Cisco Prime [EOL] Reviews

We use Cisco Prime for managing and monitoring the Cisco network.

As a large organization, it is difficult to individually monitor every device. Instead, we use Cisco Prime to keep an eye on the network and services.

We do not use it as a node tool, as we have other tools for network operation centers.

When services go down, it can cause issues, we rely on Cisco Prime to monitor and notify us of any service disruptions.

We mainly use Cisco Prime Infrastructure for configuration-level tasks.

We also use Cisco Prime Infrastructure to back up all our Cisco devices including routers, switches, wireless devices, and controllers.

We are extremely satisfied with the reliability and robustness of Cisco Prime Infrastructure, which we have been using for many years.

Compared to newer products such as DNS centers or others, it has proven to be much more stable, which is important for large-scale operations.

Stability is a primary concern for us, and we are glad that Cisco Prime Infrastructure meets our expectations in that regard.

Furthermore, in regards to Legacy Plus new hardware, Cisco Prime has proven to be a reliable and adaptable solution thus far. Not only can it support older hardware, but it also has the capability to handle new features with the latest updates.

If we consider new solutions such as DNS Center, we may have to sacrifice some legacy features that we still rely on. We may need to continue using these legacy features for a few more years due to various reasons such as budget constraints or the site not being a high priority. However, if we switch to a new product at this stage, we may lose a lot of the monitoring and other capabilities that we have with Cisco Prime.

We have a close relationship with Cisco and understand that they are not prioritizing investments in Cisco Prime as they are encouraging customers to adopt the Cisco DNA Center. This means that we don't anticipate many new features to be added to the product in the future. While we know that we will eventually have to transition to a new solution, in the meantime, we plan to do a quick refresh of our legacy products.

I have been working with Cisco Prime for more than two years.

We are using the latest version.

I would rate the stability of Cisco Prime an eight out of ten.

This is not merely software, but rather a hybrid platform that connects your network devices. To access this platform, you use the WSM URL. It functions as an open network operations team. Typically, it takes around 15 to 20 minutes to connect to the platform.

Certainly, regular maintenance is required for the platform. This may include various types of maintenance activities such as upgrading to a new version if there are any known vulnerabilities in the existing version, as recommended by Cisco or other vendors. Additionally, if there are any operational challenges with certain features, we perform maintenance activities by applying updates.

The maintenance of the platform can be handled by a single individual as it mostly involves logical maintenance, rather than physical. However, since our organization is large and we have multiple levels of support with Cisco, we also receive online support from them.

If there are no issues, they are just on standby. However, when there are security concerns, we perform the necessary upgrades.

I would rate the scalability of Cisco Prime a six out of ten. 

To scale up from a hundred to a thousand devices, the platform needs to be rebuilt logically. This process might require a downtime window and may involve changing the hardware or upgrading to a larger appliance.

Cisco technical support is helpful, stable, and responsive.

They are market leaders in this network.

There are multiple types of products from Cisco. Considering this product, I would rate the technical support a seven out of ten.

I have used SolarWinds, as well as the Huawei eSight.

I recently transitioned to a new organization that was already using this product, and it had been implemented in various other organizations as well.

The product is not overly complicated. It has been in the market for a few years now and has become more stable. Any issues you encounter can easily be resolved by consulting the community, such as the Cisco community, or other relevant blogs. 

This makes day-to-day operations much smoother than with newer products. While we do acknowledge that new features are necessary, deploying them is a straightforward process when using Cisco Prime.

The deployment time varies based on several factors such as the size of the organization, the type of clients provided by Cisco, and whether it is a large or small appliance. If we are starting from scratch, the deployment time may not be significant.

However, the time required for configuration and integration with your organization may vary. It could take a few hours or a few days, depending on the size of the organization, the number of devices, and the specific features you require.

The organization currently using this solution has deployed it on-premises. They prefer not to go for cloud services due to concerns about data confidentiality.

I don't think the company has heavily invested in cloud-based solutions for Cisco Prime. Therefore, it has always been an on-premises solution. 

However, we have deployed a cluster instead of a single node. Our data center is highly stable with strong SNA, ensuring power and internet service availability, along with site-to-site connectivity.

I am not able to consider the ROI since I don't have access to the relevant data. I am currently in the position to observe that the product is quite helpful for the organization. The automation features reduce the need for manpower, which is beneficial on a larger scale.

There are two types of licensing options available: traditional license and smart license, and the choice of license depends on the customer. The traditional license is perpetual, meaning once you purchase it, you own it. On the other hand, smart licensing requires renewal, and the cost of renewal varies based on the subscription plan, which can be for one, two, or three years.

I would rate the pricing of Cisco Prime a seven out of ten.

The pricing for the solution is reasonable and provides good value.

I would recommend Cisco Prime to others who are interested in using it.

I would rate Cisco Prime a seven out of ten.

I would say that my rating of seven out of ten for Cisco Prime is based on my personal experience with the product and its usage in the current organization. However, the rating may vary depending on how the technology evolves and the upcoming projects. It is possible that as we move towards newer projects, the rating may change. Ultimately, the rating is based on individual experiences and perspectives.