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OpenText Network Node Manager i vs SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

OpenText Network Node Manag...
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
5.8
Number of Reviews
24
Ranking in other categories
Network Management Applications (15th)
SolarWinds Network Configur...
Average Rating
8.2
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
27
Ranking in other categories
Configuration Management (12th), Network Automation (4th)
 

Mindshare comparison

While both are Network Management solutions, they serve different purposes. OpenText Network Node Manager i is designed for Network Management Applications and holds a mindshare of 2.4%, up 1.6% compared to last year.
SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager, on the other hand, focuses on Configuration Management, holds 1.4% mindshare, up 1.1% since last year.
Network Management Applications
Configuration Management
 

Featured Reviews

Qusai Abuomar - PeerSpot reviewer
Network performance optimization achieved with comprehensive visibility and effective event handling
The root cause analysis is valuable. The availability and event handling are also very good, as our team understands the events well. Overall, the tool helps maintain the health of the network. It provides visibility for the network device status, link status, and hardware status of devices such as switches and routers.
RajeshB - PeerSpot reviewer
Offers additional functionality, including warranty management
Setting up a solution involves configuring a server and a web console, which is straightforward. Network team coordination is necessary when applying it to devices. This involves creating device connection profiles and ensuring SNMP is enabled. Initially, there were challenges involved in this process, but once the setup was complete, operations proceeded smoothly. All network devices are automatically added to NPM during auto-discovery in SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor, including Network Configuration Manager features. Once configuration profile credentials are established in NCM, they are automatically deployed to all network devices. The solution is easy to use and deploy, although initial setup may require coordination and overcoming challenges.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"You can utilize the main file from various vendors for integration."
"Real time network monitoring application: It is very stable, which provides quick root cause analysis (RCA) for any network faults."
"If you install one node on Network Node Manager and want to scale it up, it's pretty easy to create more nodes."
"Overall, the tool helps maintain the health of the network."
"It is stable for fault and availability."
"The best feature is the solution's entire credibility with all vendors."
"It's quite a mature solution."
"Our monitoring and network teams of less than 100 people use this solution. The availability and fault monitoring are good."
"It's perfect for network configuration management. It's easy to use."
"It is a stable solution."
"I use it for monitoring the entire network for the company. We oversee nodes down, we oversee devices heading up to crossing the threshold for CPU usage. We oversee power so power backups on the switches, we oversee if they're down or if they're failing. We oversee any node down or any router from any vendor."
"NCM also helps with vulnerability assessment and remediation."
"It allows us to manage backups in big companies. It is also useful in managing the configuration changes."
"Configuration refers to the specific settings and options that determine how a device or system behaves. It can include things, such as network settings, security settings, and other options that are specific to the device or system in question. One of the most valuable features of the solution was its ability to track and monitor changes to the configuration of devices on a network. This can be useful for troubleshooting and identifying potential issues. By keeping track of who made changes to the configuration and when it can be easier to determine the cause of any problems that may arise."
"The most valuable Real-time fault detection is beneficial as it enables the identification of changes made to a device's configuration through the SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. This makes it easy to pinpoint which configurations were added or removed, potentially causing network issues. Such changes are saved in logs for future reference."
"The network performance monitoring of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager is a vital feature"
 

Cons

"Micro Focus Network Node Manager is not powered to drill down for traffic visibility."
"We had some issues with some of the features, some modules are not meeting expectations."
"They should add AI options in the product's next release."
"Only to improve the GUI."
"The solution should integrate with NAC servers."
"The dashboards are not customizable and it's not user-friendly."
"As the technologies evolve, also these solutions or the monitoring tools should evolve to cover the progress in technology, including capabilities related to monitoring of virtualized devices today, as the DNS is on the table in this way."
"The resources utilized could be a bit higher, and that is one of the challenges that isn't optimized"
"Its look and feel can be improved. They can also put in more effort into building the THWACK community and use the information about various customer issues and requests to build the new releases."
"I would like to see more features in terms of wireless reporting and more historical information for client connectivity in SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."
"Further improvements in automation are needed. Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly, and we expect more comprehensive device control."
"We want to be able to store it in a data warehouse format and integrate it with Google single sign-on."
"The only thing that requires some experience, and training doesn't fix, is how to set up your custom policy-based reports to check compliance."
"On NCM, reporting could be a bit better. It's completely become just one report. When I try to create a custom report, the solution just commits old server data."
"The Network Configuration Manager needs to improve the access control list compliance."
"Our experience has shown that most of the problems we've had with SolarWinds NCM are related to software issues."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The solution is quite expensive."
"It's an expensive solution."
"It is more inexpensive than other products in the market."
"The solution is priced mid-range compared to the competition."
"I wasn't involved in the pricing, but I think it's quite expensive."
"I have a yearly subscription."
"There is a license for the use of this solution and it is priced well, there is a lot of value for the money."
"In Africa, the cost is a major factor in decision-making for many companies. As a result, some companies may choose cheaper solutions, even if they are open-source, over more expensive ones, such as SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager. However, as an engineer, I believe that the functionalities and services offered by SolarWinds justify the cost. Nonetheless, many companies in Africa may still view the prices as unaffordable."
"Additional costs beyond the standard licensing fee are inevitable."
"There is a license needed to use SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager."
"We have to pay additionally for its support and maintenance."
"Available at a moderate price"
"You have a base license for 50 devices, and then you can add more licenses as you go."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
20%
Financial Services Firm
12%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Government
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
They should add AI options in the product's next release.
What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Node Manager?
We use the product monitoring network infrastructure, interfaces, and devices.
What do you like most about SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The configuration compliance aspect of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager allows for easy comparison of configuration settings across branches, ensuring adherence to security guidelines and b...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
The licensing costs of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager are expensive, but considering its reliability, feature enhancements, and support, it is worthwhile.
What needs improvement with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager?
Further improvements in automation are needed. Currently, there are limitations in performing tasks without logging into routers directly, and we expect more comprehensive device control.
 

Also Known As

Micro Focus Network Node Manager, Network Node Manager, HPE Network Node Manager
SolarWinds NCM
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

IPC, Exelon, VivaCom, 
United Lincolnshire Hospitals, Air Rarotonga, NetSuite, Thai AirAsia, REA Group, 335th Signal Command, Agilisys, Marine Expeditionary Force
Find out what your peers are saying about OpenText Network Node Manager i vs. SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager and other solutions. Updated: March 2023.
849,686 professionals have used our research since 2012.