DX Spectrum Reviews

Name: DX Spectrum
Brand: Broadcom
Rating: 4 (10 reviews)

Vendor: Broadcom

4.4 out of 5

10 reviews

2,539 followers

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DX Spectrum is a complete event and fault management system for network operations teams. The tool provides powerful capabilities for managing your dynamic, complex IT infrastructure, which includes physical, virtual, and cloud environments.The technology allows you to manage and optimize the infrastructure and the professional services that operate on top of it. DX Spectrum is a unified platform that helps your company enhance network service levels while lowering monitoring costs.

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Featured reviews

Calvin Lane

InfoVista Engineer at PCCW

Nov 3, 2022

One thing I would like to see improved is that it doesn't really allow for multi-tenancy. If you're an ISP or an MSP and you want to use this tool to provide these types of fault management services to your customers, you would need a separate SpectroSERVER for each customer, and probably a separate OneClick Console. You would almost need a separate instance of the tool running for each customer. Whereas other tools have multi-tenancy built-in, out-of-the-box, and you can stand up one instance of the tool. They should definitely try to change that to make it multi-tenancy-friendly because it's not at all. They could also improve how events are managed and correlated in the system. They need to make event management and correlation something that works from a group perspective, versus having to go into all these files and manipulate certain portions of a file to effectively manage events. That should be something that comes through in an interface.

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Uwe Wächter

Senior Consultant at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees

Nov 7, 2022

It's a bit too complex right now. From the point of DX Spectrum, you have to implement a lot of server components. It should be easier because a lot of automation is possible today in the market. If everything is already prepared, you just need one day to deploy it. It doesn't take so much time. The implementation strategy depends on the customer or data center environment and the processes. With preparation, it takes about one month. In terms of the staff required, you need just one person for the Spectrum piece, but of course, you need a few people for preparing the network, firewall rules, and things like that. In terms of maintenance, the maintenance is that you have to keep it up to date. Other than that, there is not so much to do.

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reviewer1237194

Senior Solution Director, DevOps at HCL Technologies

Feb 9, 2022

I have already been working with DX Spectrum a lot. It's one of the tools I'm using the most, e.g. for my customers, as I'm both an implementer and reseller. It's not only me who's working with it, as some of my team members also deal with this solution. This tool is now called DX NetOps Spectrum, and the latest release I've used is 21.2. We deploy it for our customers on-premises. We've never implemented it in SaaS. DX Spectrum is a very good solution. It's the best network monitoring tool in the market. How long the deployment for this solution takes will depend on the size of the customer, on the size of the environment. The minimum for a small customer would be five to ten days. For huge customers, deployment can take up to six months. Sometimes, when you are depending on use cases, we have to implement. My advice to people who are planning to implement DX Spectrum is for them to spend some time in designing what they want from the solution, because it's very scalable. You have a lot of options inside the solution, so your take time building strong specifications, then ensure that everything's being implemented smoothly. My rating for DX Spectrum is eight out of ten. The reason why I'm not putting a higher mark is because you can no longer sell it as a standalone product. I'm also a reseller, and it's impossible now to sell this solution in its form. You need to sell it as part of the NetOps, or suite of net tools inside the Broadcom portfolio, which is something feasible for big customers, but not for customers in small to medium-sized businesses. They would be interested in DX Spectrum, but not in the full suite of the network monitoring tool.

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Pricing

The pricing for DX Spectrum is considered expensive compared to other tools in the market. Users feel that the cost needs improvement and have had a negative experience with licensing and pricing since the acquisition by Broadcom.

The sales contracts have become complicated and the solution is much more expensive than before. Additionally, new customers cannot buy DX Spectrum directly, but instead, they can purchase DX NetOps, which includes Spectrum as part of the product family.

Some users are on a perpetual license, while others are transitioning to a subscription model.

ROI

The use of DX Spectrum has resulted in a reduction in operational costs and improved efficiency for companies. The automation and monitoring capabilities provided by the software have allowed the operators to quickly understand and address issues, leading to faster problem-solving and resolution. This has ultimately resulted in a higher return on investment.

Primary Use Case

The primary use case of DX Spectrum is network monitoring, including network discovery, performance monitoring, and alert management. It is primarily used in data centers and is effective in notifying users of any network equipment issues.

The solution is also used for configuration management and reporting. DX Spectrum is highly recommended for monitoring large-scale networks and is commonly used in secured networks.

Valuable Features

The most valuable features of DX Spectrum include its comprehensive alerts, web interface, capability of handling and monitoring with SNMP, Global Collections for efficient device management, SANM for customizable notifications, simplicity of configuration, scalability, carrier compatibility, event correlation mechanism, multi-customer approach, excellent network coverage, root cause analysis capabilities, stability, scalability, integration with CA Service Desk, and configuration manager.

Room for Improvement

The users of DX Spectrum have provided several suggestions for improvement. They mentioned that the product is complicated to use and requires training to learn effectively. The pricing of the solution is also considered to be high and could be better.

Users would like to see better integration with other Broadcom products, as currently, separate servers are needed for different functionalities. The lack of multi-tenancy capability is a drawback, and users would prefer a tool that allows for multiple customers to be managed on one instance. Event management and correlation need enhancement, as it currently requires manual manipulation of files.

The tool is also lacking in business layer integration and the ability to correlate infrastructure issues with business issues. Users expressed the need for improved reporting capabilities, easier device monitor configuration, and integration with reporting tools like Grafana.

The Java console is seen as unnecessary, and language support for Turkish is desired. Seamless integration with cloud-based management products and other Broadcom solutions is also suggested.

Initial Setup

The initial setup process for DX Spectrum varies in complexity and duration. Some users find it easy and straightforward, especially for Windows, while others consider it to be quite complex and require a lot of knowledge.

The setup process can involve deploying various server components, which can be time-consuming and may require a month of preparation. However, once everything is prepared, the actual deployment can be done in just one day.

The number of staff required also varies, with one person typically needed for the Spectrum piece and additional personnel for network preparation.

Maintenance mainly involves keeping the system up to date, with daily backups and replication between SpectroSERVERs needing to be maintained.

Scalability

The solution of DX Spectrum is generally considered to be scalable. Most users agree that DX Spectrum is highly scalable and has no limitations. The solution is used by large enterprises and the biggest ISPs and carriers in Turkey, for example, indicating its ability to handle a significant number of devices.

Customer Service and Support

The quality of customer service and support for DX Spectrum varies depending on the individuals involved. Some customers have had issues with the support quality when routed to India. However, others have had positive experiences, with most of the tech support people being knowledgeable and quick to help resolve problems.

Stability

Users generally have a positive view of the stability of the DX Spectrum solution. They rate it highly, mentioning that it is stable and mature, without any significant bugs. Some users acknowledge occasional issues, however, overall, they consider it a reliable and stable product.

Pricing

Some users are on a perpetual license, while others are transitioning to a subscription model.

ROI

Primary Use Case

The solution is also used for configuration management and reporting. DX Spectrum is highly recommended for monitoring large-scale networks and is commonly used in secured networks.

Valuable Features

Room for Improvement

The Java console is seen as unnecessary, and language support for Turkish is desired. Seamless integration with cloud-based management products and other Broadcom solutions is also suggested.

Initial Setup

The number of staff required also varies, with one person typically needed for the Spectrum piece and additional personnel for network preparation.

Maintenance mainly involves keeping the system up to date, with daily backups and replication between SpectroSERVERs needing to be maintained.

Scalability

Customer Service and Support

Stability

These insights are based on the in-depth reviews provided by peers to help you make a better buying decision.

Download our DX Spectrum Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.

Learn more about DX Spectrum

DX Spectrum has intelligent event correlation and root-cause analysis capabilities. It can pinpoint the precise components that are causing issues with availability and network settings. Reports and dashboards can be customized with role-based views. Change management solutions can also be used by teams to govern, track, and remediate changes across network devices.

DX Spectrum can identify multi-technology and multi-vendor stacks, as well as new software-defined networks (SDNs). It supports Multicast, MPLS, VPN, and VRF, among other routing protocols and technologies.

DX Spectrum Features

DX Spectrum has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:

Service management: DX Spectrum assists personnel in discovering, modeling, visualizing, monitoring, and managing the links between infrastructure and the business services it supports.

Fault detection: DX Spectrum offers unique solutions that automate device discovery and root cause analysis, allowing for faster issue detection and resolution.

Change management capabilities: DX Spectrum gives administrators the visibility and control they need to prevent erroneous modifications from causing network performance problems and outages.

Comprehensive visibility: With DX Spectrum, managers can receive comprehensive insight across physical, virtualized, and cloud environments, as well as a variety of technologies, platforms, and suppliers.

Customization: DX Spectrum provides administrators, users, and customers with pre-packaged, easily configurable dashboards and reports that may be adjusted to their individual needs. For maximum performance and visibility, it is intimately connected with other solutions within the DX Service Assurance and DX Service Management systems.

DX Spectrum Benefits

There are many benefits to implementing DX Spectrum. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:

Reduce symptomatic alarms and hasten resolution with DX Spectrum’s root-cause analysis and robust event correlation. Automatically map the relationships between your network infrastructure to find the source of service issues for faster resolution. Whether it's a network configuration or availability issue, our network fault management system pinpoints the exact component responsible for the issue.
DX Spectrum supports network access from wireless wearables, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. Provide network operators with the tools they need to manage their wireless networks, decrease outages, and make them as stable as their wired networks. For wired and wireless networks, DX Spectrum offers a unified view.

Fault and event management can be integrated across the Agile Ops, Network Operations, and Analytics portfolios. Fault, inventory, and topology knowledge are combined with performance, application, and log monitoring and a unified view across a full-stack NetOps solution. Additional connections include business service and service desk management.

Reviews from Real Users

DX Spectrum stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust root cause analysis and its event correlation tool. PeerSpot users take note of the advantages of these features in their reviews:

Umair A., Enterprise Solutions & Services Head at Duroob Technologies, writes of the product, “It covers networks very well. It has all the capabilities that you're looking for when it comes to monitoring. Spectrum is great for root cause analysis. It has excellent correlation event management. Spectrum's stability and scalability are also amazing. If you have a CA Service Desk, then it can be integrated so that if you have open tickets they can be closed automatically.”

Itarchit, an IT Architect at a comms service provider, notes, “The most valuable feature is the event correlation mechanism. I also like the product's multi-customer approach.” He adds, “We haven't seen a better product. Overall, I am happy with this solution. Based on the current market, I would rate DX Spectrum a nine out of ten.”

DX Spectrum was previously known as CA Spectrum.

DX Spectrum is the #1 ranked solution in top DX NetOps tools, #4 ranked solution in top Network Management Applications, #6 ranked solution in top Network Troubleshooting tools, #12 ranked solution in best Network Monitoring Tools, and #14 ranked solution in Infrastructure Monitoring tools. PeerSpot users give DX Spectrum an average rating of 8.8 out of 10. DX Spectrum is most commonly compared to DX NetOps: DX Spectrum vs DX NetOps. DX Spectrum is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 68% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 17% of all views.