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.
Overall, I would recommend Cisco Data Center Network Manager, especially for those looking for comprehensive monitoring and management tools. I would rate the solution overall an eight out of ten.
You want to access one VM from another because there is East-West traffic among these centers. Any company needs it in our virtual environment. You want to collect this interval communication. You want to take it to Cisco security and secure it because you don't want somebody with access to one VM to access the Azure VM in the servers. You can only protect it if you use some mechanism in between. We tried to use the Cisco Firewall switch, but it was not working. Three guys are enough for the solution’s maintenance. All the integrations we made were with Cisco. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Some customers may opt for third-party network management, but specifically for Cisco Data Center, customers still prefer the product. I primarily work with virtualized and physical appliances for this solution. While there might be cloud options available, I haven't dealt with them. I don't have any unique capabilities to highlight for this product. I've heard that Cisco DCNM and Aruba have similar offerings. However, the factors influencing the choice often include how well the solutions integrate with the customer's environment, the quality of tech support, and the presence of local personnel or offices. The value in Investing in a data center is crucial because data centers are operationally critical, serving potentially hundreds of thousands of users, especially in sectors like banking or finance. It is essential to rely on dependable devices and services for the continuous operation of these critical facilities. Data centers require a reliable product network monitoring or management team to ensure constant traffic monitoring 24/7. I rate the product an eight out of ten.
We haven't got much to compare the product against. It is tied in with the Cisco equipment in the organization. Juniper is our backbone. I will recommend the product to others. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Learn what your peers think about Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
Whichever solution needs to be implemented, we can always work with Cisco Solutions. They have the right fit for everything, Cisco helps us select the right product. We work out a solution and vet it by Cisco; that's how we work. I would overall rate the solution an eight out of ten. The interface of this solution is easy to use overall and is intuitive enough.
We require approximately 10 people for the maintenance of the solution annually. My advice to others is to use continuous business support so if there are issues they will have support. I rate Cisco Data Center Network Manager a seven out of ten.
I give the solution a nine out of ten. We have two clients using the solution. One has a small data center and the other is running a large data center. Both clients are using Cisco DCNM Classic LAN - HA to manage the data centers. We integrated the NAC server (Cisco ISE) with this unit, so all users and their respective privileges are managed remotely instead of locally. We have a large number of users with varying privileges, and they can all access the unit based on the privileges they have been granted on the NAC server. The best Configuration Management an organization can use to manage Nexus boxes such as N2K, N3K, N5K, and N7K, is Cisco DCNM. The solution will also provide a full description of what is happening within the data center. We have Cisco Prime and NNMi, but these services cannot fully monitor or manage all the boxes. Therefore, Cisco DCNM is the best choice for managing the VDC. Cisco DCNM has three interfaces, one to connect to the out-of-bound boxes (Enhanced Fabric Management), an Enhanced-Fabric-Inband interface for inbound traffic, and a third interface for DCNM-management traffic. Because most of the servers have only one interface (inbound), they are not able to manage the entire box and VDCs. With Cisco DCNM's multiple interfaces, it is able to manage both the inbound and outbound traffic on the box. This makes Cisco DCNM the perfect solution to manage data center boxes.
I would advise those thinking of implementing Data Center Network Manager to get some expert supervision during the planning stage. I would give Data Center Network Manager a rating of nine out of ten.
IT Manager Network at a transportation company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Jul 16, 2020
Any company needs to understand that it requires a commitment, the need to employ somebody who's a specialist, who understands and can manage the portal itself. If you do that, there are many benefits to be had. I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
At this point, I am happy with this product and I would recommend it. I will only switch if somebody comes out with one that is much better. In general, this is a good solution, but there are still things that they need to work on. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
I would recommend Network Manager for small and medium scale companies. When it comes to larger scale companies, you would need to look at HP. I would rate this product a nine out of 10.
Solution Consultant at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Consultant
Jan 7, 2020
On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate Cisco Data Center Network Manager as an eight-out-of-ten. Maybe even a nine-out-of-ten. It is a very good product but every product can be improved. The documentation for this product can certainly be improved, for example.
This solution is the easiest and most straightforward. We would recommend it for sure. I would like to see more product devices and have the full software to the Data Center Management product to purchase. This is because the Data Center Network Manager doesn't support every product of Cisco. On a scale from one to 10, I would rate Cisco Data Center Network Manager an eight because there is room for improvement.
Solutions Architect at a comms service provider with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Sep 24, 2019
If they want to mix storage in it, they can use it to manage the devices. They cannot, however, do this through the database client. It can only be done through the manager. We are partners with Cisco. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
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...
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.
Cisco has AI switches already for AI use cases. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
Overall, I would recommend Cisco Data Center Network Manager, especially for those looking for comprehensive monitoring and management tools. I would rate the solution overall an eight out of ten.
You want to access one VM from another because there is East-West traffic among these centers. Any company needs it in our virtual environment. You want to collect this interval communication. You want to take it to Cisco security and secure it because you don't want somebody with access to one VM to access the Azure VM in the servers. You can only protect it if you use some mechanism in between. We tried to use the Cisco Firewall switch, but it was not working. Three guys are enough for the solution’s maintenance. All the integrations we made were with Cisco. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
Some customers may opt for third-party network management, but specifically for Cisco Data Center, customers still prefer the product. I primarily work with virtualized and physical appliances for this solution. While there might be cloud options available, I haven't dealt with them. I don't have any unique capabilities to highlight for this product. I've heard that Cisco DCNM and Aruba have similar offerings. However, the factors influencing the choice often include how well the solutions integrate with the customer's environment, the quality of tech support, and the presence of local personnel or offices. The value in Investing in a data center is crucial because data centers are operationally critical, serving potentially hundreds of thousands of users, especially in sectors like banking or finance. It is essential to rely on dependable devices and services for the continuous operation of these critical facilities. Data centers require a reliable product network monitoring or management team to ensure constant traffic monitoring 24/7. I rate the product an eight out of ten.
We haven't got much to compare the product against. It is tied in with the Cisco equipment in the organization. Juniper is our backbone. I will recommend the product to others. Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.
I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten.
Whichever solution needs to be implemented, we can always work with Cisco Solutions. They have the right fit for everything, Cisco helps us select the right product. We work out a solution and vet it by Cisco; that's how we work. I would overall rate the solution an eight out of ten. The interface of this solution is easy to use overall and is intuitive enough.
We require approximately 10 people for the maintenance of the solution annually. My advice to others is to use continuous business support so if there are issues they will have support. I rate Cisco Data Center Network Manager a seven out of ten.
I give the solution a nine out of ten. We have two clients using the solution. One has a small data center and the other is running a large data center. Both clients are using Cisco DCNM Classic LAN - HA to manage the data centers. We integrated the NAC server (Cisco ISE) with this unit, so all users and their respective privileges are managed remotely instead of locally. We have a large number of users with varying privileges, and they can all access the unit based on the privileges they have been granted on the NAC server. The best Configuration Management an organization can use to manage Nexus boxes such as N2K, N3K, N5K, and N7K, is Cisco DCNM. The solution will also provide a full description of what is happening within the data center. We have Cisco Prime and NNMi, but these services cannot fully monitor or manage all the boxes. Therefore, Cisco DCNM is the best choice for managing the VDC. Cisco DCNM has three interfaces, one to connect to the out-of-bound boxes (Enhanced Fabric Management), an Enhanced-Fabric-Inband interface for inbound traffic, and a third interface for DCNM-management traffic. Because most of the servers have only one interface (inbound), they are not able to manage the entire box and VDCs. With Cisco DCNM's multiple interfaces, it is able to manage both the inbound and outbound traffic on the box. This makes Cisco DCNM the perfect solution to manage data center boxes.
I rate this solution nine out of 10.
I rate this solution a six out of ten. It can be compared to VMWare but more as a complimentary solution than a competitor.
I would advise those thinking of implementing Data Center Network Manager to get some expert supervision during the planning stage. I would give Data Center Network Manager a rating of nine out of ten.
Any company needs to understand that it requires a commitment, the need to employ somebody who's a specialist, who understands and can manage the portal itself. If you do that, there are many benefits to be had. I would rate this solution an eight out of 10.
At this point, I am happy with this product and I would recommend it. I will only switch if somebody comes out with one that is much better. In general, this is a good solution, but there are still things that they need to work on. I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
I would recommend Network Manager for small and medium scale companies. When it comes to larger scale companies, you would need to look at HP. I would rate this product a nine out of 10.
On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate Cisco Data Center Network Manager as an eight-out-of-ten. Maybe even a nine-out-of-ten. It is a very good product but every product can be improved. The documentation for this product can certainly be improved, for example.
This solution is the easiest and most straightforward. We would recommend it for sure. I would like to see more product devices and have the full software to the Data Center Management product to purchase. This is because the Data Center Network Manager doesn't support every product of Cisco. On a scale from one to 10, I would rate Cisco Data Center Network Manager an eight because there is room for improvement.
I will rate Cisco Data Center Network a seven out of ten. In the future I would like to see it being more affordable.
If they want to mix storage in it, they can use it to manage the devices. They cannot, however, do this through the database client. It can only be done through the manager. We are partners with Cisco. I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.