Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Reviews

Name: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)
Brand: Cisco
Rating: 4.0 (25 reviews)

Vendor: Cisco

4.0 out of 5

25 reviews
92% willing to recommend

1,082 followers

What is Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)?

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 non-Nexus OS platforms make it a robust tool for LAN, SAN, and IP Fabric for Media management. Additionally, NDFC enhances fabric reliability, automates workflows, and supports cloud connectivity with AWS and Microsoft Azure, making it ideal for businesses adapting to increasingly complex digital environments.

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Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is the #18 ranked solution in best Network Monitoring Tools. PeerSpot users give Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) an average rating of 8.0 out of 10. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is most commonly compared to Zabbix: Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs Zabbix. Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) is popular among the large enterprise segment, accounting for 66% of users researching this solution on PeerSpot. The top industry researching this solution are professionals from a computer software company, accounting for 24% of all views.

Buyer's Guide

Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM)

February 2025

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Helped 832,138 peers since 2012

Featured reviews

Olajide Olusegun

Network Team Lead at Atlas Security

The reporting is not very intuitive and has room for improvement. I opened a case with Cisco regarding the DCNM report, however, they were unable to help me. The report comes in the form of a programmable report, which requires high-level knowledge of Python and JSON script. As I was in a meeting and had to present the report, I had to settle for generating an Excel sheet to showcase the data. Unfortunately, this was not well-received as they expected a more detailed report. In order to identify any issues in the data center, we must thoroughly examine a variety of components such as links, errors, SSPs, supervisor engines, power supply, and more. Forty of each element need to be examined.

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OusaidAbaz

Security Network Architect at Inmac

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.

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Upul Abhayasena

Manager - Technology at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees

DCNM is used by one of the airline customers in Qatar to manage many data centers and rack switches running on normal Nexus or NX-OS mode. They required a controller platform to manage these Nexus switches, and thus, they utilized DCNM as a Fabric controller. Given that ACI deployment is very low…

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Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) mindshare

As of February 2025, the mindshare of Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) in the Network Monitoring Software category stands at 0.5%, up from 0.4% compared to the previous year, according to calculations based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Monitoring Software

PeerAnalyst reports

Type	Title	Date
Category	Network Monitoring Software	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Product	Reviews, tips, and advice from real users	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs Zabbix	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs Auvik Network Management (ANM)	Feb 1, 2025	Download
Comparison	Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) vs Datadog	Feb 1, 2025	Download

Title	Rating	Mindshare	Recommending
Zabbix	4.2	12.2%	95%	105 interviews Add to research
SolarWinds NPM	4.1	4.6%	92%	157 interviews Add to research

Valuable Features

"Stability is not an issue."
"The automation capability is more than enough. It depends on how we consider and integrate the automation engine. We need to ensure the automation engine and then how to perform it. It depends on the policy making, API integration, and other integrations."
"It has a very nice dashboard so you can see what's currently happening in the network and the performance of the back story."

Room for Improvement

"More integration features would be beneficial."
"The tool should be more user-friendly and improve AI integration."
"It's very costly."

Pricing

The pricing for Cisco Data Center Network Manager is considered expensive compared to other vendors on the market. However, customers find value in the solution and believe that the pricing is justified due to the use cases and the confidence they have in Cisco's implementation.

The licensing cost is also on the higher side, but it is transparent and not complex. Customers mention that they do not need to pay for the DCNM license separately as it is included when purchasing Nexus switches.

"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."
"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."
"I would say that the pricing offers great value for the money."

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

Download our Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller (Formerly DCNM) Buyer's Guide for additional reliable information.