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Opendcim VS Cisco ACI

Compare Opendcim VS Cisco ACI and see what are their differences

Opendcim logo Opendcim

a free, web based Data Center Infrastructure Management application.

Cisco ACI logo Cisco ACI

Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) simplifies, optimizes, and accelerates the application deployment lifecycle in next-generation data centers and clouds.
  • Opendcim Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-02-10
  • Cisco ACI Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-21

Opendcim features and specs

  • Open Source
    Being open-source, OpenDCIM is free to use, modify, and distribute, reducing overall software costs and providing greater flexibility.
  • Community Support
    A strong community of users and developers contributes to its development, offering forums, documentation, and shared experiences.
  • Customizable
    Users have the ability to tailor the software to their specific needs, enabling them to add or modify features as required.
  • Scalability
    Designed to manage multiple data centers, OpenDCIM can scale according to the user's requirements, making it suitable for small to large deployments.
  • Hardware Agnostic
    OpenDCIM supports a wide range of hardware, allowing for integration with various devices without being locked into a specific vendor.

Possible disadvantages of Opendcim

  • Complexity
    Installation and initial setup can be complex, requiring a good understanding of IT and data center infrastructure.
  • Limited Official Support
    As a community-driven project, there is no formal customer support, which may be a drawback for organizations requiring guaranteed assistance.
  • Feature Gaps
    Some advanced features available in commercial DCIM solutions may be lacking, potentially requiring additional development and customization.
  • User Interface
    The user interface may not be as polished or intuitive as some commercial alternatives, potentially impacting user experience and adoption.
  • Documentation Variability
    While there is community documentation, its quality and comprehensiveness can vary, potentially making troubleshooting and learning more difficult.

Cisco ACI features and specs

  • Centralized Management
    Cisco ACI provides a centralized point of management for the entire network infrastructure, making it easier to configure, automate, and manage policies across the network.
  • Scalability
    ACI allows for scalable design, accommodating the growth of network infrastructure with minimal disruption and extensive support for multi-cloud environments.
  • Policy-Based Automation
    ACI leverages policy-driven automation to reduce the complexity and potential for human error in network configurations. Policies can be applied uniformly across the network to ensure compliance and security.
  • Security
    By using micro-segmentation and other security features, ACI enhances network security by isolating segments of the network and ensuring consistent security policies.
  • Multi-Tenancy Support
    ACI supports multi-tenancy, allowing different segments or tenants within an organization to operate within their own isolated environments while sharing the same physical infrastructure.
  • Integration with Third-Party Tools
    The platform supports integration with a wide range of third-party tools and applications, streamlining workflows and improving operational efficiencies.
  • Visibility and Troubleshooting
    ACI provides extensive monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities, allowing for enhanced visibility into network performance and faster resolution of issues.

Possible disadvantages of Cisco ACI

  • High Initial Investment
    The upfront costs associated with deploying Cisco ACI can be significant, including both hardware and software expenses.
  • Complexity
    While ACI simplifies many aspects of network management, its sophisticated features and architecture can add layers of complexity, requiring specialized knowledge and training.
  • Vendor Lock-In
    Implementing Cisco ACI often ties the organization to Cisco's ecosystem, which might limit flexibility with multi-vendor environments or introduce higher costs for future upgrades and expansions.
  • Learning Curve
    Network administrators and engineers may face a steep learning curve when transitioning to ACI, necessitating time for training and adjustment.
  • Dependency on APIC
    The Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) is a critical component of the ACI architecture, and any failure or issue with APIC can impact the entire network's operation.
  • Migration Challenges
    Migrating existing network infrastructure to ACI can be a complex and risky process, requiring careful planning and execution to avoid disruptions.

Opendcim videos

openDCIM - Adding Pictures to Devices

Cisco ACI videos

Cisco ACI vs. VMware NSX: Which Software-Defined Solution is Right for You?

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Opendcim and Cisco ACI)
Monitoring Tools
46 46%
54% 54
Log Management
47 47%
53% 53
DCIM Software
49 49%
51% 51
Product Deployment
48 48%
52% 52

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Opendcim and Cisco ACI

Opendcim Reviews

12 Open Source/Commercial Software for Data Center Infrastructure Management
Thanks to its open-source code, Opendcims should work fine for the companies having their own developers.
Source: www.tecmint.com

Cisco ACI Reviews

We have no reviews of Cisco ACI yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Opendcim seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Opendcim mentions (2)

  • What DCIM Software to use
    OpenDCIM is antiquated but its data model is quite sane. Its PDU monitoring is very basic but serviceable - the managers loved it. It is barely maintained and its old fashioned PHP does it no favor, so I advise to steer clear of it... But it does work. Source: over 2 years ago
  • IT Pro Tuesday #152 - Secure Backup, Python Course, Remote Device Management & More
    OpenDCIM is designed for simple, complete data-center asset tracking. Offers support for multiple rooms; management of space, power and cooling; basic contact management and integration into existing business directory via UserID; fault tolerance; computation of center of gravity for each cabinet; template management for devices (with ability to override per device); optional tracking of cable connections within... Source: almost 4 years ago

Cisco ACI mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Cisco ACI yet. Tracking of Cisco ACI recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Opendcim and Cisco ACI, you can also consider the following products

DCImanager - DCImanager is a platform for managing physical equipment. Connect any physical equipment to a single platform. Use the platform to manage your servers, switches, PDU as well as physical and virtual networks.

ManageEngine OpManager - Monitors routers, switches, firewalls, load-balancers, wireless LAN controllers, servers, VMs, printers, storage devices, and everything that has an IP and is connected to the network.

NetBox - NetBox is an open source web application designed to help manage and document computer networks. NetBox was developed specifically to address the needs of network and infrastructure engineers.

RackTables - Racktables is a nifty and robust solution for datacenter and server room asset management.

Cisco Data Center Network Manager - Cisco Data Center Network Manager offers network management system (NMS) support for traditional or multiple-tenant LAN and SAN fabrics.

Device42 - Automatically maintain an up-to-date inventory of your physical, virtual, and cloud servers and containers, network components, software/services/applications, and their inter-relationships and inter-dependencies.