What is our primary use case?
Our primary use case for Nutanix Flow Network Security was to perform network mapping within our virtual environment, which is relatively flat.
Regarding networking, we have a few virtual LANs set up between certain networks. However, we wanted to evaluate Nutanix Flow Network Security to create additional security rules, specifically firewall rules, for those virtual networks and the virtual machines within them.
We were exploring the possibility of implementing Flow to prevent any unwanted traffic by applying such rules.
During our evaluation, we used Nutanix Flow Network Security in a monitoring mode, which allowed us to capture network data between the virtual machines and virtual networks in question. This gave us the ability to create policies that would limit communication between virtual networks or servers or allow communication only between specific servers. However, we only implemented these policies in a monitoring mode.
To clarify, we never implemented any firewall rules to actively prevent communication between the virtual networks or servers.
How has it helped my organization?
A great benefit we have experienced is being able to understand where our data is traveling over our network, which systems it is reaching, and which users are potentially accessing it.
Although we are not currently using the product, we found it helpful during the evaluation period to gain visibility into where our data was flowing and which servers were being used.
The network view allowed us to pinpoint precisely which systems and users were accessing our data, and we were able to identify which servers were not being used as expected.
What is most valuable?
The network view was excellent as it allowed us to expand the server view and visualize all connections it made within the environment.
This was particularly useful in identifying the path of our data and not just its location within the data center.
We could accurately pinpoint the communication route and take preventive measures if necessary.
What needs improvement?
While the graphical interface of Nutanix Flow Network Security could have been improved, and some of the reporting features needed extra work, the product's features were similar to VMware's NSX. The difference lay more in the presentation and user interface.
I am not able to recall the specifics, but I vaguely remember encountering a minor issue with the product's graphical interface.
My sales engineer was helpful in identifying that I was using a different approach than what was anticipated when expanding the object to view the communication protocols. However, I don't have any further information about the issue.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Nutanix for three and a half years now.
I last worked with Nutanix Flow Network Security six months ago.
We are a reseller, but my department within the organization is actively using the product. While we do function as a VAR, we also have an internal department that utilizes the product.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I did not encounter any stability issues with Nutanix Flow Network Security. I did not experience any instances of downtime or lagging while using the product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
This is a Microsoft networking product with scalability limited only by the size of your environment.
I would rate the scalability of Nutanix Flow Network Security a ten out ten.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support provided by Nutanix was always professional and prompt in responding to our queries. They were always cheerful and eager to assist us. We found their support organization to be well-managed.
I would rate their support a nine out of ten, despite experiencing a few hiccups here and there.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Aside from Prism, I have experience with various Nutanix products such as Files, Nutanixflow (a micro-segmentation product), and their database product called NDB. While I have examined these products, my expertise lies mainly in Prism and other hypervisor-related products.
I have examined CloudManager and some related products, but I haven't delved much into unified storage, aside from some limited exposure to Nutanix files. Thus, my knowledge of unified storage is limited.
If I were to prioritize my familiarity with Nutanix products, I would say that CloudManager is the one I am most well-versed in.
This is a recent development that involves the collaboration of multiple Nutanix products.
We currently use Prism Central as the centralized management component of the Nutanix products we use. For individual cluster management, we rely on Prism Element.
At present, we are not using any of the other cloud or database services offered by Nutanix.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Nutanix Flow Network Security was extremely easy.
It only required a single click to enable micro-segmentation. We did need to perform an update in the Prism Central interface to access the controls, but that was straightforward.
When we wanted to disable the trial, we simply unchecked the same box and the feature was disabled.
We had a team of five people, including myself, my team, and the Nutanix representative, assisting with the initial deployment of Nutanix Flow Network Security.
However, the process was so simple that the Nutanix representative didn't have much to do besides observe. We were able to complete the deployment within minutes.
What about the implementation team?
The initial setup of the product was extremely easy and straightforward.
It was quickly deployed and we were finished with the setup within ten minutes.
We were able to deploy it ourselves with minimal help from our Nutanix sales engineer.
What was our ROI?
Although we didn't invest anything in the trial, we still saw the benefits of Nutanix Flow Network Security. We were able to witness how the network flows were working, so there was a return on our time investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The company is primarily focused on software, and naturally, they need to generate profits.
While it would be ideal if they could offer their products for free, that is not realistic.
In terms of pricing, I believe their rates are more reasonable than those of VMware.
In comparison to other options available in the market, I would rate their pricing as very competitive, probably a two or three out of ten for cost.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
In the past six to twelve months, they have undergone some rebranding, resulting in a few products being renamed. I can't recall all the new names at the moment.
We are currently evaluating the use of Nutanix clusters in Azure as our current operations are all on-premises.
This is where the new DNS cloud manager feature would come into play. We are not using it actively yet, but it is under consideration.
I have evaluated Nutanix Flow Network Security, which was previously known as Nutanix Flow Network Security micro-segmentation. Although we are not using it at the moment, I can answer any questions or have a discussion about the product based on my experience with it.
We were evaluating VMware NSX for micro-segmentation, as well as Palo Alto for Firewalls for firewall rules.
We chose Flow because we were offered a free demo, and once we saw its capabilities in defining Flows within our virtual environment, we recognized its power and decided to go for it.
It represented a shift in our security posture as we were moving towards a more cloud-based approach, aiming to move away from traditional data centers. However, our upper management deemed the project to be too costly, so we ultimately decided not to pursue it.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend trying out Nutanix Flow Network Security by doing a test drive on their website. It's also a good idea to engage with the Nutanix community and learn from other users' experiences.
I would rate Nutanix Flow Network Security a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
*Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
