CA Unified Communications Monitor vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) comparison

Broadcom and Cisco are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Broadcom is ranked #95, while Cisco is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.0. Broadcom holds a 0.3% mindshare in NMS, compared to Cisco’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 50% of Broadcom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Cisco users who would recommend it.

CA Unified Communications M...

Read 2 CA Unified Communications Monitor reviews

436 Views
310 Comparison Views

50% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Read 25 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews

891 Views
864 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

CA Unified Communications M...

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and CA Unified Communications Monitor compete in network management and monitoring. Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller shows strength in support and scalability, whereas CA Unified Communications Monitor is noteworthy for its feature richness, offsetting potentially higher setup costs.

Features: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller offers advanced automation, centralized fabric management, and robust network visibility. It is known for seamless network integration. CA Unified Communications Monitor provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities, focusing on unified communications performance and in-depth analytics, delivering detailed insights into network traffic and performance.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller could improve in user interface design, interoperability with non-Cisco devices, and reducing deployment complexity. CA Unified Communications Monitor might enhance scalability options, reduce setup costs, and add more integration with third-party tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: CA Unified Communications Monitor has a straightforward deployment model and strong support, making it user-friendly for various organizations. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller offers extensive resources and support but may require more expertise during deployment due to complex infrastructure requirements. Both platforms are commended for customer service, with CA Unified Communications Monitor perceived as more accessible initially.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is recognized for competitive pricing and positive ROI through efficient network management capabilities. CA Unified Communications Monitor, although involving higher initial costs, is valued for extensive features that justify investment, leading to substantial long-term ROI. The choice depends on specific requirements and budget constraints.

To learn more, read our detailed CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

September 2025

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Helped 869,771 peers since 2012

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

CA Unified Communications M...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

95th

Average Rating

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Unified Communications Monitoring (5th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (69th)

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

17th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of CA Unified Communications Monitor is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)	0.6%
CA Unified Communications Monitor	0.3%
Other	99.1%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

itarchit489981

IT Architect at a comms service provider with 10,001+ employees

Good end-to-end voice quality monitoring and offers valuable features

The solution should have automatic baseline detection. On the per hour, per base, per week. That's usually the best. And on a per individual CI level. I know that they're working on it and when that's available then we will definitely implement it because it will reduce the effort we need to maintain all the products. Right now we have to set thresholds for every location, and it needs to be actually dynamic so if we have better thresholding, we'll have faster alarms across all our locations. We won't have to expend effort on it by resetting or checking them on a regular basis.

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Upul Abhayasena

Manager - Technology at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees

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…

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Good end-to-end monitoring"

"We use the solution to meet the needs of the customer."

"Data Center Network Manager is absolutely stable."

"You can integrate all the networks into the software."

"The product has excellent stability."

"The monitoring capability is the best in Cisco Data Center Network Manager. It helps me improve network management tasks and optimize processes."

"Stability is not an issue."

"It uses push technology, which pushes the changes to all relevant devices to ensure they are updated accordingly."

"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."

"Monitoring system provides a clear indication of what's going on in the network."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros

Cons

"The solution should have automatic baseline detection."

"All the features and functions of the solution can be improved."

"The initial setup is challenging."

"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."

"The solution needs to improve reports."

"The automation feature could be improved."

"Data Center Network Manager is a little complex because it includes a lot of hardware to be installed."

"The visibility of applications is not great."

"Sometimes the product gives us problems that require support."

"We need better performance and reliability."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"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."

"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."

"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."

"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."

"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."

"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."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

12%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	6
Large Enterprise	15

Questions from the Community

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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...

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Compared 12% of the time

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Compared 10% of the time

Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 8% of the time

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Product Reports

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CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. ScienceLogic

September 2025

CA Unified Communications Monitor report

Download CA Unified Communications Monitor product report

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

October 2025

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) report

Download Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report

Also Known As

CA UC Monitor

Cisco Data Center Network Manager

Overview

CA Unified Communications Monitor is a unified communications monitoring solution that evaluates and reports on the network’s support of real-time applications in multi-vendor environments, so that Network Administrators can optimize the network’s quality of service and end user experience.

Broadcom

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

BBVA Compass

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia

Buyer's Guide

CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

September 2025

Free Report: CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Find out what your peers are saying about CA Unified Communications Monitor vs. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

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