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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%
  • Application monitoring (266)
    9.0
    90%
  • Threshold alerts (271)
    9.0
    90%
  • Out-of-the box templates to monitor applications (256)
    7.9
    79%
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Pricing

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Unavailable

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

(650)

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

(201-225 of 236)
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March 11, 2016

Solid Monitoring Tool

Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
SolarWinds is the only one I've used. I've seen demos of competing products, but they are generally geared toward a specific hardware/software vendor. I prefer Solarwinds when I need a good general tool for alerting, monitoring and trending. The customization that is available in Solarwinds really gives it the edge.
Brent Lyle | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It does not give you near the detail SCOM does. The CA products are much harder to configure, but they give you a more fluid look and much more reliable information. Out of the four, I would rate SAM at the bottom.
Michael Aguirre | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
SAM provides the base level of monitoring needed to monitor your systems on a hardware and configuration level. We are still looking into getting additional monitoring for SQL that will give indepth reporting on procedural efficiency, and am also considering on expanding to IIS monitoring through Solarwinds. SAM has a very specific purpose, and it best used in combination with other tools, instead of being used over another product.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
The SolarWinds suite, including Orion, Network Performance Monitor, Patch Manager and SAM provide a cohesive, enterprise level monitoring platform that helps us to quickly diagnose issues at our divisions worldwide. It allows us to pinpoint the exact cause of an outage, and with historical data allows us to view trends that we can use to better predict when an issue may recur. Other products offer a wide variety of monitoring solutions, but none that I have used to date have the deep insight into the entire ecosystem that SolarWinds has. Also, the ability to fully customize any portion or area in SolarWinds allows us to see exactly what we need to see, in a manner that we can use to predict and react to issues suited to our environment, not some perfect-world ideal.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Prior to SolarWinds, we used a product called WhatsUp Gold. With each update to WhatsUp Gold it became slower and slower and eventually became so unstable that we could no longer trust it to accurately monitor our systems. That is why we switched to SolarWinds and we have never looked back!
Matt VanCleve | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 6 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We do not see any alternatives to the SolarWinds Sever and Application Monitor in this space. Most other monitoring is not in depth enough for our use or is to difficult to set up. SolarWinds SAM is the best mix of detail application performance monitoring combined with easy to deploy templates.
February 29, 2016

Solarwinds SAM Review

Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
It lacks the simplicity of Goliath Performance Monitor, but that's because it's a much more fully featured and integrated product. I think it falls behind the vRealize platform for virtualization due to the reliance on WMI and discovery, but it is significantly more affordable than that solution. I think dollar for dollar this is one of the best products on the market.
David Gonzalez | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor by far has been the best choice for overall needs of our district. The vast loads of information has been critical when troubleshooting issues or creating system builds. Sometimes it seems like we have too much information with SAM but none the less it helps with something down the road! The ability to plugin SAM with all the other SolarWinds products and have a single view of what's going on with the network and systems are priceless. Also in general how well the information is presented and easy to understand either looking at one system or all the applications at once. I have used Nagios and SNMPc inline with SolarWinds and by far I always find myself with SolarWinds on my desktop 24/7. I don't care to (ping) the network... I want to know more about what is going on than if the system is up or down.
Ed Bowling | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
While Nagios was an extremely through and capable product, the time required to properly customize the product was discouraging. Once you learn how easy and fast it is to create a custom monitor or custom alert or custom view in Solarwinds, then you are pretty much sold on its usefulness and time saving value.
February 15, 2016

SolarWinds SAM review

Mike Miller | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
SAM provides far more details than either of the products listed above and allows us to add custom services along with the built-in performance parameters. SAM also provides a more useful user interface that allows an overall view for quick problem identification and the ability to drill in to the details needed in the event of an issue.
Matt Richardson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Foglight, Kaseya Virtual System Administrator (VSA) and LabTech for Corporate IT Departments
I honestly liked Kaseya VSA better than SolarWinds SAM, but the rest of the Kaseya suite didn't stack up to SolarWinds for things like networking equipment, firewalls, netflow, etc. Foglight is just too much. There are so many things that this product has that I never use, just overkill.LabTech is also useful, but for a smaller shop. Once you have to scale out really big, LabTech for Corporate just can't hack it.
February 12, 2016

Solarwinds

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We actually did a side-by-side test and compare with another similar product called What's Up Gold. Solarwinds was more robust and was able to monitor and analyze everything we we needed it to.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We looked into other monitoring programs such as Ciscoview and HP Openview and other products but found that Solarwinds Server & Application Monitor seemed to supply more of exactly what we were looking for as well as came across as a better overall product for our company. Solarwinds Server & Application Manager was fair priced and provided more than enough for what we needed now and in the future.
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