Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs NetBrain comparison

The compared Cisco and NetBrain solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #16 in NMS , with an average rating of 8.2, and holds a 0.5% mindshare in the category. NetBrain is ranked #15 in NT , and holds a 2.7% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 75% of NetBrain users who would recommend it.

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

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

839 Views
822 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

NetBrain

Read 6 NetBrain reviews

2,894 Views
116 Comparison Views

75% willing to recommend

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

NetBrain

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) and NetBrain based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Network Monitoring Software solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetBrain Report (Updated: May 2020).

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetBrain

May 2020

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Helped 861,803 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

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (16th)

NetBrain

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Troubleshooting (15th), Network Automation (4th)

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Management solutions, they serve different purposes. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is designed for Network Monitoring Software and holds a mindshare of 0.5%, up 0.4% compared to last year.
NetBrain, on the other hand, focuses on Network Troubleshooting, holds 2.7% mindshare, up 1.7% since last year.

Network Monitoring Software

Network Troubleshooting

Featured Reviews

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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Deborah Gamelin

Vice President at Asset Track for Cloud, LLC

Good monitoring and troubleshoot capabilities, improves overall network traffic visibility

In my organization, we had 130,000 network devices that needed to be brought into the solution and mapped. NetBrain can handle the scale but the engineers that manage those devices have to go in and update all of them to allow NetBrain permission to poll them. It can get a little stressful for everybody when you're trying to roll out new stuff when you've got other issues that have to be addressed with other devices. In some cases, our devices had no automation at all. One example is the Cisco 3650. Right now, if you went through the inventory list, you see that we have different versions running. Some are on one version, whereas others are on another version. The problem with upgrading them is that they need to be done overnight because we don't want to disrupt any network traffic during business hours. Consequently, it could take us years to upgrade the versions before we can even get them onto these new tools. This may be an internal issue but it's a big one when you have a lot of devices. Even if you had 10,000 devices, it's still an issue. You have to consider the compatibility of the device against the tool, and being able to use certain commands to upgrade it.

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 automation capability is more than enough. It depends on how we consider and integrate the automation engine. We need to ensure the automation engine and then how to perform it. It depends on the policy making, API integration, and other integrations."

"I don't have to rely on the on-site engineer who can do the configuration. I can have our team just plug the devices and perform remotely. I can also do the templates."

"The product makes the management of our environment simpler."

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

"I like running the scripts. With the help of a Python script, we deployed within the configuration and built up the code."

"We use the product to manage access points."

"VCNM provides a unique capability of managing the admin VDCs of Nexus boxes."

"The most valuable features of Cisco Data Center Network Manager are consistency and the core server. The teams have had a good experience."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros

"This product has good network monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities."

"Enables maps to be drawn out."

"NetBrain is a very simple tool."

"Chain management is a good feature. I don't get it on other solutions."

"A reliable, time-saving tool for providing accurate layer 2 and layer 3 network mappings."

Cons

"API lacks robustness."

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

"It is not very easy to monitor or to browse."

"The tool should be more user-friendly and improve AI integration."

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

"More integration features would be beneficial."

"If the customer thinks about using additional solutions, Cisco should make sure they are not left out."

"We need better performance and reliability."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons

"Support needs to improve for the installed product and some of the reporting could be more flexible to provide more complete cataloging."

"It would be nice if the setup was a little simpler. Also, if the solution could provide more training materials for new people coming into our company so they can quickly learn how to use the functionalities."

"The solution could integrate more automation."

"Each device needs to be configured to allow NetBrain to poll for the information it needs, which can be very time-consuming for a large network."

"The IP interface brief isn't consistent."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"On average, Data Center Network Manager's pricing isn't too costly unless you choose a premier license."

"The solution is very expensive."

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

"The price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."

"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."

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

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

"The product is expensive, but less expensive than some of the competition and worth the price."

"Licensing is based on a per-device basis, which means that it can get very expensive if you have a large number of devices."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

Real Estate/Law Firm

Financial Services Firm

13%

Computer Software Company

12%

Manufacturing Company

12%

Government

10%

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

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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Comparisons

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Compared 61% of the time

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Compared 15% of the time

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 14% of the time

Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

Compared 10% of the time

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ThousandEyes vs NetBrain

Compared 20% of the time

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs NetBrain

Compared 15% of the time

Cisco DNA Center vs NetBrain

Compared 11% of the time

Forward Enterprise vs NetBrain

Compared 10% of the time

NetBox.dev vs NetBrain

Compared 7% of the time

More NetBrain Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

July 2025

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) report

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

Buyer's Guide

NetBrain

June 2025

Download NetBrain product report

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager

No data available

Overview

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

Managing today’s networks with yesterday’s manual processes is no longer a viable solution. NetBrain’s network automation platform provides actionable insights into your network to help you make better and faster decisions - particularly when you’re troubleshooting, securing, and making changes to the network.

NetBrain

Sample Customers

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

CompuCon, TD Ameritrade, Move Inc.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetBrain

May 2020

Free Report: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetBrain

Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetBrain and other solutions. Updated: May 2020.

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See our Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NetBrain report.

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