments.

Cisco

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia

Buyer's Guide

Cisco DNA Center vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

April 2025

Free Report: Cisco DNA Center vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

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