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Alluvio AppResponse vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) comparison

Riverbed and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Riverbed is ranked #59 with an average rating of 8.0, while Cisco is ranked #16 with an average rating of 8.2. Riverbed holds a 0.4% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 0.5% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Riverbed users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Cisco users who would recommend it.
Alluvio AppResponse
Read 17 Alluvio AppResponse reviews
  • 693 Views
  • 297 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...
Read 25 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews
  • 822 Views
  • 281 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024
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Alluvio AppResponse and Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller compete in the advanced network management category. Alluvio delivers better pricing and customer service, while Cisco Nexus excels with its robust features.

Features: Alluvio AppResponse offers real-time monitoring, comprehensive traffic analysis, and powerful diagnostics. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller features advanced automation capabilities, extensive policy management, and integration with the Cisco ecosystem.

Room for Improvement: Alluvio AppResponse could improve its integration capabilities and expand its automation features. It might also benefit from more advanced policy management. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller can enhance user-friendliness and reduce setup complexity. Expanding pricing flexibility could make it more accessible.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Alluvio AppResponse is known for its straightforward deployment and responsive customer service. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller, while offering tools that streamline deployment, requires more initial setup and familiarization. Its support aligns with Cisco's comprehensive service model.

Pricing and ROI: Alluvio AppResponse is cost-effective, with lower setup costs and significant ROI through efficient network analytics. The Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller, with a higher initial investment, is praised for long-term value and superior ROI through extensive management capabilities.

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To learn more, read our detailed Alluvio AppResponse vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Report (Updated: June 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Alluvio AppResponse vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
June 2025
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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

Alluvio AppResponse
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
59th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.6
Number of Reviews
17
Ranking in other categories
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability (48th)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Alluvio AppResponse is 0.4%, up from 0.4% 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

Ahmet Kilic - PeerSpot reviewer
It's a total solution that gives you end-to-end visibility at all levels
I rate Alluvio AppResponse 10 out of 10. If you work for a financial company especially, you probably face problems on the application side. The problem is easy to identify, but you need to determine the root cause. You can solve issues easily via AppResponse because it shows you all the details of your transactions so you can see the real problem in the database, network, software, etc. For example, you can find the solution easily if you create the right dashboard on your site. If you can't find the problem, you can observe or investigate PCAP.
Read full review
Upul Abhayasena - PeerSpot reviewer
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…
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 most valuable feature is performance monitoring."
"The most valuable feature of Alluvio AppResponse is the actual response time for measuring performance."
"You need a packet capture device to perform any type of network monitoring. It helps ensure that network overloads don't happen with alerts allowing for proactive decisions."
"With some APM solutions, it can take a long time to check a periodic report, but you can get all the necessary details quickly with AppResponse."
"I have found the AppResponse, which is a packet capture solution, very good. It gives you the ability to drill down back in time. You've got all the packets there. You can troubleshoot it later, not immediately. It's very interesting."
"We really like the scalability capabilities."
"Riverbed's product is a superb product."
"When it comes to the ability to scale up the product, this is suitable for small medium and large environments,"
More Alluvio AppResponse pros
"I like running the scripts. With the help of a Python script, we deployed within the configuration and built up the code."
"I like that is easy to work on and straightforward."
"You can integrate all the networks into the software."
"Automation of the ILS."
"Monitoring system provides a clear indication of what's going on in the network."
"The product makes the management of our environment simpler."
"The interface of this solution is easy to use overall."
"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."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros
 

Cons

"Alluvio AppResponse should improve its ability to expand across multiple operating systems."
"They need to better integrate with products and solutions from different vendors."
"The pricing is on the higher side of things. If they could lower it, that would be ideal."
"Integration between NPM and APM solutions would improve efficiency. There is no agent on the server site related to AppResponse."
"The initial setup is straightforward, but you have to know a little about the product. It's not for everybody to just plug and play. If you know how the solution is implemented then it is straightforward."
"The recent changes in corporate structure may have caused some decrease in support quality."
"The reporting models need improvement as most of the time, we have to customize the reports manually."
"If Alluvio AppResponse reduces its cost, it will be more beneficial for customers to monitor their application and network performance."
More Alluvio AppResponse cons
"Could integrate better with VMware products."
"The delivery Cisco Data Center Network Manager could improve if it was easier. Additionally, some feature improvement is needed."
"The automation feature could be improved."
"It is not very easy to monitor or to browse."
"One of the biggest challenges is that we aren't always able to push the configuration onto the target device. Whenever this happens, we have to do a factory reset, put on the script, and then reconfigure it again. In the next release, I would like to have a troubleshooting feature."
"Automation for the RMA process can be added."
"Sometimes the product gives us problems that require support."
"The tool should be more user-friendly and improve AI integration."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price is a little bit high, especially because we have to pay an import tax."
"The licensing model is expensive compared to its competitors, but the service it gives to your business, and the data quality, means that it's worth it."
"The solution is no more expensive than other products."
"It is costly for small and medium businesses."
"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."
"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."
"The price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."
"The solution is very expensive."
"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."
"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
20%
Computer Software Company
13%
Energy/Utilities Company
8%
Insurance Company
6%
Computer Software Company
17%
Government
12%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Healthcare Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Riverbed SteelCentral AppResponse?
The most valuable feature of Alluvio AppResponse is the actual response time for measuring performance.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Riverbed SteelCentral AppResponse?
The pricing of Riverbed Alluvio AppResponse is really high. Very few customers buy Riverbed because many do not have the sufficient budget. Its pricing is comparatively higher than SolarWinds. Rive...
See all answers
What needs improvement with Riverbed SteelCentral AppResponse?
The reporting models need improvement as most of the time, we have to customize the reports manually. Additionally, a feature similar to SolarWinds AppStack, which provides a holistic view of the i...
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
 

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Compared 16% of the time
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Compared 15% of the time
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Compared 61% of the time
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Compared 14% of the time
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More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Application Performance Monitoring (APM) and Observability
June 2025
Alluvio AppResponse reportDownload Alluvio AppResponse product report
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
June 2025
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reportDownload Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report
 

Also Known As

Riverbed AppResponse, OPNET SteelCentral AppResponse, ACE Live, OPNET, AppResponse Xpert
Cisco Data Center Network Manager
 

Overview

Alluvio AppResponse provides fast packet capture and storage that feeds intelligent network and application analysis with fast troubleshooting workflows to speed problem diagnosis and resolution. AppResponse delivers full stack application analysis—from packets to web pages - enabling you observe all network and application interactions as they cross the wire, whether they are encrypted or not. Using powerful, flexible network and application analytics and workflows, AppResponse speeds problem diagnosis and resolution, helping you get to answers fast

Riverbed

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

N11.com, OneMain Financial, China Bank, Halkbank, Kaust
Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia
Buyer's Guide
Alluvio AppResponse vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
June 2025
Free Report: Alluvio AppResponse vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Find out what your peers are saying about Alluvio AppResponse vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) and other solutions. Updated: June 2025.
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