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

Cisco and SolarWinds are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.4, while SolarWinds is ranked #92. Cisco holds a 0.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to SolarWinds’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 50% of SolarWinds users who would recommend it.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Read 26 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews

2,740 Views
2,630 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

SolarWinds Network Automati...

Read 2 SolarWinds Network Automation Manager reviews

1,900 Views
1,254 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

SolarWinds Network Automati...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and SolarWinds Network Automation Manager compete in network management automation. Cisco integrates well within its ecosystem, offering comprehensive features for Cisco environments, while SolarWinds addresses diverse system needs with extensive capabilities.

Features: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller supports automated provisioning, comprehensive network visualization, and efficient orchestration for large-scale deployments. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager provides robust network monitoring, configuration management across different systems, and effective alerting capabilities suitable for various IT environments.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller could enhance cross-platform compatibility, offer more flexible pricing tiers, and streamline its user interface for non-Cisco users. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager may improve its scalability for larger networks, enhance reporting customization, and refine its dashboard for more intuitive user experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller suits organizations entrenched in Cisco infrastructure for seamless deployment, supported by integrated customer service. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager offers an easy installation process adaptable to various IT setups, supported by extensive community resources and support channels.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller involves higher initial costs but aligns with other Cisco solutions for effective ROI. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager is cost-effective, offering significant long-term savings with its extensive feature set, balancing initial investment with operational benefits.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. SolarWinds Network Automation Manager Report (Updated: June 2026).

Buyer's Guide

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

June 2026

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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 Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

25th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

SolarWinds Network Automati...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

92nd

Average Rating

5.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Automation (18th)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.6%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SolarWinds Network Automation Manager is 0.4%, up from 0.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)	0.6%
SolarWinds Network Automation Manager	0.4%
Other	99.0%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Jagdev Dhaliwal

Network Engineer at a healthcare company with 1,001-5,000 employees

Flow monitoring has improved planning for east-west traffic and real-time capacity decisions

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) helps to understand the flows and data plane capacities, which are the primary use cases. Usually, people struggle with east-west traffic flow when they need to decide on firewalls or products. People typically understand north-south traffic flows but usually miss the east-west traffic flows in data centers. I was focusing more on this so that people can accordingly plan, such as after F5, the number of servers, the number of sessions needed, and whether we need to plan the interface for groups from the line capacity perspective. This kind of information was valuable to us. The real-time telemetry feature was beneficial. When experiencing performance issues, I could determine if there were any issues related to flows or areas where bottlenecks were occurring.

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Giulio Valeri

Owner at SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS SRL

Threat detection failures, poor technical support, and expensive

We use the solution to manage all of our customer's systems. We monitor and decide if everything is okay and if not, we do changes when needed. For example, if there is a need to change the antivirus software we can automate the process and install the new one. There are scripts within the software…

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"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."

"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."

"I like running the scripts. With the help of a Python script, we deployed within the configuration and built up the code."

"More than good enough as we have new clients everyday connected using this product"

"The feature I find most valuable, is the stability of the solution."

"The monitoring system in this product is valuable, providing a clear indication of what's going on in the network and the server processing, power, etc., and the user interface is also very good and very informative."

"The product has excellent stability."

"There are many valuable features in this solution: The automation of the ILS, the automation of the small changes, the lands updates, scheduling, integration - basically, the pushing of features that we used to do manually."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros

"The installation is easy."

"The solution offers so many great resources, it makes them a powerhouse in the market."

"We are satisfied with the stability of the solution."

Cons

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

"The delivery Cisco Data Center Network Manager could improve if it was easier. Additionally, some feature improvement is needed."

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

"In the next release, I would like to see it merged with Prime and I think that it should be more unified."

"The solution needs to improve reports."

"More integration features would be beneficial."

"Data Center Network Manager is a little complex because it includes a lot of hardware to be installed, so making this simpler would be an improvement."

"The product is good but quite expensive."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons

"We now use ConnectWise because while using SolarWinds we were attacked by ransomware. The solution did not protect us."

"The price could be a bit lower."

"We did not like SolarWinds because it was not able to communicate between UPSA and our accounting system. They should have better integration."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

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

"The solution is very expensive."

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

"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."

"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."

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

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

"The price of SolarWinds Network Automation Manager is fair. However, it is more expensive than ConnectWise."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Construction Company

14%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Healthcare Company

Government

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Performing Arts

Computer Software Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	16

No data available

Questions from the Community

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...

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What needs improvement with Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

I do not believe it integrated well with different infrastructures for hybrid environments. I am uncertain because we have never attempted that in our environment, so they could perform better in t...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Cisco Data Center Network Manager?

The main use case for URL filtering with PAN-DB is that it performs quite well. Earlier, when I started in 2012, there was a Blue Coat product available during that period. I am not certain whether...

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Comparisons

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Arista Data ANalyZer vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 9% of the time

Marvis Virtual Network Assistant vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 7% of the time

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Compared 21% of the time

Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform vs SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

Compared 12% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

Compared 9% of the time

SCOM vs SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

Compared 6% of the time

WhatsUp Gold vs SolarWinds Network Automation Manager

Compared 6% of the time

More SolarWinds Network Automation Manager Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

June 2026

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) report

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

Buyer's Guide

Network Automation

June 2026

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager report

Download SolarWinds Network Automation Manager product report

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager

SolarWinds NAM

Overview

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller, formerly DCNM, provides a consolidated dashboard offering insights into network operations, real-time telemetry, and automation capabilities. Users noted enhanced data center management and seamless SD-WAN integration.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller integrates Python, Ansible, and Terraform for efficient traffic management. Comprehensive data center insight and stability highlight its utility across policy updates and network troubleshooting. With support for hybrid environments and enhanced network health data visibility, the platform suits complex, evolving infrastructures.

What are the Key Features?

Automation Capabilities: Simplifies network operations with automated workflows and scheduling.
Programming Support: Facilitates integration through Python, Ansible, and Terraform compatibility.
Comprehensive Dashboard: Provides a centralized view of network performance and health.
Real-Time Telemetry: Enhances decision-making with up-to-the-moment data.
SD-WAN Integration: Ensures seamless traffic flow across network borders.

What Benefits Should Users Look for?

Enhanced Network Monitoring: Allows precise tracking and troubleshooting of network issues.
Efficient Resource Management: Streamlines policy updates and component management.
Improved Security: Facilitates tighter control over Nexus switch configurations.
Centralized Management: Reduces complexity in maintaining data centers through a unified interface.

In data center operations, businesses leverage Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller for improved security, tackling tasks like VPN operations and private cloud development. It enhances storage management, providing robust support to manage Nexus switches for optimized component oversight and security protocols.

Cisco

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager is a comprehensive tool designed to streamline network management and automation, helping IT teams enhance efficiency and reliability in network operations.

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager offers a detailed interface for overseeing network assets, vastly improving operational efficiency. It ensures seamless integration with existing infrastructure and automates routine tasks, reducing manual errors and increasing administrative control. This tool provides network administrators with a robust platform to manage configurations, performance metrics, and security protocols, enabling them to focus on strategic tasks.

What are the key features of SolarWinds Network Automation Manager?

Configuration Management: Automates tracking and installation of network device configurations, simplifying updates and audits.
Network Performance Monitoring: Offers real-time visibility into network health, ensuring operational continuity.
IP Address Management: Efficiently handles IP address provisioning and documentation to prevent conflicts.
Network Traffic Analysis: Provides insights into bandwidth usage and traffic patterns for better resource management.

What benefits and ROI can users expect?

Increased Productivity: Frees IT staff from repetitive tasks, allowing focus on strategic initiatives.
Cost Reduction: Minimizes downtime and maintenance costs through efficient issue detection and troubleshooting.
Improved Security: Enhances network safety with automated compliance checks and vulnerability management.
Scalability: Supports growth with flexible architecture to accommodate expanding network requirements.

Industries including finance, healthcare, and education utilize SolarWinds Network Automation Manager to meet specific needs like regulatory compliance, operational continuity, and cost efficiency. By automating complex processes, organizations can maintain high-performance networks, adapt quickly to industry challenges, and optimize resource allocation.

SolarWinds

Sample Customers

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

Maalem Financing Company, School City of Hammond

Buyer's Guide

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

June 2026

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