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SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor

Overview

What is SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor?

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) delivers application and server monitoring capabilities. SAM allows for self-service for easy setup, 1200+ monitoring templates, and customization options, as well as integrate with other SolarWinds products.

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Recent Reviews

TrustRadius Insights

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is a versatile tool that has been widely used across various industries and departments for …
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True Insight

10 out of 10
January 27, 2022
Incentivized
I use SolarWinds Server Application Monitor to monitor my infrastructure as well as applications within that environment. It provides a …
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Popular Features

View all 12 features
  • Server availability and performance monitoring (269)
    9.8
    98%
  • Threshold alerts (271)
    9.0
    90%
  • Application monitoring (266)
    9.0
    90%
  • Out-of-the box templates to monitor applications (256)
    8.0
    80%
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Pricing

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What is SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor?

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) delivers application and server monitoring capabilities. SAM allows for self-service for easy setup, 1200+ monitoring templates, and customization options, as well as integrate with other SolarWinds products.

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttp://www.solarwinds.com/products/pric…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

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Features

Application Performance Management

Application performance management software monitors software to ensure performance and availability

8.7
Avg 7.6
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Product Details

What is SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor?

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) delivers application and server monitoring capabilities for IT pros enabling them to diagnose and troubleshoot issues faster. The vendor’s value proposition is that this solution prevents slow applications and downtime from impacting end-users and business services. Users can use this tool to pinpoint the root cause of application issues across various layers of the IT stack.

The vendor says SolarWinds SAM is affordable, easy to deploy, use and customize. Users can automatically discover their systems environment and start monitoring in about an hour. No professional services or consultation needed.

SAM is built on SolarWinds Orion® platform enabling native integration with Network Performance Monitor and other IT management software from SolarWinds.

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Features

  • Supported: Single Web interface to monitor multi-vendor applications and server infrastructure.
  • Supported: Out-of-the-box monitoring templates for 200+ enterprise applications.
  • Supported: Easily extend monitoring to virtually any custom or home-grown applications.
  • Supported: Gain contextual visibility of relationships and dependencies between applications and physical and virtual servers.
  • Supported: Monitor server hardware health, perform capacity forecasting, and manage asset inventory. Remediate server issues remotely with built-in management actions.
  • Supported: Monitor VMware and Hyper-V environments to identify problems impacting application performance.
  • Supported: Centrally manage IT asset inventory and keep track of server hardware and software information.
  • Supported: Leverage the wealth of built-in alerts and reports, and easily customize them as needed.
  • Supported: SAM is an agentless monitoring software. Optional agent installation extends monitoring to the cloud.

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Screenshots

Screenshot of Multi-vendor application performance monitoringScreenshot of Multi-vendor server monitoringScreenshot of Application dependency mapping with AppStackâ„¢ dashboardScreenshot of Microsoft Exchange performance monitoring with AppInsightâ„¢ templateScreenshot of Microsoft IIS performance monitoring with AppInsightâ„¢ templateScreenshot of Server hardware health monitoringScreenshot of Built-in virtualization monitoring for VMware and Hyper-V environmentsScreenshot of Easily extend monitoring to any custom or home-grown application

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Videos

An introduction to and a brief overview of SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
In this video, the TrustRadius team is going to take a look at Solarwinds Server and Application Monitor, a powerful tool that can help you monitor your systems and identify issues early. We'll explore the overview, user sentiment, pricing, top features, and use-case, and help...
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Watch SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Training Videos

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Competitors

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo
Supported LanguagesEnglish

Frequently Asked Questions

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) delivers application and server monitoring capabilities. SAM allows for self-service for easy setup, 1200+ monitoring templates, and customization options, as well as integrate with other SolarWinds products.

Progress WhatsUp Gold, Nagios Core, and Tivoli Monitoring (legacy) are common alternatives for SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor.

Reviewers rate Server availability and performance monitoring highest, with a score of 9.8.

The most common users of SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor are from Enterprises (1,001+ employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(653)

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is a versatile tool that has been widely used across various industries and departments for monitoring and managing servers, applications, and network infrastructure. Users rely on the software to ensure that critical systems are up and running smoothly. With its ability to monitor servers, applications, and network nodes, customers appreciate the comprehensive insights it provides into their IT environments.

One of the key use cases of SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is its role in proactive monitoring and alerting. Users have praised the software's capability to detect issues such as CPU utilization, memory usage, response time, and low disk space. By setting up corresponding alerts, users can address potential problems before they impact end-users. This proactive approach helps prevent system failures and ensures optimal performance.

Another important use case of SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is its ability to provide detailed insights into server metrics and application performance. Users can monitor various elements such as CPU, memory, and disk usage on servers, as well as track the health of applications like Exchange, SQL, IIS, and SharePoint. The software's integration with other products in the SolarWinds Orion family enhances network management capabilities, allowing for a unified view of segmented networks.

Additionally, SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor is valued for its flexibility in monitoring different types of systems and services. It supports Windows, Linux, Unix, and AIX servers both on-premises and in the cloud. Users have leveraged the software to monitor services, processes, URLs, IP addresses, MAC addresses, SMTP devices like networked cameras, and even Linux services such as IPTables. This broad range of monitoring capabilities makes it a valuable tool for organizations with diverse IT infrastructures.

Overall, SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor has proven to be instrumental in maintaining system stability by providing real-time alerts for potential issues and facilitating efficient troubleshooting. Its ease of use and customization options allow different departments and administrators to tailor monitoring and alerts to their specific needs. The software's comprehensive insights, proactive monitoring, and wide range of supported systems make it a valuable asset for organizations looking to ensure optimal performance and availability of their IT infrastructure.

Customizable Dashboard: Users appreciate the fully customizable dashboard in SolarWinds SAM, which allows them to tailor it to their specific requirements. This feature has been mentioned by several reviewers and enables users to easily access the information they need for effective monitoring.

Proactive Alerting: Reviewers have praised SAM's proactive alerting capabilities, with alerts being triggered for offline servers, low disk space, rebooted servers, and critical network device outages. This feature has been highly valued by users as it helps them stay on top of potential issues and address them promptly.

Reporting Capabilities: SAM's reporting capabilities have received positive feedback from users who find the detailed reports provided by the software helpful for meeting regulatory requirements and ensuring system stability and performance. The granularity in alerts and reporting has been mentioned by multiple reviewers as a valuable feature of SAM.

Confusing User Interface: Users have expressed frustration with the user interface of SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, stating that it is confusing and difficult to navigate. Some users feel that there is a steep learning curve and find it overwhelming, especially for first-time users.

Lack of Comprehensive Documentation: Several users have criticized the documentation provided for SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, stating that it is spotty and lacking in examples. They believe that more comprehensive and detailed documentation would greatly aid in understanding and troubleshooting the software.

Poor Customer Support: There have been complaints about the customer support provided by SolarWinds. Multiple users have reported that customer support has worsened over time, causing frustration due to delays in reaching the correct support team and resolving issues in a timely manner.

Users have recommended several key actions for users considering SolarWinds based on their experiences. These include:

  • Recommending utilizing the software for internal use, specifically for monitoring servers and applications.
  • Suggesting taking advantage of the free trial to test the software before making a purchase decision.
  • Advising researching and planning before implementation to ensure the software is suitable for one's needs.
  • Encouraging careful design of the environment, especially when using the software in different locations.
  • Recommending purchasing a license that matches the number of components needed for monitoring.
  • Urging cautiousness when it comes to support and potential glitches with the software.
  • Suggesting working with a detail-oriented engineer for proper setup and configuration.
  • Promoting interaction with the user community site to learn from others' experiences and share knowledge.
  • Emphasizing the need to understand the licensing model before signing up and selecting appropriate licensing based on the number of nodes to be monitored.
  • Suggesting exploring other SolarWinds offerings and using them in conjunction with this software.

While users find SolarWinds to be a valuable tool, they also mention that it may not be suitable for beginners due to its learning curve. Overall, it is recommended to carefully consider setup, pricing, and requirements before implementing SolarWinds.

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-25 of 278)
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September 14, 2022

Big, but effective

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Server uptime monitoring
  • SNMP monitoring
  • Reporting
  • Network device monitoring
  • The web interface reloads when certain options are chosen from pop-up menus, which interrupts quick page navigation.
  • Configuring custom SNMP alerting is onerous.
  • I wish custom reporting was easier to use.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Realtime monitoring of common OS and application metrics.
  • Visibility of past performance issues for server application events/issues.
  • Fast, out-of-the-box setup.
  • Provides basic monitoring/visibility. Visibility into detailed/fine-grained issues best suited for more specialized/expensive solutions.
  • Licensing per monitored application rapidly uses up purchased license count.
  • More out-of-the-box templates or easier setup of monitoring less-common applications would make the solution more appealing given the target audience of the product.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Handling API requests.
  • Monitoring SQL thresholds.
  • Monitoring DHCP pools.
  • Cover non-windows based applications.
  • API Poller doesn't provide friendly messages when getting issues to retrieve info.
  • Unable to edit Authorization Poller settings.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Monitors windows and linux servers.
  • NETFLOW based data traffic.
  • Scripting and automating actions.
  • Integration with other tools.
  • Robust and well-distributed architecture.
  • Constant updates and specialized support center.
  • Training and educational content.
  • Capacity reports.
  • Modern interface.
  • Possibility to use other OS and DB as platform software, in addition to Windows and SQL Server.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Alerts- SolarWinds Server Application Monitor can send alerts based on high disk and CPU usage as well as Server up/down among other criteria
  • Monitor Azure Severs
  • Monitor Hyper-V
  • Monitor VMware
  • Monitor SQL instances
  • Alerts can be easier to create. I understand the need for complex alerting and appreciate that but there should also be a simple way to create basic alerts
January 27, 2022

True Insight

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Discovers servers in our environment
  • Monitors both servers and applications in our environment
  • Monitors hardware health
  • Allow more granular control of application templates
  • Provide suggestions based on trends
  • provide a dark theme option
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Monitoring Windows servers
  • Monitoring applications and services
  • Alerts and reports
  • Real-time stats and status updates
  • Monitoring non-Microsoft OS
  • Database engine requires a lot of tuning and maintenance
  • Frequent updates and security vulnerabilities require immediate attention
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Monitor Azure Cloud Severs- We use SolarWinds SAM to monitor Active Directory and DNS on Several DCs published on Azure Cloud.
  • Monitor Hyper V and VMware - SolarWinds SAM monitors applications on both Hyper V and VMware, while also monitoring the physical host machines.
  • It also helps us monitor Warranty expiration for physical servers.
  • Server Warranty Information: We have had issues where the expiration date was wrong.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Custom Script (Windows, Powershell, Python, Perl, [etc.])
  • Performance Stacks (Dashboards) based on data collected from [SolarWinds] SAM Templates
  • Application dependency Mapping for some [SolarWinds] SAM Templates
  • Additional Templates for monitoring applications (JBoss, JMX, etc.)
  • Dependency Mapping for these applications
  • More Application Performance Management features
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • [Provides] detailed monitoring [on] Windows server
  • Virtual Infrastructure monitoring capabilities
  • Linux environment and custom services monitoring
  • Alerting services
  • Grouping applications
  • Assigning services to individual systems for monitoring
  • MAPs creation
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Monitoring Servers Uptime.
  • Monitoring Application and Services.
  • CPU and RAM utilisation alert.
  • Microsoft Services.
  • Virtualisation.
  • Database.
  • I found SAM already updating and improving day by day.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • SAM keeps historical data on usage so it is great to forecast resource needs such as RAM and CPU.
  • Alerts can be greatly customized and anyone from the local admin to the app owner can be alerted on the issue.
  • Hard to say what features are missing since it's more of the training of the user and their imagination which is most likely the bottleneck in most deployments.
January 19, 2022

SAM I AM

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • The simple addition of nodes.
  • Lots of templates that help with application monitoring.
  • Community input is very helpful.
  • Some of the documentation doesn't make much sense to a new user, need to show use cases.
  • Creating graphs and custom dashboards seems overly complicated.
  • Having to use SQL queries in several scenarios for various widgets shouldn't be needed.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • live alerting in a timely manner
  • nice customization for various sets of users with different expectations
  • simple and fast discovery and implementation on servers
  • KPI aggregation and high level reporting (for non technical people)
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • The layout and feel of the product first and foremost. You can have a product which can do everything under the sun, however if it's lacking visually or hard to navigate, it's not very useful.
  • Seamless integration of assets between the various modules of SolarWinds, makes it a breeze to monitor or report on the environment.
  • Customisation - All aspects of the software is customisable, whether its reporting or when it comes monitoring configuration, SolarWinds SAM allows you to customise it fully to your environment so you achieve the best outcomes when it comes to monitoring and alerting.
  • The get the best out of it requires a decent amount of knowledge of the product. In saying that, you could absolutely get the basics up and running using their how-to's and built in wizards, and with continual use find your way around and customise it further to your environment to best serve your organisation/objectives.
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