Monitoring solutions comparison

Monitoring
Solutions
Feature matrix

Wouter Hermans, Web Infrastructure Consultant

wouter.hermans@armlab.com

http://wouter.shush.com/

@WouterHermans

http://linkedin.com/in/wouterhermans

Name

AdRem NetCrunch
AccelOps
IP SLA
Reports
No
Yes
Logical
Grouping
Yes
Yes
Trending

Yes
Yes
Trend
Prediction
No
Yes
Auto
Discovery
Yes
Yes
Agent

No
Supported
Overview
SNMP

Yes
Yes
Syslog

Yes
Yes
Plugins

Yes
Yes
Triggers / WebApp
Alerts
Yes
Yes
Viewing,
Acknowledging
Full Control
Distributed
Monitoring
No
Yes
Inventory

Yes
Yes
Platform

Unknown
Unknown
Data Storage Method License

SQL
PostgreSQL
Commercial
Commercial
Maps

Yes
Yes
Access Control

Yes
Yes
Applications IPv6

Unknown
Unknown
AggreGate Network Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Java MySQL, MS SQL, Limited free, Yes Yes Unknown
Manager PostgreSQL, Oracle, Commercial
Firebird, HSQLDB
Argus Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing, Yes Unknown Perl Berkeley DB Artistic License No Yes Yes
CA Spectrum Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Acknowledging
Yes Yes Yes Unknown MySQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Avaya VPFM Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown MySQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Cacti Yes Yes Yes Yes Via plugin No Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes PHP RRDtool, MySQL GPL Plugin Yes Yes
collectd No No No No Push model;
multicast possible Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing Yes No C RRDtool GPLv2 No Apache ACL Yes
Dhyan Network Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Java MySQL, Oracle, Derby Commercial Yes Yes Yes
management System
dopplerVUE Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown MS SQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
ExtraHop Yes Yes Yes No Yes N/A Yes No No Yes Full Control With ECM Yes Unknown Proprietary Commercial Yes Yes Yes
FreeNATS Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Via plugin Yes In PHP Full Control No No PHP MySQL GPL No Yes Unknown
Ganglia No Yes Yes No Via gmond Yes Via plugin No Yes Code
No Viewing Yes Unknown C, PHP RRDtool BSD Yes No Unknown
check in
HP Network Node Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Via integration Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown PostgreSQL, Oracle Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Manager (NNMi) Database
Kaseya Network Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown FirebirdSQL Commercial Yes Yes Unknown
Monitor Network
IBM Tivoli Possible via Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown MySQL, Oracle Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Manager configuration Database, DB2
Icinga Via plugin Yes Yes No Via plugin Supported Via plugin Via plugin Yes Yes Full Control Yes Via plugin PHP MySQL, PostgreSQL, GPL Yes Yes Yes
Oracle Database
InterMapper Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing Yes Yes Unknown PostgreSQL Limited free, Yes Yes Yes
Commercial
IPHost Network Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Viewing, Yes No Unknown FirebirdSQL Commercial No No Unknown
Monitor Acknowledging,
isyVmon Yes Yes Yes No Via plugin Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Reporting
Full Control Yes Via plugin PHP RRDtool, MySQL Limited free, Via plugin Yes Yes
Commercial
LiveAction Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Viewing, Reporting Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Munin No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Partial Viewing Yesvia nodes Unknown Perl RRDtool GPL Unknown Unknown Yes
Nagios Via plugin Yes Yes No Via plugin Supported Via plugin Via plugin Yes Yes Yes Yes Via plugin PHP Flat file, SQL GPL Yes Yes Yes
NetQoS Performance Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing, Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Commercial Yes Yes Unknown
Center Acknowledging,
Network Instruments Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Reporting
Full Control Yes Yes Unknown Proprietary Database Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Observer
Infrastructure
NetXMS No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes No C++ MySQL, MS SQL, Oracle, GPL Yes Yes No
PostgreSQL, SQLite
Nimsoft Monitoring Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing, Yes Yes Unknown SQLServer, Oracle Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Solution Acknowledging,
Observium Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Reporting
Full Control No Yes Unknown RRDtool, MySQL Limited free Yes Yes Yes
OpenKBM Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Proprietary with JDBC Commercial Yes Yes Yes
support
OpenNMS Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown JRobin, PostgreSQL GPLv3 Yes Yes Yes
OPNET's AppResponse Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes No Yes Yes Viewing, Yes No Unknown Unknown Commercial Yes Yes Unknown
Xpert Acknowledging,
Opsview Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Reporting
Full Control Yes No Unknown SQL GPL Yes Yes Yes
op5 Monitor Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Via plugin Unknown Flat file, SQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
PacketTrap Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing, Reporting Yes Yes Unknown SQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Pandora FMS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown MySQL, PostgreSQL, GPLv2; Yes Yes Yes
Oracle (Enterprise
Performance Co-Pilot No Yes Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes No Unknown Flat file edition
GPL, LGPL No No Unknown
PRTG Network Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown Proprietary available) and
Freeware Yes Yes Yes
Monitor Commercial
Scrutinizer Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing, Yes Yes Unknown MySQL Limited free, Yes Yes Yes
Acknowledging, Commercial
ServersCheck Yes Yes Yes No Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Reporting
Full Control Yes No Unknown Flat file, ODBC Commercial Yes Yes Unknown
SevOne Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes No Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown MySQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Shinken Via plugin Yes Yes No Yes Yes Via plugin Via plugin Yes Yes Viewing, Yes Via plugin Unknown Flat file, MySQL, Oracle, AGPL Yes Yes Yes
Acknowledging, Graphite, Sqlite,
Solarwinds Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Reporting
Full Control Yes Yes Unknown MongoDB
SQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Spiceworks No Yes Yes No Yes Supported Yes No Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown Sqlite Commercial Yes Yes No
System Center Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown MS SQL (Free)
Commercial Yes Yes Yes Yes
Operations Manager
TclMon Yes Yes Yes No Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Viewing No No Unknown RRDTool BSD Yes Yes No
Verax NMS Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes No Unknown Oracle, MySQL Commercial Yes Yes Unknown
WhatsUpGold Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown SQL Commercial Yes Yes Yes
Xymon/Hobbit Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Via Plugin No Yes Yes Viewing, Yes No Unknown Flat file GPL No Apache ACL No
Zabbix Yes Yes Yes No Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Acknowledging
Full Control Yes Yes Unknown Oracle, MySQL, GPL Yes Yes Yes
PostgreSQL, IBM DB2,
Zenoss Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown SQLite MySQL, RRDtool
ZODB, GPL Yes Yes Yes
Zyrion Traverse Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Supported Yes Yes Yes Yes Full Control Yes Yes Unknown SQL Commercial Yes Yes Unknown

Selection
• Cacti
• Microsoft System Center 2012
Operations Manager

• Nagios
• SolarWinds
• WhatsUp Gold

Name System Center 2012
SelectionCacti Nagios SolarWinds Server & WhatsUp Gold
Operations Manager Application Monitor

Integration Excellent integrated Microsoft SNMP Third-party plugins and Built-in Excellent integrated Microsoft
products monitoring agents Products monitoring

Application monitoring Integrated, server and client No Configure NC_Net plugin to Built-in, templates available to AlertFox client-side
side. OpsMgr recognizes define specific .NET create your own scripting monitoring, subscription. No
application pools performance counters server-side monitoring per
app
Trends, history Trending, full history Usage Yes Yes Yes + Log Management

Alerting Event log events, custom log Plugin Event log items through agent, Event log events, custom log Event log events, custom log
parsing, thresholds on thresholds on performance parsing, thresholds on parsing, thresholds on
performance counters, to counters, to email, SMS performance counters, to performance counters, to
other ticketing systems, email, gateways other ticketing systems, email, other ticketing systems, email,
SMS gateways, … SMS gateways, … SMS gateways, …
Discovery Automatic of devices, Plugin to find network devices Auto-discover devices, Discovery tools PING scan
middleware (if management services
packs are installed)
Support Microsoft products, Unix, SNMP, plugins Plugins Microsoft products, Unix, Windows, Unix, LInux, SNMP
Linux. Linux
Plugins "Support for Documentum, Limited amount of available Microsoft Windows with Tomcat, Apache
DB2, Tomcat, Apache (http:// plugins NSClient++ agent, manually to
www.managementproducts.co install and configure; large
mtrade.com/ plugin library, Documentum
management_pack/ support, Tomcat, Apache
emc_documentum/Pages/
default.aspx
User management AD Users, authorizations defined Users, authorizations defined AD Users, authorizations defined
in application in application in application

Configuration GUI Plaintext configuration files GUI, scripting Web GUI

Licensing Expensive, but includes full OS Basic version Open Source, XI Commercial, starts at 2440€ Commercial, but subscription
System Center 2012 stack version commercial 1995USD based for app monitoring

Dashboards Create your own, in Plugins Create your own, web interface Web, mobile, build your own Create your own, web interface
management console or web
interface
Reporting Large sample of built-in Plugins External plugin Templates, build your own Built-in reports
reports, report builder

Vendor & External Support Well known, excellent vendor External support External support Not well known, unknown Not well known, unknown
and external support vendor support vendor support

Cacti
+Open Source
+Popular, well known

Cacti
+Open Source
- SNMP polling

Cacti
+Open Source
- SNMP polling
- No application monitoring

Cacti
+Open Source
- SNMP polling
- Trends, limited history, alerting through plugin

Cacti
+Open Source
- SNMP polling
- Plugins to discover speciﬁc objects

Cacti
+Open Source
- SNMP polling
- Limited amount of plugins

Cacti
+Open Source
- SNMP polling
- Limited amount of plugins
- User access deﬁned in application

Nagios
+ Open Source

+ Popular, well known

Nagios
+ Open Source


+ Commercial version offers more support, starts at $1995

Nagios
+ Open Source



+ Large Plugin library

Nagios
+ Open Source




+ Documentum, Tomcat, Apache support through plugins

Nagios
+ Open Source





+ Create your own dashboards through the web interface

Nagios
+ Open Source






+ Reporting through external plugin

Nagios
+ Open Source







- Event log items through external agent, thresholds on performance
counters, alerting

Nagios
+ Open Source







counters, alerting

- Application monitoring limited to deﬁning speciﬁc .NET counters,
through plugin

Nagios
+ Open Source







counters, alerting

- Application monitoring limited to defining specific .NET counters,
through plugin

- User access defined in application

Microsoft Systems Center 2012
Operations Manager

Operations Manager
+ Excellent integration with Microsoft environment

Operations Manager

Operations Manager
+ Integrated server and client side application monitoring

Operations Manager
+ Trends, Logs, Alerts based on thresholds

Operations Manager
+ Automatic discovery of new objects

Operations Manager
+ Supports Microsoft, Unix, Linux

Operations Manager
+ Conﬁgure through thick and web client

Operations Manager
+ Large sample of reports, create your own dashboards for thick and web
client

Operations Manager
client
+ Full System Center 2012 suite is included in licensing

Operations Manager
client
+ Documentum, DB2, Tomcat, Apache compatible with plugin

Operations Manager
client
+ Documentum, DB2, Tomcat, Apache compatible with plugin
- Expensive licensing

System Center 2012
Operations Manager Pricing
System Center 2012 System Center 2012 Notes
Standard /w Software Datacenter /w Software
Assurance Assurance
Licences per CPU 0.5 0.5

Licenses per OS 0.5

Price per license, ex VAT 1,369.00 € 3,694.00 €

Number of CPU's 58 58 Not known exactly, waiting for
information from DE
Number of OS 54

Licenses needed 29 29

Price ex VAT 39,701.00 € 107,126.00 €

VAT 21% 21%

VAT 8,337.21 € 22,496.46 €

Price incl VAT 48,038.21 € 129,622.46 €

Extra 2 years Software
Assurance
Price per license, ex VAT 459.00 € 1,249.00 €

Price ex VAT 13,311.00 € 36,221.00 €

VAT 21% 21%

VAT 2,795.31 € 7,606.41 €

Price incl VAT 16,106.31 € 43,827.41 €

Total 64,144.52 € 173,449.87 €

Microsoft System
Center 2012
• App Controller
• Operations Manager
• Orchestrator
• Service Manager
• Virtual Machine Manager
• Data Protection Manager
• Endpoint Protection
• Conﬁguration Manager

Microsoft Software
Assurance
• Free upgrade to newer versions
• Availability of free training and
software, Home Use Program

• Limited on-site consulting services
• Spread Payments option
• License management through
MVLSC

SolarWinds

SolarWinds
+ Client side monitoring with scenarios

SolarWinds

SolarWinds
+ Conﬁgure through web client

SolarWinds
+ Create your own dashboards for thick and web client

SolarWinds
+ Supports Tomcat, Apache monitoring

SolarWinds

SolarWinds
- No server-side application monitoring

SolarWinds
- Not well known, limited outside support

SolarWinds Pricing
Product Price
SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor SL250 (up to 250 4,446.00 €
elements) - License with 1st-year Maintenance
SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer Module for 1 SolarWinds 3,175.00 €
Network Performance Monitor SL250 - License with 1st-year
Maintenance
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor [formerly 1 Application 24,440.00 €
Performance Monitor] ALX (unlimited monitors- Standard Polling
Throughput) - License with 1st-year Maintenance

SolarWinds Synthetic End User Monitor SE100 (up to 100 10,180.00 €
recordings) - License with 1st-Year Maintenance
SolarWinds Log & Event Manager LEM100(up to 100 nodes) - 10,180.00 €
License with 1st Year Maintenance
Total 52,421.00 €

WhatsUp Gold
+ Integration with Microsoft environment

WhatsUp Gold

WhatsUp Gold
+ Create your own dashboards, web client

WhatsUp Gold
+ Cheap licensing

WhatsUp Gold
+ Cheap licensing
- Subscription based client-side application monitoring

WhatsUp Gold
+ Cheap licensing

WhatsUp Gold
+ Cheap licensing
- No autodiscovery of new applications on servers

WhatsUp Gold
+ Cheap licensing
- No autodiscovery of new applications on servers
- Not well known, limited outside support

WhatsUp Gold

Product Montly Yearly cost Price
subscriptio
n
WhatsUp Gold Premium 100 new devices, 3,376.22 €
1 year service
WhatsUp Log Management Suite, 50 5,547.78 €
servers
AlertFox Pro3 299.00 € 3,588.00 € 14,352.00 € = 4 years of
subscription
Total 23,276.00 €

Selection
Name System Center 2012 Cacti Nagios SolarWinds Server & WhatsUp Gold
Operations Manager Application Monitor

Integration Excellent integrated Microsoft SNMP Third-party plugins and Built-in Excellent integrated Microsoft
products monitoring agents Products monitoring

Application monitoring Integrated, server and client No Configure NC_Net plugin to Built-in, templates available to AlertFox client-side
side. OpsMgr recognizes define specific .NET create your own scripting monitoring, subscription. No
application pools performance counters server-side monitoring per
app
Trends, history Trending, full history Usage Yes Yes Yes + Log Management

Alerting Event log events, custom log Plugin Event log items through agent, Event log events, custom log Event log events, custom log
parsing, thresholds on thresholds on performance parsing, thresholds on parsing, thresholds on
performance counters, to counters, to email, SMS performance counters, to performance counters, to
other ticketing systems, email, gateways other ticketing systems, email, other ticketing systems, email,
SMS gateways, … SMS gateways, … SMS gateways, …
Discovery Automatic of devices, Plugin to find network devices Auto-discover devices, Discovery tools PING scan
middleware (if management services
packs are installed)
OS Support Microsoft products, Unix, SNMP, plugins Plugins Microsoft products, Unix, Windows, Unix, LInux, SNMP
Linux. Linux
Plugins "Support for Documentum, Limited amount of available Microsoft Windows with Tomcat, Apache
DB2, Tomcat, Apache (http:// plugins NSClient++ agent, manually to
www.managementproducts.co install and configure; large
mtrade.com/ plugin library, Documentum
management_pack/ support, Tomcat, Apache
emc_documentum/Pages/
default.aspx

User management AD Users, authorizations defined Users, authorizations defined AD Users, authorizations defined
in application in application in application

Configuration GUI Plaintext configuration files GUI, scripting Web GUI

Licensing Expensive, but includes full OS Basic version Open Source, XI Commercial, starts at 2440€, Commercial, but subscription
System Center 2012 stack version commercial 1995USD but when licensed for our based for app monitoring
environment it reaches SCOM
pricing
Dashboards Create your own, in Plugins Create your own, web interface Web, mobile, build your own Create your own, web interface
management console or web
interface
Reporting Large sample of built-in Plugins External plugin Templates, build your own Built-in reports
reports, report builder

Vendor & External Support Well known, excellent vendor External support External support Not well known, unknown Not well known, unknown
and external support vendor support vendor support

Conclusion
• Open Source solutions Cacti and Nagios are
cheap, but limited in features and vendor support

Conclusion
• Microsoft System Center is expensive, but
perfectly integrated and much external support is
available

Conclusion
available
• SolarWinds falls short on features compared to
price, limited external support

Conclusion
available
• SolarWinds falls short on features compared to
price, limited external support
• WhatsApp Gold is cost-effective, offers good
client-side application testing but lacks good
server-side application monitoring, and there is
limited external support

Monitoring solutions comparison

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked (13)

Monitoring solutions comparison

Editor's Notes