SCOM and PRTG Network Monitor compete in the IT infrastructure monitoring category, providing solutions for different needs. PRTG has the upper hand due to its versatility, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness across diverse environments.
Features: SCOM is known for its deep integration with Windows environments and extensive management packs, allowing for customized monitoring and adaptive alerting. It offers a high degree of control over system parameters. PRTG, on the other hand, is praised for its rapid deployment, scalability, and intuitive interface. It supports a wide range of technologies out-of-the-box and is valued for its affordability and ease of integration.
Room for Improvement: SCOM needs to reduce complexity and the administrative burden of management packs, especially for non-Microsoft systems. Stability improvements and user dashboard enhancements are also needed. PRTG could enhance its graphical interface, simplify its licensing model, and improve mobile app functionality. More straightforward setup for sensors and custom components would benefit advanced usage.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SCOM requires significant setup, primarily for on-premises deployments, supported by Microsoft's extensive documentation. Its integration with other Microsoft products can streamline Windows-centric deployments. In contrast, PRTG is designed for easier deployment across hybrid environments with a straightforward installation process. It provides consistent customer service but may face challenges when scaling in complex environments.
Pricing and ROI: SCOM is typically bundled within Microsoft's System Center suite, offering value through comprehensive monitoring, though its complexity can obscure cost transparency. PRTG is seen as affordable with a simple licensing structure, offering all features upfront. While SCOM’s integration justifies its higher cost, PRTG’s transparent pricing appeals to budget-conscious organizations.
Tutorials are available so I can manage any issue with PRTG Network Monitor easily.
The setup process is well-documented, making it easy to deploy.
They often treat issues in isolation, not considering how one problem might relate to another.
PRTG Network Monitor has the ability to scale and add new devices.
On a scale of one to ten, scalability is rated as 9.5.
SCOM is a bit unstable lately, primarily due to a lack of resources.
They need to improve application performance monitoring, error tracing mechanisms, and log management.
PRTG Network Monitor should provide syslog monitoring since it is not available at this time.
I would like to see a software-as-a-service version in Azure to eliminate the need for on-premise infrastructure.
SCOM is likely to be phased out in favor of more compatible tools like Icinga for application monitoring or when moving to cloud solutions like CloudWatch and Azure.
Pricing is by the number of devices, not by sensor.
The prices are very high for PRTG Network Monitor.
PRTG Network Monitor already provided me with 100 free sensors, which is enough for my network monitoring.
The pricing is affordable compared to SolarWinds.
It assists me in detecting server downtime and delivers basic performance monitoring right out of the box.
SCOM integrates several systems and offers correlation features, like setting up everything around Active Directory or DNS.
PRTG Network Monitor runs on a Windows machine within your network, collecting various statistics from the machines, software, and devices which you designate. PRTG comes with an easy-to-use web interface with point-and-click configuration. You can easily share data from it with non-technical colleagues and customers, including via live graphs and custom reports. This will let you plan for network expansion, see what applications are using most of your connection, and make sure that no one is hogging the entire network just to torrent videos.
To monitor a large IT environment, it's important to be able to scale PRTG up. Paessler PRTG Enterprise Monitor includes all the proven capabilities of PRTG Network Monitor, which are enhanced by exclusive ITOps Board for a service-oriented, central overview of multiple PRTG servers.
SCOM (System Center Operations Manager) is a cross-platform data center monitoring and reporting tool that checks the status of various objects defined within the environment, such as server hardware, system services, etc. The solution allows data center administrators to deploy, configure, manage, and monitor the operations, services, devices and applications of multiple enterprise IT systems via a single pane of glass. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes.
SCOM Features
SCOM has many valuable key features. Some of the most useful ones include:
SCOM Benefits
There are several benefits to implementing SCOM. Some of the biggest advantages the solution offers include:
Reviews from Real Users
Below are some reviews and helpful feedback written by PeerSpot users currently using the SCOM solution.
A Manager at a financial services firm says, “The feature I like most about SCOM is that it is easy-to-use. I find it very user-friendly. I also like the knowledge base which it has. You can find the resolution to questions or issues directly within the SCOM itself. It will alert you with a recommendation of what you need to do at the same time. This sort of self-diagnosis or prompting is one of the great values you get from SCOM compared to other solutions.”
PeerSpot user Zahari Z., Information Technology Auditor at a financial services firm, mentions, “Availability monitoring is the feature I have found most valuable, as well as the capacity and ability to send notifications. There is a mechanism to set up a notification from the SCOM and whenever there is a drop in the availability the notification alerts not only for availability but for other issues as well. You can align thresholds according to the speed of your environment and you can have a threshold related notification, which is one of the useful features.”
Bill W., Sr. Systems Engineer at Arapahoe County Government, comments, “ I like some of their newer features, such as maintenance schedules, because SCOM records SLA and SLO time. When we patch, things are automatically put into maintenance mode so that the numbers for our systems being down, do not count against us.”
A Project Manager at a tech services company explains, “The feature I have found most valuable is the book feature. While we run the Sprint one we can add some setups for multiple sprints.”
A Systems Engineer at an educational organization states, “Because it's Windows-based, it actually reports quite well. It reports everything you can think of on the Windows server and allows you to monitor anything. It's excellent for those in the Windows world as it's very good at it.”
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