Cisco Network Monitoring tools/applications

Panzer919

I am responsible for the management applications with one person being my backup for a mid-large size business. Our network has over 130 branch locations, 3 Data Centers and 4 Hub locations. In that we have over 150 Cisco 2800/2900, 3800/3900 series routers, over 200 Cisco 3750/3750X switches (mostly stacks), 3 Nexus 7010 DC switches, 3 WLC's with over 200 Cisco AP's, and around 170 UPS APC/TrippLite throughout our org.

To manage all these items we use Kiwi Syslog, Kiwi Cattools, Whats Up Gold, Manage Engine Netflow, Cisco Prime LMS, and Cisco WCS. Needless to saythat sSince there are only 2 of us that manage all of these applications, it would be a great thing to consolidate into a single solution that encompasses all of our needs.

I have done some research so I know there are a variety of options available. Previous to me, my predecessor partially stood up a Cisco Prime LMS solution. That has now been depreciated and both Network and Wireless management is now part of Cisco's Prime Infrastructure solution (a $40,000 investment). To move all of our services to one solution would be a great thing but I have a hard time trusting Cisco's Management applications. Our Server Administrators have the Manage Engine 360 suite and do not care for it. Granted I do not know how much time and effort they have given to tuning it for their needs. I have also dealt with Solorwinds Orion in the past so I know about some of their offerings.

My question to the community is, what do you use to manage your environment(s)? Do you use a toolbox full of applications or do you have one or two serious work horses that handle the whole thing?

nkillgore

Have you looked at solarwinds? I really like it. We use it for almost all of our monitoring.

edit: It can take a while to get set up and customize the reports that you want to see, but it's worth it. The reports can be extremely detailed or relatively simple. We have some large TVs set up that display a couple of the reports that management likes to see when they walk by.

JasonIT

We also use solarwinds. Everyone here thinks the reporting is great as well as the monitoring and e-mail notifictaions. Once set up, i believe you can also make global config changes through solarwinds (ie. system alarm changes for every switch on network).

J

SteveO86

SolarWinds NPM, NCM, NTA modules might be worth a look a look at.

That will you give you monitoring, Config management, and NetFlow visibility in a single web interface.

I've done quite a few SolarWinds deployments/setups and you can get carried away with the customization but it is definitely worth it in my opinion.

The newest beta of SolarWinds actually tracking routing protocols and routing tables (Which you could do using custom pollers for the specific MIBs) which is pretty cool.

However it can get pricey as well especially if you get into failover engines.

For an all in one solution I'd go with SolarWinds or Cisco Prime.