What is our primary use case?
Riverbed NPM+ has many primary use cases, making this NPM solution totally different from other tools like SolarWinds.
They have a solution called AppResponse, which is not an agent-based solution but entirely a packet capturing solution.
We collect all traffic and packets through the scanning of core switches, with the traffic going directly to the AppResponse appliances.
It is agentless, and for example, in India, we have completed a project where UPI applications are used.
If any transaction fails, we can trace it through Riverbed NPM+ via AppResponse.
Riverbed NPM+ consists of four modules: NetIM, NetProfiler, AppResponse, and Portal, and it is mostly used for enterprise-level solutions.
What is most valuable?
Riverbed NPM+ provides a holistic view of the network and deeper insights into traffic and packet analysis.
Compared to SolarWinds, Riverbed's solutions are very costly, but AppResponse and the Portal are excellent.
Riverbed NPM+ consists of four modules: NetIM, NetProfiler, AppResponse, and Portal, and it is mostly used for enterprise-level solutions.
AppResponse is not an agent-based solution but entirely a packet capturing solution that collects all packets through the scanning of core switches and is agentless.
What needs improvement?
Many improvements are needed for Riverbed NPM+, particularly in NetIM, which does not perform as well as SolarWinds' single module NPM solution.
Additionally, within Riverbed Portal, there is an Application Map module that could be improved.
It can show the application's architecture and connectivity to the network.
The applications map feature needs enhancements for better customization since currently, it is quite limited.
The enhancements I recommend are not for the entire Riverbed product suite, but specifically for the application map feature within the Portal of Riverbed NPM+.
This Portal is one of the dashboard modules and while there is potential for improvement, it must be enhanced significantly to provide better functionality.
Currently, you cannot trace by transaction number alone; knowing the source and destination IP is necessary.
For instance, if I transfer money and a transaction fails, tracing that transaction ID is not captured in AppResponse.
I have raised this concern, and if this feature is implemented, it would greatly benefit banking customers, especially because it is not available with their competitors either.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have mostly been dealing with Riverbed NPM+ for the last nine months.
How are customer service and support?
I would rate Riverbed NPM+ technical support around seven out of ten because there are fewer staff, which means they need to improve their technical assistance.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I previously worked with SolarWinds.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Riverbed NPM+ is indeed high, particularly as I work with enterprises in the banking sector primarily in India and the Middle East, and I have also interacted with clients in Europe.
Overall, I have heard that the pricing is very high.
What other advice do I have?
On my network management processes, we can process alerts through various solutions, such as the SIEM solution or Syslog, where logs can be sent to third-party integrations such as BMC, and converting logs into messages sent via email or trap.
The reports are excellent, but the alerts are not user-friendly as users find in ManageEngine and SolarWinds.
In Riverbed NPM+, only an expert in the field can build alerts and implement the solution since it requires a Riverbed professional; however, ManageEngine and SolarWinds allow anyone to configure by following user and installation guides.
Riverbed NPM+ operates on a custom Linux OS, differentiating it from Windows-based solutions from SolarWinds and ManageEngine.
Overall, I find Riverbed NPM+ excellent, and I would rate it a nine out of ten.
I would like the feature for tracing transactions in Riverbed NPM+ or AppResponse.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
