Cisco DNA Center vs OpenText Network Node Manager i comparison

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Cisco DNA Center

Ranking in Network Management Applications

1st

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (13th), Network Automation (2nd)

OpenText Network Node Manag...

Ranking in Network Management Applications

15th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

5.9

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Network Management Applications category, the mindshare of Cisco DNA Center is 27.4%, down from 28.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText Network Node Manager i is 2.2%, up from 1.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Management Applications

Featured Reviews

AvrahamSonenthal

Senior Network Engineer at Inside Global

Efficiently manages our wireless network and provides valuable monitoring features

The platform's biggest benefit has been in managing our wireless network. Having a single pane of glass to control all wireless controllers and access points and to monitor activity has been a significant advantage. We're a small federal agency with around 300 network devices, so automation is a minor focus. It's more relevant for larger networks. The main benefits we've seen are in inventory management and the potential for configuration automation. However, I recommend using the DNA Centre only for larger networks with over a thousand devices; otherwise, it may not be cost-effective. Before proceeding, ensure that your devices are compatible with DNA Center, as not all Cisco devices are supported. Also, investing in proper training is different from plug-and-play. I rate it an eight.

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Mirit Goldring-Boymshtain

Delivery Manager at We R Tech

Easy-to-implement product with a valuable map topology feature

The platform has a lot of interesting capabilities. Implementation is simplified, in contrast to some products like SolarWinds, where external assistance is often required for meet uploads. It is more inexpensive than other products in the market. In a specific customer implementation, the complex topology of the customer's network revealed a separate and closed segment at one of their sites. We could not understand the status of the broken network and devices. With the help of NNMi, we got a view of the issues. The product helps us reduce downtime and improve incident response time by offering remediation options. The tools run automatically, checking the network activities for different areas and time zones. It provides efficient documentation, interface, and integration features. I rate the product a nine out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"Cisco DNA Center provides operational support, compliance support, security vulnerability detection, and automatic scheduling."

"I think that their LAN automation is a very good feature."

"The monitoring features are very useful for network engineers."

"The most valuable features of Cisco DNA Center are wireless assurance and visibility."

"Automation is another key highlight. With automation, you can automate everything through a single port."

"We have many people from the team who manage a lot of devices. By using Cisco DNA Center, it has taken some of that burden away, we are impressed with it. We did the investment in CAPEX, but in the OPEX was very low."

"I like the visibility, instant build, network, policies, and the ability to control access. I also like that you can visualize your whole network."

"The best feature of Cisco DNA Center is the visibility page, where you can see everything on the dashboard, and you don't have to be a technical person to view the issues."

More Cisco DNA Center pros

"Our monitoring and network teams of less than 100 people use this solution. The availability and fault monitoring are good."

"The best feature is the solution's entire credibility with all vendors."

"Real time network monitoring application: It is very stable, which provides quick root cause analysis (RCA) for any network faults."

"You can utilize the main file from various vendors for integration."

"It's quite a mature solution."

"The platform has good stability."

"A good enterprise-level solution."

"It is a scalable product."

More OpenText Network Node Manager i pros

Cons

"The features of Cisco DNA Center and Cisco Prime could have more parity."

"We encountered issues with their response times, which had a big impact on our workflow."

"From the recent DNA point of view, there are some stability challenges with Cisco, but very minor."

"The solution's setup process needs enhancement."

"Cisco could improve the security side of their solutions."

"There should be an option for automation of template deployment by using the stored data. It is not easy to save configuration information for lots of devices without using other tools. There should be a tighter, better repository of information that can be merged with the templates."

"There is a limitation with the number of VRFs that you can have in your network, and this has caused us problems with some customers."

"The product doesn’t have good monitoring capabilities."

More Cisco DNA Center cons

"The way the solution currently works means I'm not able to customize my own reports."

"They should add AI options in the product's next release."

"Reporting. Even though this is available in separate software (iSPI) there is potential in making the reporting more SLA-aware and more intuitive."

"The resources utilized could be a bit higher, and that is one of the challenges that isn't optimized"

"Micro Focus Network Node Manager is not powered to drill down for traffic visibility."

"The solution should integrate with NAC servers."

"Only to improve the GUI."

"The dashboards are not customizable and it's not user-friendly."

More OpenText Network Node Manager i cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have a three-year license with them."

"The tool's licensing may not come across as something that may be friendly for users."

"The solution is expensive."

"The price of the solution is expensive. The hardware is licensed on the device, but the hardware on the server is expensive."

"I rate the product's pricing an eight on a scale of one to ten, where one is very cheap, and ten is very expensive."

"Cisco DNA Center is too expensive."

"The partnership price is notably high, but it ultimately depends on the chosen business model."

"Affordability is a problem because it's created for large enterprises only. So, some customers, even if their engineers want the solution, might have problems with budget limitations."

More Cisco DNA Center pricing and cost advice

"It is more inexpensive than other products in the market."

"The solution is priced mid-range compared to the competition."

"I wasn't involved in the pricing, but I think it's quite expensive."

"It's an expensive solution."

"The solution is quite expensive."

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842,592 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

17%

Government

10%

Manufacturing Company

Financial Services Firm

Computer Software Company

20%

Financial Services Firm

12%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Cisco DNA Center?

The most valuable feature of the solution stems from the fact that it gives some kind of ease in operations, especially since our company is moving from CLI to GUI-based configuration.

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Cisco DNA Center?

The cost is very high.

What needs improvement with Cisco DNA Center?

The system is working fine for me currently.

What do you like most about Micro Focus Network Node Manager?

The platform has good stability.

What needs improvement with Micro Focus Network Node Manager?

They should add AI options in the product's next release.

What is your primary use case for Micro Focus Network Node Manager?

We use the product monitoring network infrastructure, interfaces, and devices.

Cisco Catalyst Center vs Cisco DNA Center

Comparisons

Compared 9% of the time

Juniper Mist Wired Assurance vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 8% of the time

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

Meraki Dashboard vs Cisco DNA Center

Compared 7% of the time

More Cisco DNA Center Competitors

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 35% of the time

DX Spectrum vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 26% of the time

Fortinet FortiManager vs OpenText Network Node Manager i

Compared 19% of the time

More OpenText Network Node Manager i Competitors

Product Reports

Cisco DNA Center

Download Cisco DNA Center product report

OpenText Network Node Manager i

Download OpenText Network Node Manager i product report

Also Known As

DNA Center

Micro Focus Network Node Manager, Network Node Manager, HPE Network Node Manager

Overview

Cisco DNA Center offers a comprehensive platform for network automation and management, providing detailed analytics, enhanced security, and streamlined operations for both wired and wireless networks.

Cisco DNA Center integrates with Cisco infrastructure to deliver efficient network automation and management, helping organizations improve network visibility, security, and control. It supports AI-driven analytics and automated workflows to enhance operational efficiency and reduce errors. Challenges include compatibility with third-party systems, steep learning curve, and complex deployment. Its interface facilitates centralized control, vital for troubleshooting, policy management, and configuration management, with support for zero-touch provisioning and SD-Access.

What are the key features of Cisco DNA Center?

Robust Analytics: Provides detailed insights into network health with AI-driven analytics.
Centralized Security: Integrates with ISE for comprehensive security management.
Automated Device Management: Simplifies device provisioning and configuration transfers.
Wi-Fi Analytics: Offers deep insights into wireless network performance.
Zero-Touch Provisioning: Streamlines new device deployments with minimal human intervention.
Scalable Segmentation: Efficiently segments network traffic ensuring security and performance.

What benefits should users consider?

Operational Efficiency: Automation reduces potential errors and streamlines workflow.
Enhanced Security: Integration with Cisco ISE bolsters security capabilities.
Network Visibility: Comprehensive dashboards and analysis tools enhance monitoring.
Troubleshooting: Real-time monitoring aids in identifying and resolving issues swiftly.

In sectors such as healthcare, finance, and retail, Cisco DNA Center is utilized for its ability to enhance security and compliance, manage large-scale networks, and provide detailed analytics for better operational decision-making. Its support for location tracking and policy automation ensures efficient network management across diverse environments.

Cisco

OpenText Network Node Manager i (NNMi) delivers powerful capabilities enabling NOCs to manage modern networks. NNMi Smart Plug-ins expand NNMi into specialized environments, helping your team reduce time to resolve issues. NNMi is a core component of Network Operations Management.

OpenText

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

IPC, Exelon, VivaCom,

Cisco DNA Center vs. OpenText Network Node Manager i