Original Research on SolarWinds Network Management

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Customer Research

How many person-hours do you estimate your organization saves each month managing network configurations using NCM?

More than 100 hours: 8%

Up to 100 hours: 12%

Up to 50 hours: 28%

Up to 25 hours: 52%

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Case Study

Large Enterprise Professional Services Company

Introduction

This case study of a large enterprise professional services company is based on an August 2015 survey of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager customers by TechValidate, a 3rd-party research service. The profiled company asked to have their name blinded to protect their confidentiality.

Challenges

The business challenges that led the profiled company to evaluate and ultimately select SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager:

Problems experienced prior to using SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM):
- Experienced configuration changes took too much time and/or were error prone
- Needed a better way to backup and restore configuration files

Use Case

The key feature and functionality of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager that the surveyed company uses:

Company manages up to 500 devices.

Results

The surveyed company achieved the following results with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager:

Primary reasons for using NCM:
- Configuration backup and restore to provide operational continuity
- Search to find where specific configuration policies are used across the network
Primary benefits from using NCM:
- Saves time making configuration changes
- Makes fewer errors when making standardized configuration changes
Is up to 75% more efficient at managing and implementing reliable network changes since deploying NCM.
Is up to 50% faster at detecting and or fixing network configuration problems since using NCM.
Agrees that they achieve far superior security and network reliability when they use network automation alongside their network monitoring solution.

SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer Customer Testimonial

My favorite feature of NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is:

Once it is set up it is easy to get the data you need. No need to jump around in the application.

— IT Manager, S&P 500 Hospitality Company

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager Case Study

School District of New Berlin

Introduction

This case study of School District of New Berlin is based on a May 2017 survey of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager customers by TechValidate, a 3rd-party research service.

Challenges

The business challenges that led the profiled company to evaluate and ultimately select SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager:

Faces the most significant challenges that are associated with:
- Increasing network complexity and pace of change
- The complexity of managing many different device types
- Configuration-related problems take too long to troubleshoot and correct
Spent 10-25 person hours managing configuration related activities.

Use Case

The key features and functionalities of SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager that the surveyed company uses:

Manages 50 to 100 network devices.
Regularly performs the following network configuration management tasks:
- Does device discovery and inventory
- Manages administrative device access and permissions
- Reviews or approves proposed configuration changes
- Builds and/or deploy configuration changes
- Monitors configurations for change
- Manages configuration backups
- Troubleshooting and/or correct configuration errors
- Manages device life-cycle
- Manages support contracts
- Creates performance and planning reports

Results

The surveyed company achieved the following results with SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager:

Uses NCM to help in the following ways:
- Document network environment
- Save time completing wide-scale configuration changes
- Improve standardization and process discipline
- Improve network troubleshooting and problem resolution
- Improve policy compliance and reporting
Saves 10-25 person hours when using NCM for managing network configuration and compliance related activities.

What Challenges do you face monitoring IP faults?

IP fault monitoring tasks routinely performed using IP Address Manager

Detect and troubleshoot IP conflicts	53%
Monitor address exhaustion in subnets and DHCP scopes	61%
Detect DNS entry mis-match errors	22%
Review IP address forensic histories	31%
Monitor DHCP, DNS and IP Address change event logs	23%
Other	14%

SolarWinds Log & Event Manager Customer Testimonial

Part of the reason we chose SolarWinds Log and Event Manager as our SIEM solution was because it was recommended to us by a 3rd party auditor.

— IT Manager, Medium Enterprise Financial Services Company

TechValidate Research on SolarWinds Network Management

These pages present data that TechValidate has sourced via direct research with verified customers and users of SolarWinds Network Management. TechValidate stands behind the authenticity of all published data. Learn more »

About TechValidate Research

Selected Research Highlights

Large Enterprise Professional Services Company

Introduction

Challenges

Use Case

Results

Company Profile

About SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

My favorite feature of NetFlow Traffic Analyzer is:

School District of New Berlin

Introduction

Challenges

Use Case

Results

Company Profile

About SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager

What Challenges do you face monitoring IP faults?

More to Explore

About SolarWinds Network Management

SolarWinds delivers powerful, affordable, and easy-to-use network monitoring and management software to help you take control of your network, reduce outages, manage devices and speed up troubleshooting.