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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)
    8.9
    89%
  • Out-of-the box templates to monitor applications (256)
    7.9
    79%
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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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Microsoft's Azure Monitor is designed to analyze and optimize the performance of web applications and infrastructure, including virtual machines (VMs), Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), Azure Storage, and databases. Monitor Linux and Windows VMs and their health and dependencies—all on a single map.

What is SolarWinds Pingdom?

SolarWinds Pingdom is a website uptime monitoring and alert tool, with additional reporting and Real User Monitoring capabilities. Pingdom is part of SolarWinds’s DevOps package, enabling full-stack monitoring as a service.

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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

(649)

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

(151-175 of 277)
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Francisco Manuel Marrero | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor does so much and supports so much automation that it frees up so many people from the different groups. It's easy to see the ROI.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Response time to outages has increased. Less downtime on servers (if something goes down on the weekend we get an alert and we fix it before Monday comes around. Before SolarWinds we would find this issue on Monday morning).
  • Helped us find reoccurring problems we add before SolarWinds was implemented. We fix the issue.
  • For the first 3 months of deployment, we could not trust SolarWinds because we were getting false positive alerts. Once I trained myself more on the product, I was able to tweak the alerts and now we don't have that issue.
Ryhlen Schoeberl | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Recently we have put in place an alert to notify us when a user gets locked out. This in turn tells us they are locked out before they usually even know it and we can quickly unlock them for less downtime.
  • Our chat in the company often will not start all services after updates on a server we set up a notification on that tells us that services are not running allowing us to get it up and working before users even come in for work.
  • Our dialer also frequently will not start services after server updates. We setup a notification to alert us when this happens so that we can fix the issue before our users that use the dialer even know there is a problem preventing downtime.
April 23, 2019

My review

Murali Tallapaneni | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Earlier I was writing my own code to track performance metrics for database servers, now I can spend that time on other things.
  • I have to maintain the code for any upgrades of SQL Server versions. No need to worry now.
Cristian Bodnarasec | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Having this improved my software development team's productivity by removing the downtime due to servers being unavailable.
  • It helped in maintaining our commitment to customers to have a 99.5% uptime on our internet STAR portal.
  • It helped me size the software development's data center according to their real needs.
Josh Haberman | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • SAM has allowed us to cut down on the root cause search for problems and get to fixing them fast.
  • SAM identifies potential issues before they escalate, allowing more proactive problem responses.
  • We're able to use multiple SolarWinds products alongside SAM in Orion to help unify our IT staff and prevent siloed troubleshooting.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • As stated previously, it allows us to do more with less people. On the other hand, SolarWinds and SAM do require a dedicated staff to run properly. For large organizations it's not something that should be done in addition to other duties.
  • ROI really depends on what it costs if critical sytems go down and how long they are down. From my experience, it can definitely help prevent some outages but not all. It's not a silver bullet. During an outage it will help pinpoint an issue and can greatly decrease the time of the outage especially in a complex environment.
  • Having the ability to look at the performance of a system over time allows us to tweak the systems for peak demand and when upgrading systems we have data to determine if we are sizing our new environments to meet the demand.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • We have gained tremendous value from Orion enterprises device data and monitoring. It allows us to see what devices in our network are having problems or need attention.
  • The alerting engine in Orion is very powerful and can be configured to meet the needs of the customer.
  • Networking mapping and monitoring is also very powerful and provides real-time information about network up and downtime.
Sudhakar B | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • ROI is what makes the purchase of SolarWinds Server and Application Manager decision easier.
  • In critical environments where even a minute of outages results in huge impact to our clients, effective monitoring is what help to stay ahead of the issues. This has significantly improved our overall Uptime.
  • The renewal does not cost as much as new purchase which helps with the ROI after 2nd year.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Poor service performance identification. SAM helps us identify problem areas without having to plague a client with questions they don't want to answer.
  • Canned displays allow us to get immediate results about our services without having to learn how to design a UI or add dozens of widgets. It's all prebuilt.
  • SolarWinds products can be prohibitive in regards to cost. SAM licenses off the service, which can quickly add up when you have a dozen core services on a single server.
February 01, 2019

Solar-wins in many areas

Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Immediate identification of VM/Host/Network issues via email and text alerts. Less time to see an outage causes less RTO issues, leading to less monetary refunds to our customers.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) has a very positive effect on saving you precious time at work for troubleshooting and keeping things in the know. The time it saves you to troubleshoot is worth its weight!
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Improved data analysis and reporting.
  • Reduced network downtime.
  • Ease of management.
  • More consistent configuration backups.
We are able to reduce staff time for incidents, which has decreased our response times/ repair times. We have reduced overall network downtime, which means more availability. I allows us to manage systems and applications by different tiers or SLAs.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
  • Increased availability of services.
  • New products/big feature releases tend to have too many bugs to start with that cause our system to work poorly.
  • Ability to calculate how much disk space we need vs what we are using.
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