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Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE comparison

Cisco and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #18 with an average rating of 8.2, while NETSCOUT is ranked #29 with an average rating of 8.5. Cisco holds a 0.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 1.5% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 93% of NETSCOUT users who would recommend it.
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...
Read 25 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews
  • 887 Views
  • 860 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Read 50 NETSCOUT nGeniusONE reviews
  • 3,346 Views
  • 2,309 Comparison Views
93% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and NETSCOUT nGeniusONE are prominent network management solutions. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE appears to have the upper hand due to its extensive network traffic analysis and packet inspection capabilities.

Features: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller offers excellent stability, comprehensive automation, and distinct data center visualization and management features. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE provides detailed network traffic analysis, dependency mapping, and extensive data collection across multiple platforms.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Nexus Dashboard requires simplification in setup and better integration with third-party tools like VMware. It could also benefit from enhanced user experience. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE demands a reduced complexity, user experience enhancements, and improvements in GUI and licensing simplicity.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Nexus Dashboard is mainly on-premises, with good but sometimes lacking support. Cisco offers flexible deployment models. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE supports on-premises and hybrid cloud models with commendable customer service, needing high expertise due to complexity.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Nexus Dashboard is expensive but offers value and deep integration with Cisco hardware, having a transparent yet restrictive pricing structure. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE, also costly, is valued for reliability and thorough features, with a licensing model embracing multiple platforms yet possibly covering unused functions.

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

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
18th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
29th
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
50
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of September 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.6%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is 1.5%, down from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)0.6%
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE1.5%
Other97.9%
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

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
Ruslan Melnyk - PeerSpot reviewer
Useful for network performance monitoring
My manager can explain the use cases attached to the product. I am a unit leader in my company, and I don't sell the product directly to our partners or customers. In my company, I manage certain processes and a team while building, developing, and providing them with a direction for the market. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is a good solution for network performance monitoring since it is not cloud-based. My company sells NETSCOUT nGeniusONE in eight to ten countries. I think the solution is not good for capacity planning, but it is better to help find problems in applications because not every infrastructure is good at managing working applications. I think it is a solution meant for applications. The tool is useful for solving problems attached to applications. The tool's real-time network monitoring capability was used when the product was more reactive. In our company, if we use real-time monitoring, then we need to deal with raw traffic. In our company, if we don't see any problem in the real-time systems, we have the possibility to rely on the tool since it acts like a time machine for us, which can allow us to get back to the areas of problem and solve them. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. For many users, it can be a good monitoring system that can be scaled up in the future. I think it is a good product to start with when working systems in an environment. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE is another tool used to manage raw traffic, and I find it to integrate well into our customers' network. I am not using it actively on the system. I use the tool for network packet brokers. I rate the tool a ten out of ten.
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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

"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."
"I like that is easy to work on and straightforward."
"The most valuable feature is the connectivity monitoring."
"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 monitoring capability is the best in Cisco Data Center Network Manager. It helps me improve network management tasks and optimize processes."
"Monitoring system provides a clear indication of what's going on in the network."
"Stability is not an issue."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros
"It is the ability to collect data and analyze it, especially key performance indicators. This is before a customer would call to the service center to complain that they have had bad coverage or a dropped call."
"Among the valuable features, if it's TAP'ed well, are the density of the data that you can get and the relatively high veracity or accuracy rate that we see from it."
"We've saved a lot of time in triaging. We have found root cause identities on packet captures and have been able to feed that information back to a specific vendor, because a lot of our technology is emerging. So, we're able to give that feedback to our vendors and have them solve the problems that they need to fix, and they have the evidence to do so."
"The solution transforms packet wire data into real-time data that is actionable. It helps us with faster detection of issues and allows us to create alerts."
"Deep packet inspection is a very useful tool as it works in real time and uses serial packet-level analysis."
"If one of our network pipes is getting plugged up by somebody using too much bandwidth, we can use the NETSCOUT tool to examine and find out what is going on."
"The visual and graphical interfaces in the display that it provides for us to show our senior leadership. We can show them what is actually happening, instead of a spreadsheet."
"Packet decode and bandwidth analysis reports are the two most valuable features."
More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE pros
 

Cons

"It would be nice to have the ability to more easily collect information from other software when doing some types of analysis."
"If the customer thinks about using additional solutions, Cisco should make sure they are not left out."
"In the next release, I would like to see it merged with Prime and I think that it should be more unified."
"More integration features would be beneficial."
"We need better performance and reliability."
"The initial setup is challenging."
"The visibility of applications is not great."
"The automation feature could be improved."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons
"I would love to have them reassemble fragmented packets. That would be a very big plus in my book."
"The technical support could improve a bit with quicker responses for early on questions. What I think are simple questions are taking a long time to get answers to."
"The GUI has gotten better over time but there could be some improvement in how the GUI is built."
"The product was lacking for awhile when they did the Arbor acquisition. I was waiting to see more security stuff, which they did eventually add, and is now impressive."
"Some help screens would be nice, especially if we bring on new operators. It would be great to see if they have more helpful tips available."
"I would like more in-depth convergence between all the applications, especially when I look for information through a data mine."
"It would be beneficial to see more AI capabilities included in nGeniusONE to further streamline processes and allow lower-level tech support to handle issues more effectively without escalating them."
"On a network the size of ours, the loading times seem a little extensive, 20 or 30 seconds to load up some graphs."
More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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 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."
"The solution is very expensive."
"The price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."
"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."
"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."
"On average, Data Center Network Manager's pricing isn't too costly unless you choose a premier license."
"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."
"The license becomes cost prohibitive very quickly."
"Like any company, we always want better pricing. The pricing is okay, but it's not a cheap solution. When you want to deploy it across an enterprise as large as ours, you go into seven figures. It's not a cheap solution to get out there."
"The scalability becomes very expensive quickly."
"I rate the price of NETSCOUT nGeniusONE a four out of five."
"It can be expensive, but if you have a good configuration, based on what you are looking for, it's okay, it's manageable."
"We have a premium customized contract for the solution."
"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The product may come across as a cheap tool for some, while it may seem costly for others."
"Cost is probably the biggest drawback. Compared to some of the newer vendors that have popped up in the space, it's definitely more on the expensive side... [But] it's been able to keep its value, even in the face of the cheaper competition."
More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Healthcare Company
8%
Financial Services Firm
13%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Government
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise15
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise37
 

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
Which is the best DDoS protection solution for a big ISP for monitoring and mitigating?
I would say if it’s an ISP that will build a scrubbing center, Netscout/Arbor is a good solution. In all other solutions, Imperva is a great choice.
See all answers
What do you like most about NETSCOUT nGeniusONE?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NETSCOUT nGeniusONE?
The pricing is a bit high yet not overly expensive. The cost depends on the size of the customer, as sizing controls the pricing.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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Compared 12% of the time
SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 9% of the time
Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 9% of the time
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Dynatrace vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Logo
Dynatrace vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Compared 10% of the time
Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Logo
Gigamon Deep Observability Pipeline vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Compared 9% of the time
ThousandEyes vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Logo
ThousandEyes vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Compared 9% of the time
SolarWinds NPM vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Logo
SolarWinds NPM vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Compared 8% of the time
Ixia Network Packet Brokers vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Logo
Ixia Network Packet Brokers vs NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
Compared 5% of the time
More NETSCOUT nGeniusONE Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
September 2025
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reportDownload Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report
Buyer's Guide
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
August 2025
NETSCOUT nGeniusONE reportDownload NETSCOUT nGeniusONE product report
 

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
NETSCOUT nGenius, nGeniusONE
 

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
The nGenius Real-Time Monitor software provides you with tools to monitor and display information about your network both historically and in real time. The nGenius Real-Time Monitor software allows you to understand your current network usage and to plan for future needs. It also allows you to proactively troubleshoot problem areas in your network.
NETSCOUT
 

Sample Customers

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia
Cerner Corporation
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
September 2025
Free Report: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusONE
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