Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs DX Performance Management comparison

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. DX Performance Management

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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 Secure Network Analytics

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

32nd

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Traffic Analysis (NTA) (5th), Network Detection and Response (NDR) (7th), Cisco Security Portfolio (7th)

DX Performance Management

Ranking in Network Monitoring Software

38th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Infrastructure Capacity Planning (1st), DX NetOps (2nd)

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Network Monitoring Software category, the mindshare of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is 0.9%, down from 1.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of DX Performance Management is 0.8%, up from 0.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Cisco Secure Network Analytics	0.9%
DX Performance Management	0.8%
Other	98.3%

Network Monitoring Software

Featured Reviews

Muhammad Harun-Owr-Roshid

CEO at BRIGHT-i SYSTEMS LIMITED

Have streamlined network visibility and troubleshooting while seeing benefits from AI integration

In terms of improvements for Cisco Secure Network Analytics, from the implementation point of view, now that AI is in use, some other features need to be upgraded considering AI solutions. Proper management of the database is also important; it should be centralized for easier data collection from a single database. When precise manual analysis is needed, it's sometimes difficult, so having a centralized database will allow network admins to find actual scenarios more effectively, especially since some information may not be visible on the GUI. Cisco should upgrade their hardware part to run the database, because sometimes it cannot handle the load while all features are running in the network. The database management should indeed be centralized because while AI runs behind the systems, central management is essential. For example, in a network with 100 Cisco switches, a few routers, firewalls, and access points, all data generated should be preserved in a central database. This approach simplifies management and analysis for troubleshooting, as GUI interfaces may not always provide visible information. Centralizing the database will allow for better understanding of which information is preserved for each specific device.

Read full review

reviewer1810893

Senior IT Operations Specialist at a financial services firm with 5,001-10,000 employees

Flexibility and detailed performance stats enable effective network monitoring

Spectrum is very good at monitoring all network faults and configurations. It enables me to take action based on network issues. The Performance Management provides detailed network performance stats, including CPU, memory, and interface bandwidth. Additionally, Spectrum is flexible and allows me to organize and treat devices uniquely without impacting other devices.

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

"Another notable feature of Cisco Secure Network Analytics is its Layer 7 visibility, which allows us to monitor and analyze network communications at the application layer."

"If you are using Darktrace or NAC solutions you can integrate Stealthwatch."

"Stealthwatch has greatly improved our network visibility, in terms of bandwidth, malware, and PCI violations."

"We use it to monitor for any anomaly behavior and analyze results."

"Using this solution has helped us to detect and identify viruses or malicious activity in the network early on."

"Ease of deployment, once you get your ducks in a row."

"There's nothing like it and a dream to operate, very intuitive."

"Using the Cognitive Analytics feature, we have complete visibility that we didn’t have before."

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics pros

"I can get it to run a report showing, for instance, what root drives are in the critical range in terms of being full, like 90 percent full, and disseminate that information to the other areas of the organization."

"The solution's performance itself is very good because it is a vertical database that loads very fast in comparison to other products."

"When devices are having performance issues, it proactively build dashboards which allow us to go and do health checks, and resolve problems before they become an issue."

"It is very easy to add devices; just be aware that it requires SNMP to be enabled."

"It has improved efficiency because now there is the one-stop shop where you can view all your data, instead of needing to click around in four different tools."

"What is most useful is visibility."

"The most valuable of CA Performance Management is consolidated network infrastructure monitoring and reporting."

"It makes things faster when we have our network operations center, they can look at their dashboards that we've created for them, and they can see problems immediately."

More DX Performance Management pros

Cons

"The solution should have the ability to analyze security events not only at the network layer but also at the application and OS layers."

"Complexity on integration is not so straightforward and you really need an expert to help build it out."

"Stealthwatch is still maturing in AI. It uses artificial intelligence for predictions, but AI still needs to mature."

"I would like to see some improvement when it comes to reporting."

"Cisco Stealthwatch is scalable with money. It's expensive."

"I think the interface is a little lacking. The interface seems like it just needs to be modernized. It's been the same interface now, ever since I've seen it probably four years ago."

"This is an expensive product. We have quit paying for support because we don't want to have to upgrade it and keep paying for it."

"There could be better integration on the programming side, which uses Python."

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics cons

"I think it would be helpful having a more comprehensive set of certifications so that I could natively deploy devices to my environment and the tool would immediately recognize and immediately be able to provide relevant performance information without a lot of tuning on my part."

"The quantity of views which are tied to specific metric families is too high. Also, the problem is the view doesn't tell you which metric family it uses, so you don't know why you don't see data."

"It could be a little easier to integrate new metrics."

"The certificates are not complete. CA needs to provide more support for the product through certificates."

"This may be available by now but for server space, when it comes to the disk file system, I'd like to see that graphically represented, or the trend, rather than what I'm seeing now."

"One of the greatest challenges we have encountered are the polling cycles."

"Some of the individual report views, the way some of the columns sort, there's room for improvement in giving us more flexibility in being able to sort reports based, for example, on what columns the metrics fall under."

"CA PM Business Hours Filtering: I understand that all monitoring systems have defects. The Business Hours Filtering does not always function properly. Sometimes, when applying business hours to CA PM reports that are 30 or more days in duration, the report generation times out and does not display results. We have other CA PM reports that, when we apply Business Hours Filtering, the report results displayed are the same as without the filter. We are not sure if this is a defect in CA PM or if it is a result of our complex configuration (folder structure) and application of business hours."

More DX Performance Management cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"It is worth the cost."

"The solution is expensive. It costs several hundred thousand dollars per year (depending on how many flows you are collecting)."

"Today, we are part of the big Cisco ELA, and it is a la carte. We can get orders for whatever we want. At the end of the day, we have to pay for it in one big expense, but that is fine. We are okay with that."

"This is an expensive product. We have quit paying for support because we don't want to have to upgrade it and keep paying for it."

"NetFlow is very expensive."

"Licensing is done by flows per second, not including outside (in traffic)."

"There are additional licenses needed for the number of so-called network flows. It's hard to plan the number of flows you need in the network, this is a problem. The price of the Cisco Stealthwatch is relatively inexpensive"

"The yearly licensing cost is about $50,000."

More Cisco Secure Network Analytics pricing and cost advice

"I like the licensing model because it's device-based."

"Do your homework and know how many devices you will be managing out of the gate. Be sure to project what your growth will be each year."

"We purchase a license to use the solution every three years and we have multiple contracts. They have been increasing the price annually. We have a baseline for three years and then we need to pay the difference from the baseline, and we are in the process of negotiating a new price for all the licenses we need. The price overall is affordable."

"We were looking at other vendors in the marketplace for NetFlow, and CA just beat everybody else in price, cost, and the size to implement. "

"The tool's pricing is based on the number of network devices."

"They should provide more scalable licensing for the product."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

10%

Construction Company

Outsourcing Company

23%

Construction Company

11%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	12
Midsize Enterprise	7
Large Enterprise	52

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Large Enterprise	25

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco Stealthwatch?

Regarding cost, for the Bangladesh context, Cisco Secure Network Analytics is a little bit high-priced because we are a developing country, making it tough to manage affordable solutions. However, ...

What needs improvement with Cisco Stealthwatch?

Several features often look very promising during evaluation or implementation but end up being used only lightly in day-to-day operations. Advanced reporting and scheduled compliance reports look ...

What is your primary use case for Cisco Stealthwatch?

My main use case for Cisco Secure Network Analytics has been network visibility and anomaly-based threat detection within the enterprise environment. In security operations and VAPT-related activit...

What needs improvement with DX Performance Management?

Spectrum's topology view sometimes does not rebuild automatically when a device is shut down and reconnected. It requires manual discovery and rebuilding of the topology, which I hope can be improved.

What is your primary use case for DX Performance Management?

I have used Spectrum for monitoring all network faults, configurations, and troubleshooting network issues. It provides network performance stats, such as CPU, memory, and interface bandwidth detai...

What advice do you have for others considering DX Performance Management?

I would recommend this solution based on its functionality, flexibility, customizability, and ease of use. Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. I am just a customer and not a par...

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Product Reports

Cisco Secure Network Analytics

Download Cisco Secure Network Analytics product report

DX Performance Management

Download DX Performance Management product report

Also Known As

Cisco Stealthwatch, Cisco Stealthwatch Enterprise, Lancope StealthWatch

CA Performance Management

Overview

Cisco Secure Network Analytics enhances network security through integrated threat detection and detailed traffic visibility, optimizing performance with AI analytics and strong platform integrations.

Cisco Secure Network Analytics offers deep visibility into network traffic, with tools like network maps and server response times. Its AI-driven analytics help detect threats, focusing on east-west traffic. Integration with platforms such as pxGrid and ISE complements its capabilities. Reporting and telemetry help in identifying bandwidth issues, yet improvements are desired in AI for better data organization. Installation complexity and false positives present challenges, and managing network loads effectively is a recognized need.

What are the key features of Cisco Secure Network Analytics?

Deep Visibility: Provides comprehensive insights into network traffic and server behavior.
Network Maps: Enhances understanding of traffic flow and infrastructure layout.
AI Analytics: Uses AI for superior threat detection and anomaly recognition.
Integration: Compatible with platforms like pxGrid and ISE for enhanced security management.
Telemetry: Delivers detailed bandwidth usage and traffic analysis reports.

How does Cisco Secure Network Analytics provide value?

Enhanced Security: Elevates threat detection and response capabilities.
Traffic Insights: Identifies encrypted and anomalous network behaviors.
Compliance Support: Assists in meeting industry standards for data protection.
Endpoint Protection: Guards network endpoints against potential threats.

Industries such as banking, defense, and police rely on Cisco Secure Network Analytics for securing networks against threats. Its capability to provide insights into encrypted traffic and facilitate device auditing makes it a sought-after choice for those requiring extensive network visibility. Users appreciate its application for threat prevention and response in demanding sectors.

Cisco

DX Performance Management provides crucial network visibility and performance monitoring, offering device certification, integration with key tools, and efficient network analytics through advanced features.

DX Performance Management is a comprehensive solution for network performance, health, and capacity monitoring. It facilitates baselining, trending, and real-time visibility, aiding in capacity planning and incident alerting. It integrates with services like NetFlow, NFA, and ADA, supporting multiple device types. Its database performance allows for efficient analysis with scalability across different device counts, while customizable dashboards provide a single-pane-of-glass view for network insights.

What are the key features of DX Performance Management?

Device Certification: Ensures network devices meet specific standards and requirements through thorough certification processes.
Integration: Seamlessly connects with NetFlow, NFA, ADA, Spectrum, and CAPC for robust network insights.
Report Generation: Offers automated report generation for enhanced network analysis.
Customizable Dashboards: Provides a tailored view of network performance metrics on a single screen.
Advanced Alerting: Monitors network conditions with sophisticated alerting mechanisms for proactive responses.
Scalability: Adapts to growing network demands with efficient performance across multiple device counts.
Multi-Tenancy: Supports various tenants within the same infrastructure, ensuring resource optimization.
Historical Data Analysis: Delivers past performance data for in-depth trend analysis and decision support.

Which benefits and ROI should users expect from using DX Performance Management?

Efficiency: Enhances network analysis through fast database performance and customizable interfaces.
Decision-Making: Improves decision support via comprehensive visibility and detailed performance metrics.
Scalability: Offers a flexible solution capable of growing with network demands.
Customization: Allows tailoring of reports and dashboards to meet specific analytical needs.
Integration: Provides seamless connectivity with other network management tools and service desks.

Network service providers implement DX Performance Management to deliver in-depth insights, monitoring routers and switches for SNMP data collection, aiding CPU, memory, and interface utilization analysis. It's integrated with network fault management and service desks, providing comprehensive performance analytics.

Broadcom

Sample Customers

Edge Web Hosting, Telenor Norway, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, Webster Financial Corporation, Westinghouse Electric, VMware, TIAA-CREF

Jack Henry & Assoc, Target, CenturyLink, Bell Canada, BrightHouse Networks, Telus, Unisys, Verizon, Southern California Edison, GEICO, Fidelity Investments, Wells Fargo, American Family Insurance Group, Deutsche Telekom AG

Cisco Secure Network Analytics vs. DX Performance Management