Cisco NCS 1000 Optical Systems vs. OpenNMS Meridian

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Cisco NCS 1000 Optical Systems
Score 8.1 out of 10
N/A
Cisco Network Convergence System (NCS) 1000 Series delivers scalable optical transport designed for data center interconnect (DCI) and metro networks. Built for high-capacity applications, it supports dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) to enable fast, cost-efficient connectivity across long distances. The system allows for rapid response to bandwidth demand while reducing network complexity and footprint. Ideal for service providers and large enterprises, the NCS 1000 Series helps…N/A
OpenNMS Meridian
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
OpenNMS Meridian is a scalable open source network management platform with network traffic analysis, network discovery, alerting, and monitoring. It's presented as a solution to monitor enterprise network performance and ensure the availability and performance of critical network services.
$42,000
per year
Pricing
Cisco NCS 1000 Optical SystemsOpenNMS Meridian
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Essential
$42,000
per year Up to 2 Meridian and cores Up to 25 Minions
Premier
$56,700
per year Up to 4 Meridian cores and Up to 100 Minions
Premier+
Custom
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Cisco NCS 1000 Optical SystemsOpenNMS Meridian
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeOptional
Additional DetailsAdd-Ons: -24/7 Emergency Support: $24,000 / year -Mini OpenNMS Appliance: $750 ea.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Cisco NCS 1000 Optical SystemsOpenNMS Meridian
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Cisco NCS 1000 Optical SystemsOpenNMS Meridian
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Score 9.1 out of 10
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Score 8.4 out of 10
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Score 9.3 out of 10
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User Ratings
Cisco NCS 1000 Optical SystemsOpenNMS Meridian
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(2 ratings)
8.4
(4 ratings)
Implementation Rating
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.3
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Cisco NCS 1000 Optical SystemsOpenNMS Meridian
Likelihood to Recommend
Cisco
This Cisco platform creates a secure channel whereby all the company's data can easily be managed and the integration supports is on top, giving the user the ability to handle a huge amount of various data at once and the reports are very reliable and easy to make. Notification tools are very active and also network-building tools are effective and easy options for understanding.
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The OpenNMS Group
I would recommend all system administrators use some form of network monitoring if they are not already doing so, and I'd definitely recommend people consider OpenNMS if they're shopping around. Small businesses will benefit from the low-cost of entry (it's free!), whilst getting all the enterprise features. Larger businesses can benefit from paid support plans.
However, there's no getting around the fact that you will require some advanced networking and sysadmin knowledge to get the most out of OpenNMS, or at least, be prepared for a steep learning curve. If you don't have the resources to devote this time initially, you may struggle.
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Pros
Cisco
  • Label switch routing.
  • Multiprotocol Label Switching Transport Profile.
  • Ethernet switching.
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The OpenNMS Group
  • Report on SLA
  • Group network areas
  • Discovery of elements
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Cons
Cisco
  • Configuration of the features is not that easy.
  • Multiple network connections management to new users is turf.
  • Monitoring all the networks and servers performance through the tool.
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The OpenNMS Group
  • We've had a few issues with delayed alerting.
  • I haven't quite figured out how to make topologies work yet, but I haven't spent a ton of time on it either.
  • We've also had a bit of trouble importing some MIBs, but that usually boiled down to working with the vendor to make sure we had the right MIBs and dependencies.
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Implementation Rating
Cisco
As it runs on XR there the config is very straightforward. We implement the design obtained from the engineering team and haven't had issues. I have opened few tickets to resolve any doubts and Cisco has been supportive so far.
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The OpenNMS Group
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Cisco
I have used Cisco 5000 series mostly as it has other L3 routing capabilities. We use it on core to route IS-IS, OSPF and also peer it on BGP.
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The OpenNMS Group
OpenNMS's more attractive GUI and its price break were the main reasons our company chose to explore and use this product. However, it never managed to actually replace Nagios which had a much more established hold within the company. Perhaps we were over-monitoring, but our company claimed a $100k loss per hour of downtime.
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Scalability
Cisco
It supports hundred-gig links and ten-gig links, and scalability hasn't been a problem with this device. It can used on distribution layer.
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The OpenNMS Group
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Cisco
  • Better experience on network traffic management.
  • Obtaining processing reports is excellent.
  • Nice for the easy data moving.
  • Information sharing tool.
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The OpenNMS Group
  • Initial adoption required quite a lot of resources and time to get everything right. Totally worth it for us; just be prepared for a gradual process that will get better and better with time.
  • Once setup and running smoothly, it provides us with all the reporting we could hope for, at near zero cost.
  • With OpenNMS, we're able to offer a much more reliable service to our customers, and spend a lot less time dealing with issues.
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ScreenShots

Cisco NCS 1000 Optical Systems Screenshots

Screenshot of NCS 1010 ATO with NCS1K-ILA-L Optical ModuleScreenshot of NCS 1010 ATO with NCS1K-ILA-L Optical Module1Screenshot of NCS1010-SYS with NCS1K-ILA-2R-C= Optical ModuleScreenshot of NCS1010-SYS with NCS1K-ILA-2R-C= Optical Module