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Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs Fortinet FortiSIEM comparison

The compared Cisco and Fortinet solutions aren't in the same category. Cisco is ranked #17 in NMS , with an average rating of 8.0, and holds a 0.6% mindshare in the category. Fortinet is ranked #7 in SIEM , with an average rating of 8.1, and holds a 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 82% of Fortinet users who would recommend it.
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabri...
Read 25 Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reviews
  • 891 Views
  • 864 Comparison Views
92% willing to recommend
Fortinet FortiSIEM
Read 75 Fortinet FortiSIEM reviews
  • 5,537 Views
  • 4,042 Comparison Views
82% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary
We performed a comparison between Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) and Fortinet FortiSIEM 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.

DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE REPORT
To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. Fortinet FortiSIEM Report (Updated: May 2020).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. Fortinet FortiSIEM
May 2020
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Helped 872,846 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
25
Ranking in other categories
Network Monitoring Software (17th)
Fortinet FortiSIEM
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
75
Ranking in other categories
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) (7th)
 

Mindshare comparison

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) and Fortinet FortiSIEM aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is designed for Network Monitoring Software and holds a mindshare of 0.6%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
Fortinet FortiSIEM, on the other hand, focuses on Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), holds 3.2% mindshare, up 2.9% since last year.
Network Monitoring Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)0.6%
Zabbix10.1%
SolarWinds NPM4.2%
Other85.1%
Network Monitoring Software
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Fortinet FortiSIEM3.2%
Wazuh9.3%
Splunk Enterprise Security8.7%
Other78.8%
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
 

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
Oliver Jackson - PeerSpot reviewer
Systems monitoring enhanced by firewall and intrusion detection features
My primary use case for Fortinet FortiSIEM is systems monitoring and alerting. I use it for standard functions like log monitoring, incident detection, and notification.  My customers are mostly medium-sized enterprises ranging from engineering companies, mining companies, independent schools, and…
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 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."
"You can integrate all the networks into the software."
"The product has excellent stability."
"Stability is not an issue."
"We use the product to manage access points."
"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
"I like FortiSIEM because it integrates natively with our other Fortinet solutions and the Fortinet Fabric, but it also integrates with Cisco, Palo Alto and other security fabrics."
"It's very easy for anyone to work with."
"FortiSIEM sends an email or SMS notifications to admins when there are significant incidents. It's a highly efficient way of responding to incidents."
"Analytics. It can provide log information from the device. With log information, I can see if there is a threat"
"We like the integration of all of these Fortinet platforms together. Everything is integrated well, and we are able to sell that as a service to our customers."
"The interface is very easy to use. The connector in the core has FortiSIEM support from the vendor."
"There are things like dashboards and reports (pre-configured and custom) that let me know that things are operating the way they should be, and when they are not."
"It is used as an alerting platform."
More Fortinet FortiSIEM pros
 

Cons

"It would be nice to have the ability to more easily collect information from other software when doing some types of analysis."
"The initial setup is challenging."
"The configuration is too complicated and you have to create templates and use a lot of menus."
"The solution needs to improve reports."
"API lacks robustness."
"The delivery Cisco Data Center Network Manager could improve if it was easier. Additionally, some feature improvement is needed."
"The reporting is not very intuitive and has room for improvement."
"It is not very easy to monitor or to browse."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons
"Network detection and response is a separate product."
"Fortinet FortiSIEM could improve to extend to several locations or sites."
"The log collection and configuration management are not great."
"The challenge I face with Fortinet FortiSIEM is the lack of support."
"The backup and recovery process for this solution needs improvement."
"The graphs on the user interface could be improved as we often experience glitches."
"Their product support, in general, is not that great. The product support is in the same ecosystem. Their support is improving but it's not that great.vvv"
"The solution's technical support didn't help our company a lot."
More Fortinet FortiSIEM cons
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Cisco Data Center Network Manager is expensive compared to other vendors on the market."
"On average, Data Center Network Manager's pricing isn't too costly unless you choose a premier license."
"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."
"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."
"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 solution is very expensive."
"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."
"Fortinet FortiSIEM is not an expensive solution."
"Pricing is determined based on the customer's budget."
"The solution is available for both, perpetual and subscription licenses."
"The tool is really expensive. For what the tool does for our team, the price is fair."
"The price of Fortinet FortiSIEM was reasonable compared to other solutions."
"Fortinet FortiSIEM is cheaper compared to other products."
"There are additional features that cost more than the standard licensing fees."
"The price of the solution is expensive. The license is scalable. If there are 10 devices it is simple to license."
More Fortinet FortiSIEM pricing and cost advice
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
13%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
13%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
7%
Government
7%
 

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 Business34
Midsize Enterprise21
Large Enterprise23
 

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
What do you like most about Fortinet FortiSIEM?
Fortinet FortiSIEM needs to provide better API integrations to users.
See all answers
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Fortinet FortiSIEM?
I am not familiar with the price and cost of Fortinet FortiSIEM. I cannot tell you if it is high, expensive, or low. However, I can say that it is cost-effective as it provides everything needed.
See all answers
What needs improvement with Fortinet FortiSIEM?
Regarding Fortinet FortiSIEM, I cannot identify any specific areas for improvement because I can find everything I need. For the time being, I cannot find a real point for improvement. Everything i...
See all answers
 

Comparisons

Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
Cisco DNA Center vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 54% of the time
Zabbix vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
Zabbix vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 16% of the time
SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
SolarWinds Network Automation Manager vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 13% 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 10% of the time
Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Logo
Icinga vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 8% of the time
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Competitors
IBM Security QRadar vs Fortinet FortiSIEM Logo
IBM Security QRadar vs Fortinet FortiSIEM
Compared 11% of the time
Splunk Enterprise Security vs Fortinet FortiSIEM Logo
Splunk Enterprise Security vs Fortinet FortiSIEM
Compared 11% of the time
Wazuh vs Fortinet FortiSIEM Logo
Wazuh vs Fortinet FortiSIEM
Compared 10% of the time
ManageEngine Log360 vs Fortinet FortiSIEM Logo
ManageEngine Log360 vs Fortinet FortiSIEM
Compared 7% of the time
LogRhythm SIEM vs Fortinet FortiSIEM Logo
LogRhythm SIEM vs Fortinet FortiSIEM
Compared 5% of the time
More Fortinet FortiSIEM Competitors
 

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
November 2025
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) reportDownload Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) product report
Buyer's Guide
Fortinet FortiSIEM
November 2025
Fortinet FortiSIEM reportDownload Fortinet FortiSIEM product report
 

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
FortiSIEM, AccelOps
 

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

FortiSIEM (formerly AccelOps 4) provides an actionable security intelligence platform to monitor security, performance and compliance through a single pane of glass.

Companies around the world use FortiSIEM for the following use cases:

  • Threat management and intelligence that provide situational awareness and anomaly detection
  • Alleviating compliance mandate concerns for PCI, HIPAA and SOX
  • Managing “alert overload”
  • Handling the “too many tools” reporting issue
  • Addressing the MSPs/MSSPs pain of meeting service level agreements
Fortinet
 

Sample Customers

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia
FortiSIEM has hundreds of customers worldwide in markets including managed services, technology, financial services, healthcare, and government. Customers include Aruba Networks, Compushare, Port of San Diego, Cleveland Indians, Infoblox, Healthways, and Referentia.
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. Fortinet FortiSIEM
May 2020
Free Report: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. Fortinet FortiSIEM
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