SolarWinds Virtualization Manager helps buisness go forward
Updated September 02, 2020

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager helps buisness go forward

Jeremy Mayfield | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN)

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager is used by the enterprise IT [department] to manage the VMWare environment daily. It gives deep insight beyond what vSphere can and also ties back to storage and hardware giving me a single pane of glass view.

Pros

  • Recommendations. Those are wonderful. You build out your environment based on a set of criteria from a vendor or others, only to find your resources are poorly used. The VMAN product allows you to make adjustments based on its recommendations and it automates the process for you.
  • Pinpoints guests with problems. It provides a graphical and then drills down details to the virtual guests with issues you need to address immediately.
  • Capacity planning and sprawl. VMAN gives you all the tools you need to prvent sprawl and plan for the future.

Cons

  • Licensing. One of the most glaring elements to SolarWinds is the way they license. I feel they could improve this a bit. It a easy process just costly.
  • They tell you about orphaned VMDK but don't tell you where it might be used. It says it might be, I feel it should check.
  • This product will pay for itself. It's expensive to license but then pays for it self when you see it work every day.
SolarWinds is far superior to the base tools. Every manufacture has a management tool that often has really good benefits to using it, however with VMAN you get a single pane of glass for so much more than just Virtual Machines and or storage. You gain total control of your virtual environment and are able to be the virtual manager you need to be.
SolarWinds Security Event Manager (SEM), SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager (NCM), SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (npm), SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor, SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (NTA)
It's integrated with the SolarWinds Orion platform of tools, it has great insight, and works well. It has saved me staff by helping me be more automated and efficient. The automated alerting is very valuable and when combined with the other tools in Orion and offerings from SolarWinds gives you and complete solution for everyday use.

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) Premier Support

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) Smart Start

ROI

  • Product Features
  • Prior Experience with the Product
  • Existing Relationship with the Vendor
Integration with Orion. We are heavy Orion uses and we wanted something that was going to be fully integrated with it. VMAN was it, it handled everything we need it to do and many things we did not know we needed or wanted. Its been a great addition to the tool sets.

Using SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN)

2 - IT and systems administrators, they help manage admin and production sides of the enterprise.
1 - Experience with Virtual software, experience with Orion.
  • Overview of Virtual Infrastructure
  • Recommendations for changes to environment
  • Planning and forecasting
  • Sprawl, keeping it controlled
  • Capacity planning for future proofing the network
  • Budgeting for future years
  • Hardware justification
  • automation of recommendation processes
Its a very valuable program an I can not imagine having to manage VMware with out it.

Evaluating SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) and Competitors

I don't know that o would change anything. I would still have chosen it since it is the best thing on the market.

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) Implementation

Its really the best product on the market for someone looking to have total control over their VM environment. anyone interested should download a demo and try it, I know you will buy it after you do. It changing the way you have to manage on a daily basis.
  • Implemented in-house
Change management was minimal
  • Understanding how to configure the product
  • becoming familiar with the interface
  • ensuring all the items were configured to perform properly.

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) Training

Configuring SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN)

This product is so simple to use and user friend by interface, that its nearly impossible to mess anything up.
You should always keep it as simple as possible. Keep all the built in dashboards as they are and create your own if you want to make changes.
Some - we have done small customizations to the interface - We have built our own dashboards to custom views. We try not to change the default SolarWinds screens.
Some - we have added small pieces of custom code - We have very little. Mostly for display options.
No, we kept the system very vanilla.

SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN) Support

SolarWinds gives good support. I have never had a time when i was working through a support case where I did not get the support I needed for the required issues to be resolved. I have always had resolutions from SolarWinds support. They are top notch. Issues once had are no more.
ProsCons
Quick Resolution
Good followup
Knowledgeable team
Problems get solved
Kept well informed
No escalation required
Immediate help available
Support understands my problem
Support cares about my success
Quick Initial Response
None
No - I pay for maintenance and I get upgrades and support. I have never needed to pay more for support. They do a good job covering the required issues, and i have friends aka community that helps along the way. THWACK.com is an amazing resource for all things SolarWinds. I think they do their best.
Case in point, I could not see the recommendations and they were able to resolve it. The process took several days but they technicians never stopped working on it. Each day we would work together to resolve the issue. this sometimes meant that we found other things needing fixed too and they were.

Using SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (VMAN)

I find it to be very usable. This product if a must have in any IT admin arsenal. Its a wonderful tool and its integration with Orion is seamless. It provides a single pane of glass view to your products and services of your virtual environment while if provides notifications to you for the best possible support options.
ProsCons
Like to use
Relatively simple
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Well integrated
Consistent
Quick to learn
Convenient
Feel confident using
Familiar
None
  • Recommendations
  • Sprawl
  • Capacity Planning
  • Reporting
  • Storage

Relationship with SolarWinds

They are the best. Once you are a customer you are part of a family. Its a great overall experience.
Hint: buy in December. You get the best deals, however, they will work with you.
We have Net 45 and had a wonderful package which was valued over 14K for just over 7 in actual.
Buy later in the year. Co-Term everything.

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