SCOM and Azure Network Watcher compete in the IT monitoring category. Azure Network Watcher seems to have an edge in cloud environments due to its robust network diagnostics and analysis features, whereas SCOM is preferred for comprehensive on-premises monitoring.
Features: SCOM provides extensive monitoring for Microsoft ecosystems with seamless integration for Windows and Linux servers, SQL, and Exchange. It comes with numerous management packs and offers a customizable platform through Visual Studio. Azure Network Watcher specializes in network diagnostics through packet capture and traffic analysis, providing a cloud-native solution with detailed network logs.
Room for Improvement: SCOM can improve scalability concerning hardware needs in large-scale setups and requires significant configuration. Entry barriers are high due to licensing costs. Azure Network Watcher could enhance its user experience and documentation, and might also benefit from incorporating open-source integrations for in-depth insights and improved error diagnostics.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SCOM necessitates on-premises installation, demanding considerable infrastructure investment. Customer service experiences vary, yet Microsoft offers comprehensive technical support. Azure Network Watcher, leveraging a cloud-first strategy, ensures straightforward deployment and provides good value in cloud environments. Customer support consistency exists across Microsoft's products, though outcomes depend on specific cases and agreements.
Pricing and ROI: SCOM’s licensing, included in the System Center suite, means higher upfront costs but aligns well with enterprises deeply embedded in Microsoft products, enhancing potential ROI. Azure Network Watcher has enterprise-level pricing, delivering competitive value for organizations within Azure, supporting cost-effective cloud service integration.
Azure Network Watcher is a comprehensive network monitoring and diagnostic service offered by Microsoft Azure. It provides a range of tools and capabilities to help users monitor, diagnose, and gain insights into their Azure network infrastructure. With Network Watcher, users can capture and analyze network traffic, monitor network performance, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and gain visibility into network topology. It also offers features like packet capture, flow logs, connection monitoring, and VPN diagnostics to ensure the smooth operation of Azure networks. Network Watcher enables users to proactively identify and resolve network issues, optimize network performance, and enhance the overall reliability and security of their Azure network environment.
SCOM (System Center Operations Manager) is a cross-platform data center monitoring and reporting tool that checks the status of various objects defined within the environment, such as server hardware, system services, etc. The solution allows data center administrators to deploy, configure, manage, and monitor the operations, services, devices and applications of multiple enterprise IT systems via a single pane of glass. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes.
SCOM Features
SCOM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
SCOM Benefits
There are several benefits to implementing SCOM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the SCOM solution.
A Manager at a financial services firm says, “The feature I like most about SCOM is that it is easy-to-use. I find it very user-friendly. I also like the knowledge base which it has. You can find the resolution to questions or issues directly within the SCOM itself. It will alert you with a recommendation of what you need to do at the same time. This sort of self-diagnosis or prompting is one of the great values you get from SCOM compared to other solutions.”
PeerSpot user Zahari Z., Information Technology Auditor at a financial services firm, mentions, “Availability monitoring is the feature I have found most valuable, as well as the capacity and ability to send notifications. There is a mechanism to set up a notification from the SCOM and whenever there is a drop in the availability the notification alerts not only for availability but for other issues as well. You can align thresholds according to the speed of your environment and you can have a threshold related notification, which is one of the useful features.”
Bill W., Sr. Systems Engineer at Arapahoe County Government, comments, “ I like some of their newer features, such as maintenance schedules, because SCOM records SLA and SLO time. When we patch, things are automatically put into maintenance mode so that the numbers for our systems being down, do not count against us.”
A Project Manager at a tech services company explains, “The feature I have found most valuable is the book feature. While we run the Sprint one we can add some setups for multiple sprints.”
A Systems Engineer at an educational organization states, “Because it's Windows-based, it actually reports quite well. It reports everything you can think of on the Windows server and allows you to monitor anything. It's excellent for those in the Windows world as it's very good at it.”
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