Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

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

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Oct 10, 2024

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
Opsview
Ranking in Network Monitoring Software
37th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
Server Monitoring (15th), IT Infrastructure Monitoring (35th), Cloud Monitoring Software (26th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 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 Opsview is 0.4%, down from 0.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Network Monitoring Software
 

Featured Reviews

OusaidAbaz - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides spine-leaf architecture and support integration with programming languages
Configuring Cisco Nexus switches is relatively straightforward, especially if you're familiar with configuring Catalyst switches. The primary differences between Catalyst and Nexus switches lie in their system architecture and CLI commands. Nexus configurations can differ by about 20-30% from Catalyst configurations. For instance, while certain features may be enabled by default on Catalyst switches, they need to be explicitly enabled on Nexus switches. Maintaining a solution like this involves several support options, such as Cisco Smart Net. Smart Net is a support program that provides SLAs if the Nexus switches go down. With Smart Net, you can choose different levels of support, such as 2-hour, 4-hour, or 2-business-day response times. This ensures that Cisco will provide a replacement switch as quickly as possible if a Nexus switch fails or is out of service. The Nexus switches are known for their stability and high performance, so they have a higher price tag. Due to their cost, they are typically suited for large enterprises rather than small or medium-sized businesses. Major corporations, such as banks, multinational companies, and large industrial firms, have the budget for these high-end switches. The investment is justified by their advanced features and reliability, making them ideal for large-scale environments. Overall, I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Jeff Cronstrom - PeerSpot reviewer
A highly stable solution that can be used to monitor system availability
The most valuable feature of Opsview is the ability to clone the services when you're monitoring something out of the test setup. You can clone that service, and it allows you to add new services quickly. You can bring up new servers, and you can easily add them. Also, there's an API to be able to add services as well. We don't use the API. We mostly use the cloning function because it stores everything in a back-end database. The underlying monitoring platform for our version is Nagios. That's where we upgraded from Nagios to Opsview.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The product makes the management of our environment simpler."
"The product has excellent stability."
"Monitoring system provides a clear indication of what's going on in the network."
"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 most valuable features of Cisco Data Center Network Manager are consistency and the core server. The teams have had a good experience."
"The feature I find most valuable, is the stability of the solution."
"After installation, you almost forget that it is working."
"VCNM provides a unique capability of managing the admin VDCs of Nexus boxes."
"We use this solution for internal monitoring our own cloud platform because we are a public cloud provider. We also use it for monitoring purposes on behalf of our clients."
"I am satisfied with the overall product since it works well…It is a stable solution."
"The most valuable feature of Opsview is the ability to clone the services when you're monitoring something out of the test setup."
"It's a good solution. It covers all aspects of monitoring purposes."
"What was very compelling about OpsView was that we could dial out the noise and have meaningful and actionable alerts."
 

Cons

"It's a relatively expensive product for some clients."
"Could integrate better with VMware products."
"The tool should be more user-friendly and improve AI integration."
"Sometimes the product gives us problems that require support."
"Automation for the RMA process can be added."
"It is not very easy to monitor or to browse."
"It would be nice to have the ability to more easily collect information from other software when doing some types of analysis."
"We need better performance and reliability."
"Customized reporting can be improved."
"Pricing and a few certain aspects in the solution needs to be improved."
"Maybe the graphical representation can be improved. It can be enhanced for better visualization. It could be a little better. And the graph center can be improved."
"Some of the graphics on Opsview could be improved."
"In a future release, we would like to have Observ for AI. Any AI and intelligence it can add to the monitoring is obviously beneficial. We would also like to have automated callouts."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"When we purchase a Nexus box, the MDS CM license comes with it."
"The product is licensed with contracts that work on a yearly basis rather than a monthly model."
"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 solution is very expensive."
"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 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."
"The solution is not cheap. I think that the pricing is a little bit on the high side."
"I would rate pricing a seven out of ten, where ten is the highest price."
"The solution is priced similarly to other tools offering similar features."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Network Monitoring Software solutions are best for your needs.
850,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
12%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Computer Software Company
21%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Government
7%
 

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 Opsview Monitor?
The most valuable feature of Opsview is the ability to clone the services when you're monitoring something out of the test setup.
What needs improvement with Opsview Monitor?
Some of the graphics on Opsview could be improved.
What is your primary use case for Opsview Monitor?
Opsview is used to monitor system availability, whether its service is running on disk usage, CPU usage, etc.
 

Also Known As

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
Opsview Monitor, Opsview Enterprise
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Banco de Guayaquil, Cox Communications, Kuwait Petroleum Italia, Roper St. Francis, University of British Columbia
IBM, BT, Cisco, Sky, UPS, Capgemini, Visolit, Fujitsu Services UK, UKCloud, Massachusetts Insitute of Technology, Cornell University, Incomm
Find out what your peers are saying about Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs. Opsview and other solutions. Updated: April 2025.
850,349 professionals have used our research since 2012.