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Lead Presales at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Real User
Exceptionally stable, scalable, and helpful support
Pros and Cons
  • "The solution is stable."

    What is our primary use case?

    We are using the Cisco Nexus as our core switch for our main backbone.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Cisco Nexus for approximately two years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The solution is stable.

    Nowadays, every five years technology changes. However, you will find customers who are using the same Cisco switch which has a life span of five years or seven years, will still be using them for more than 10 years without raising a single ticket. This is the confidence they have in Cisco. This is my personal customer experience, it makes it difficult for us to generate business. We can do a technology refresh or a product replacement But when there is Cisco, it is tough for any person to replace that solution. Cisco has that X factor in their solutions, and specifically with networking. Nexus is definitely their bread and butter. It is an exceptional solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Nexus is scalable.

    We have approximately two customers.

    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Nexus
    November 2024
    Learn what your peers think about Cisco Nexus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
    814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    How are customer service and support?

    The Technical support of Cisco is really good. It is a core switch, you require three to four hours, same business day support. They give you a good resolution within that time. They are good at troubleshooting.

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is straightforward. If you have someone who is certified to do the implementation of Cisco Nexus they can do it quickly. 

    All other switches, such as distributed switches and access switches connect to the Cisco Nexus switch. If you have done everything correctly including the sizing, there should not be an issue at the time of installation.

    What about the implementation team?

    we have one manager and one engineer for the deployment and maintenance of the solution.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The subscription model and price could be better.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would recommend this solution to others.

    I rate Cisco Nexus an eight out of ten.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
    PeerSpot user
    PeerSpot user
    Manager at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Robust architecture, reliable, and useful automation
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most valuable features are the solution is robust, you are able to use it for fabric architecture as well as SPAN on exit with the controller."
    • "Nexus switches should be able to support network function virtualization (NFV)."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use this solution for many purposes. For example, to automate Nexus switches and to view the modern architecture network, such as SDN.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features are the solution is robust, you are able to use it for fabric architecture as well as SPAN on exit with the controller.

    What needs improvement?

    Nexus switches should be able to support network function virtualization (NFV).

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for approximately five years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I have found Cisco Nexus switches highly scalable.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    This solution is very scalable because of the architecture. We have approximately 400 users using this solution in my organization.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    I am satisfied with the Cisco support, they are very good. 

    How was the initial setup?

    The installation is very easy and it took me approximately 10 minutes to install.

    What about the implementation team?

    We did the implementation of the solution ourselves. We have a few administrators that do the implementation and maintenance of the solution. We do not need a really big team because it can be automated, we need them mostly for orchestration.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Cisco Nexus a nine out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Cisco Nexus
    November 2024
    Learn what your peers think about Cisco Nexus. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: November 2024.
    814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Digital Transformation at a consultancy with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Beneficial logical tenant segregation, installation straightforward, and scalable
    Pros and Cons
    • "We have found that logical tenant segregation to be the most useful feature."
    • "The software is not as mature as it could be and needs some integration improvements with other orchestrators."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use the solution in a data center farm.

    What is most valuable?

    We have found that logical tenant segregation to be the most useful feature.

    What needs improvement?

    The software is not as mature as it could be and needs some integration improvements with other orchestrators.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using the solution for three years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    When it comes to the stability we had some issues with some software features due to a release bug. The hardware itself is pretty stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial installation is pretty straightforward, it takes approximately an hour. When you start with the configuration and moving forward from there, which is not only a matter of technical configuration or the key component but the integration into the environment, this can take several hours.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would advise others before implantation this solution to study. There are some big changes in respect to the previous concept of networking. There is a learning curve that needs to be considered.

    I rate Cisco Nexus an eight out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Network Analyst at Govt of Canada
    Real User
    Provides enhanced security and is easy to manage for the network admin
    Pros and Cons
    • "Nexus has improved my organization in the way that it provided enhanced security in a point in the network that was critical."
    • "The additional features I would like to see included in the next release is the ability to integrate routing and switching features."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case for Cisco Nexus is for MACsec encryption.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Nexus has improved my organization in the way that it provided enhanced security in a point in the network that was critical. 

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature is the ease of management for network administration.

    What needs improvement?

    The additional features I would like to see included in the next release is the ability to integrate routing and switching features. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is relatively stable. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Cisco Nexus is very scalable.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    The Cisco technical support is good as of now.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    When I was the systems analyst, we discovered a need for Cisco Nexus. We had limited encryption support. We didn't have any similar solutions before.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was relatively simple.

    What about the implementation team?

    We used an integrator for the deployment. 

    What other advice do I have?

    On a scale from one to ten, I would rate the product at an eight. Cisco Nexus is excellent. I wouldn't rate it a ten because it could use an enhanced feature set.

    I would advise someone considering this solution to consider all of the vendors. 

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Network Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
    MSP
    Performs well and has good capacity for the number of customers that we can get onto it
    Pros and Cons
    • "The scalability of Cisco Nexus is good. We've had them for the entire lifetime. We've never had to upgrade them yet."
    • "If I call during a high volume, I might get someone that just doesn't know as much or it takes a little bit of time and they put us on hold more. Otherwise, it's good."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case is for multitenant switching in our data centers for our edge equipment to go in between our firewalls and out to the internet.

    How has it helped my organization?

    It's performing well. 

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature is the capacity for the number of customers that we can get onto it.

    What needs improvement?

    I get more of the frustration out of Juniper equipment than I do from Cisco products. Cisco Nexus is more versatile for us in comparison to Juniper. The routing is easier with Cisco.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability is good. We've never had any of them die. They've been very consistent.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability of Cisco Nexus is good. We've had them for the entire lifetime. We've never had to upgrade them yet.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    Their technical support is good and very helpful. They knew exactly what we needed. If I call during a high volume, I might get someone that just doesn't know as much or it takes a little bit of time and they put us on hold more. Otherwise, it's good. 

    What about the implementation team?

    We used a consultant for the deployment. 

    What other advice do I have?

    On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Cisco Nexus a ten. I like it. I would advise anyone to go through a professional consultant with Cisco training.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Network Services Manager at Allen Systems Group
    Real User
    A versatile platform with good durability
    Pros and Cons
    • "We have a much more stable network now using the Cisco Nexus."
    • "Don't discard Cisco Nexus because of the price."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our primary use case for the Cisco Nexus solution is for the data center.

    How has it helped my organization?

    We have a much more stable network now using the Cisco Nexus.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable feature of this solution is the durability. 

    What needs improvement?

    Being this is the first usage, we don't have any expectations yet. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of this solution is very high.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability of the Cisco Nexus is very high.

    How was the initial setup?

    Cisco Nexus is more complex than your standard Catalyst. It's a whole different environment.

    The development and the program configuration is not like what you're used to after doing Catalyst for 20 years. It has a little bit of a learning curve.

    What about the implementation team?

    We went from the manufacturer for the deployment. We worked directly with Cisco. Our experience with them was very good.

    What other advice do I have?

    On a scale from one to 10, I would rate the product a 10 for the stability. The durability exceeded our expectations. 

    Don't discard Cisco Nexus because of the price. Take a hard look at it. I would highly recommend it

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner.
    PeerSpot user
    PeerSpot user
    Network Engineer, Security Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
    Consultant
    Promulgation of functionality needs working on but the creativity is good.

    What is most valuable?

    • CLI work
    • Creativity

    How has it helped my organization?

    Productivity is better, but that is, of course, information technology’s benefit.

    What needs improvement?

    Promulgation of functionality needs working on.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used it for 15 years.

    What was my experience with deployment of the solution?

    Documentation is often scant.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    No issues encountered.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Scalability goes in accordance with money spent.

    How are customer service and technical support?

    It's mediocre.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    No previous solution used.

    How was the initial setup?

    Straightforward setup.

    What about the implementation team?

    We did it in-house.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    No other options were evaluated.

    What other advice do I have?

    Make sure documentation is readily available.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Network Engineer at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Enables us to perform updates on individual switches, while still maintaining reliability and uptime on the server
    Pros and Cons
    • "Nexus provides inner redundancy. It allows us to perform updates on individual switches, while still maintaining reliability and uptime on the server."
    • "Overall, I wish it was a more intuitive OS."

    What is our primary use case?

    Our main use of Cisco Nexus is as our data center core switch.

    How has it helped my organization?

    Nexus provides inner redundancy. It allows us to perform updates on individual switches, while still maintaining reliability and uptime on the server.

    What needs improvement?

    Overall, I wish it was a more intuitive OS.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's a stable product. It definitely holds up the workload that we put it through. Overall, I would say it's a great product.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup was very straightforward.

    What was our ROI?

    It's a good return on my investment because of its reliability that it provides with our main PCs, our dual homes on our devices.

    What other advice do I have?

    Buy what you know that's going to be the best value in the long run, because if you don't know it, then it's going to be hard.

    It's the only one I know that allows us to dual home our servers in our HyperFlex environment, but still maintaining our virtual IP address and such.

    I would rate this solution as nine out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Cisco Nexus Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: November 2024
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Cisco Nexus Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.