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

Cisco and NETSCOUT are both solutions in the Network Monitoring Software category. Cisco is ranked #17 with an average rating of 8.0, while NETSCOUT is ranked #36 with an average rating of 10.0. Cisco holds a 0.6% mindshare in NMS, compared to NETSCOUT’s 0.4% mindshare. Additionally, 92% of Cisco users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of NETSCOUT 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
NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE
Read 6 NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE reviews
  • 668 Views
  • 621 Comparison Views
100% willing to recommend
 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller and NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE offer solutions in network management and monitoring. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller focuses on network automation and policy management, while NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE offers advanced network performance monitoring and diagnostics.

Features: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller automates data center environments with strong scalability, policy automation, and comprehensive fabric controller functionalities. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE provides real-time network performance insights, advanced diagnostics, and detailed analytic capabilities.

Room for Improvement: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller could benefit from enhanced analytic capabilities, more extensive diagnostics, and improved real-time performance monitoring. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE might improve with better scalability options, more comprehensive policy management, and stronger fabric controller functionalities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller offers straightforward deployment with strong customer service focused on comprehensive support. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE provides efficient deployment with commendable, monitoring-targeted support.

Pricing and ROI: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller is competitive in pricing, offering considerable ROI, particularly for large enterprises. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE has a higher initial setup cost but is worthwhile for its specialized features and significant long-term performance benefits.

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To learn more, read our detailed Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE Report (Updated: September 2025).
Buyer's Guide
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE
September 2025
Download the complete report
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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
17th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
25
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
36th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
6
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is 0.4%, up from 0.4% 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 nGeniusPULSE0.4%
Other99.0%
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
Leandro Di Maria - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers real-time monitoring capabilities, which help businesses optimize their operations
The tools are part of managed environments, but when the capabilities of the routers need to be increased, we use NETSCOUT to manage things at an international level. The tool's user interface is okay. It would be great if the tool could provide alerts during attacks in Spanish. In the next release, if the traffic analysis could send our company an alert before an attack starts, it would be even better. Before an attack starts, seeing the traffic behavior and activities would be great. The tool should also share alerts since it is an area where the product has certain shortcomings.
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 monitoring capability is the best in Cisco Data Center Network Manager. It helps me improve network management tasks and optimize processes."
"The most valuable feature is the connectivity monitoring."
"After installation, you almost forget that it is working."
"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."
"The product makes the management of our environment simpler."
"The feature I find most valuable, is the stability of the solution."
"It uses push technology, which pushes the changes to all relevant devices to ensure they are updated accordingly."
"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 is a very reliable and complete solution for troubleshooting and monitoring environments."
"The most valuable feature of NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is the network troubleshooting analysis. You can pinpoint an issue before it could shut down the network."
"I like the single pane of glass view. I like being able to go to one place instead of having to hunt around for everything."
"I like the single pane of glass view because it presents everything in one window, obviously. You can see it all. With a quick glance, you get a pretty good snapshot of what's going on in a particular situation."
"The most valuable features of this solution are monitoring and maintaining traffic queuing, as well as seeing who is using the bandwidth."
"The solution's technical support team consists of good engineers and technicians."
 

Cons

"It's a relatively expensive product for some clients."
"Sometimes the product gives us problems that require support."
"We need better performance and reliability."
"The automation feature could be improved."
"The tool's pricing strategy could be improved to compete more effectively in the market, especially against competitors like Huawei, Aruba, and Juniper."
"The visibility of applications is not great."
"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."
"API lacks robustness."
More Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) cons
"The GUI interface and dashboards could be more attractive to the customer."
"They require a lot of manual effort as traffic flows, networks, and formal times change."
"Before an attack starts, seeing the traffic behavior and activities would be great. The tool should also share alerts since it is an area where the product has certain shortcomings."
"The price of the solution could be reduced."
"In terms of additional features, I would like to see better event notification. Right now, we put in an email address to receive an alert and it receives every event and every alert that comes out. We need something a little more granular."
"Usability is the area with the biggest room for improvement. We've found that with NETSCOUT, while it's a fantastic product, the usability is a major factor because there are just way too many clicks. It's obvious, from our experience, that the people who are developing the product aren't using it."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."
"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."
"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."
"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 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."
"Cost is contracted on a yearly basis. There is no additional cost beyond the standard licensing."
"The tool's price is okay. On a scale of one to ten, I rate it as a five, where one means it is not expensive, and ten means it is the most expensive."
"The price of NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE is high. The other solutions are less expensive but we cannot depend on the other solutions, they are not as stable."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
13%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
17%
Computer Software Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Insurance Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise6
Large Enterprise15
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
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE?
The tool's price is okay. On a scale of one to ten, I rate it as a five, where one means it is not expensive, and ten means it is the most expensive.
See all answers
What needs improvement with NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE?
The tools are part of managed environments, but when the capabilities of the routers need to be increased, we use NETSCOUT to manage things at an international level. The tool's user interface is o...
See all answers
What is your primary use case for NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE?
I use the solution in my company to analyze international traffic.
See all answers
 

Comparisons

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SolarWinds NPM vs Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Compared 10% of the time
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Compared 8% of the time
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NETSCOUT nGeniusONE vs NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE
Compared 28% of the time
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Compared 28% of the time
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Compared 16% of the time
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Compared 14% of the time
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Compared 14% of the time
More NETSCOUT nGeniusPULSE Competitors
 

Product Reports

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

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
nGeniusPULSE
 

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

NETSCOUT’s nGeniusPULSE delivers the visibility needed into today’s evolving IT eco-system to ensure the availability, reliability, and performance of your mission-critical business services across your multi-cloud environment, from wherever users need access.

NETSCOUT
 

Sample Customers

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