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

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

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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

16th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Entuity

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

41st

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

7.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of July 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Entuity is 0.6%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

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…

Read full review

Ahmed Salman

Performance & Monitoring Supervisor at Saudi Telecom Company

A good solution for network monitoring and support management, but there is no centralized database

There is no centralized database. It is an issue if you use a local database and have multiple borders. However, if you have an external database, you can keep the same old data from an old border up to 100 borders. In addition, if we want to create an ABI or use an ABI to connect data, there is no competition when we ask for support. If we want to modify the calculation matrix or equation, we have to raise a professional service. Other competitors like Micro Focus, a network management system, have a new supportability matrix in the market every quarter.

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

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

"Automation of the ILS."

"It has a very nice dashboard so you can see what's currently happening in the network and the performance of the back story."

"The interface of this solution is easy to use overall."

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

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

"We use the product to manage access points."

"After installation, you almost forget that it is working."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) pros

"I particularly like the theme and the dashboard that they have brought in this version. In the previous version, there was only a simple screen. There wasn't any dashboard. It was a simple view, but now, they have brought in a dashboard that gives the fields for the ops as well. They can get the data they want to see in a single place."

"One of the most valuable features of Entuity is the user interface."

"The setup was very simple and took about an hour."

"We find the SurePath component of this solution to be very valuable, as it gives us the path to whatever we are configuring."

"Entuity's best feature is its ability to monitor a large number of devices."

"The most valuable feature of Entuity is network mapping and information. When clicking on a particular location it can automatically survey the connectivity diagram for us. We can arrange this icon in any kind of formats, such as ring or mesh. The networking mapping can show the components and interconnectivity with the help of IP addresses and NetFlow."

"This is a product that is easy to deploy and maintain with a positive end-user experience."

"The best thing about Entuity is that it's easy to use. It's user-friendly. It's intuitive and easy to customize as per your needs."

More Entuity pros

Cons

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

"API lacks robustness."

"The reporting is not very intuitive and has room for improvement."

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

"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."

"It's very costly."

"In the next release, I would like to see it merged with Prime and I think that it should be more unified."

"We need better performance and reliability."

More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons

"It should support IPAM or IP Address Management. When it comes to the network, IP Address Management is a feature for which we have to use a different solution. When we are managing networks, if IPAM also becomes a part of this, we do not have to look for a separate solution."

"Entuity can expand its coverage on monitoring VoIP solutions a little bit more."

"Entuity currently has APIs, but they are not straightforward. They are not flexible if an external system wants to communicate with Entuity or create an integration that is not available out of the box. Its APIs can be flexible so that they can be utilized for external integrations that are not available out of the box."

"Entuity could improve by having more integration because now network management is not a standalone solution. You have to integrate it with your network, applications, and everything else. We have to collect that information from those solutions or relevant managers. Additionally, the SLA dashboard should be improved."

"A typical user might want to see even more depth to the standard reporting and ease of integration."

"If we want to modify the calculation matrix or equation, we have to raise a professional service."

"We would like the backup element of this solution to be improved as, at present, it is very limited and does not have much scope for customization."

"Entuity can improve the fetching of device configuration. The solution uses scripts and I could not understand them or find any recourses on the internet to learn about the language that is used in the script. It could be more user-friendly and the device configuration management could be enhanced."

More Entuity cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"The solution is very expensive."

"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 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."

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

"It varies and depends on the quantity. It's worth the cost."

"Entuity's licensing is very highly-priced."

"It can be comparatively expensive but that is because it is comprehensive."

"We have 400 licenses and we are only using 150 licenses."

"Entuity is not an expensive solution."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

15%

Government

12%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Real Estate/Law Firm

Computer Software Company

11%

Energy/Utilities Company

Financial Services Firm

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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.

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...

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...

What do you like most about Entuity?

Event management and the geographical Google API-based network topology are the most valuable features of Entuity.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Entuity?

We work with other solutions. We have a very good relationship with Entuity Commercial. You can negotiate discounts and provide better proposals to our customers. The pricing is very competitive. T...

What needs improvement with Entuity?

Entuity could integrate with other solutions and collect more information from IoT devices.

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Product Reports

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

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

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) report

Entuity

Download Entuity 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

Entuity network management software continually monitors network bandwidth, network error rate and network congestion, which are all factors that impact overall network throughput. Events can be raised in response to abnormal traffic to allow remedial action before users are impacted. The Entuity network monitor continually evaluates network latency and network jitter to calculate MOS and ICPIF scores. Events can be raised when these scores are unacceptable for business application, voice and video performance. Key Features include: Root Cause Analysis, Event Management, Flow Monitoring & Analysis, Application Path Monitoring and Network Performance Monitoring.

Park Place Technologies

Sample Customers

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

Tait Communications, Vattenfall, Discovery, University of Minnesota, Pernod Ricard, Electric Car

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