

SolarWinds NPM and Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller compete in the network management category. SolarWinds NPM seems to have the upper hand due to its ease of deployment and customizable reporting.
Features: SolarWinds NPM offers diverse functionalities, ease of deployment, and integration with Microsoft Active Directory. It supports multiple devices and provides an alerting system with customizable reporting. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller delivers robust network management, valued for automation capabilities, and integration with Cisco's network infrastructure, enhancing its effectiveness in enterprise environments.
Room for Improvement: SolarWinds NPM needs improvement in network discovery, resource utilization, and manageability of alerts. Some features require separate purchases, limiting its all-in-one appeal. Cisco Nexus Dashboard could improve performance reliability, simplify reporting, and expand integration with various network vendors to meet user demands.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SolarWinds NPM provides flexible deployment options, covering on-premises and hybrid cloud environments. While its customer service faces some criticism for response times, it is supported by a strong community. Cisco Nexus Dashboard is generally deployed on-premises or in private clouds, recognized for its technical expertise, though occasionally hampered by response delays.
Pricing and ROI: SolarWinds NPM's pricing is competitive for its robust features, though costs can rise with additional modules. It offers quick ROI due to effective network management. Cisco Nexus Dashboard, considered expensive, provides value with tailored network automation features and strong integration with Cisco hardware, leading to substantial ROI for Cisco ecosystem users.
The return on investment is significant as the solution effectively reduces costs while being worth its expense.
Cisco's support I would rate as a 10 compared to all other vendors.
If there is no timely response, getting a resolution is more difficult.
We had contact with SolarWinds regarding the implementation, and they were helpful.
They have good technical support.
SolarWinds NPM is scalable and effective in handling large network infrastructures.
The NPM product is stable, particularly when used for simple network monitoring.
I do not believe it integrated well with different infrastructures for hybrid environments.
Customers have given feedback about the delayed response times from the technical team.
SolarWinds needs to upscale on observability and add full-fledged observability features, including security features.
I would need a feature in SolarWinds in the future for some kind of malfunctioning detection, such as malware attacks or that type of environment.
It is not too pricey and is adequate.
PRTG's package offers all features in one bundle, which is cost-effective.
The solution is considered expensive.
People typically understand north-south traffic flows but usually miss the east-west traffic flows in data centers.
Whenever any node is down in our network, whether it is a server or any network device, we receive information through email that the device is down.
It provides a detailed overview of the network, which is valuable.
SolarWinds NPM has specific modules for monitoring different network capabilities, which provides rich features for carrying out specific tasks.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| SolarWinds NPM | 3.7% |
| Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) | 0.6% |
| Other | 95.7% |


| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 10 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 16 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 59 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 33 |
| Large Enterprise | 86 |
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?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.
SolarWinds NPM is a network performance monitoring tool offering a user-friendly interface with customizable dashboards. It provides real-time tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization, supporting diverse integration and scalability needs.
SolarWinds NPM's robust features include real-time monitoring of network performance and efficient tracking of device health, latency, and bandwidth utilization. The tool is appreciated for its ease of deployment, scalability, and support for integration with other tools. Features like SNMP monitoring, NetPath, and comprehensive reporting enhance its diagnostic capabilities and network visibility. However, users identify areas for improvement such as real-time analytics, advanced customization options, and enhanced scalability for larger enterprises. Better customer support, improved integrations, and security measures are also desired.
What are the key features of SolarWinds NPM?In enterprise environments, SolarWinds NPM is deployed to monitor network health and device status, sending alerts for any issues. It provides visibility into network performance, tracking bandwidth utilization and server metrics efficiently. Its applications span from monitoring routers, switches, and firewalls to supporting infrastructure monitoring across industries.
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