Gold vs. Building the network management solution that will work for you is very easy with the Gold family just mix-and-match the Gold plug-ins that you need (WhatsVirtual, WhatsConnected, Flow Monitor, VoIP or WhatsConfigured), and see it all from one pane of glass. Compare below the Gold and product families: Pricing, Usability and Administration Simple and straightforward licensing that makes it easy to budget for, no hidden costs, no surprises at the end Robust, easy-to-use and low maintenance solution that deploys in minutes with minimal preparatory work Web or Windows Console-based UI for flexible monitoring anytime, anywhere, on the go Mobile access to critical reports and admin tasks via smart phones and other wireless devices Highly configurable reports and visualization that can be personalized on a per-user basis, and provide relevant options simply and clearly Security FIPS 140-2 encryption and validation to protect network management data and ensure compliance Secure monitoring via SNMP v3 Integration with Microsoft Active Directory groups and authentication for secure access management Real-time monitoring and alerting when critical events are detected across Syslog and Windows log files Role-based access personalization on a-need-to-know basis Track traffic anomalies to quickly detect the introduction of viruses and worms into the corporate network Real-time monitoring and alerting when critical events are detected in vcenter Collect, analyze, report and monitor Windows event logs and Syslog files to quickly identify security threats, conduct security forensic analysis, and meet regulatory compliance requirements Compare Gold & 1
Discovery Layer 3 Discovery One-click integrated Layer 2/3 discovery Asset inventory and configuration discovery (e.g. installed software and applications, Operating System details, BIOS inventory, patch information, Windows services inventory, warranty information, etc.) One-click integration with Microsoft Visio Auto-discovery and dynamic mapping capabilities for up-to-date network topology views at all times Auto-discovery & configuration of Cisco NetFlow MIB supported devices so you can easily monitor network traffic in just a few clicks Monitoring & Automation Modular and extensible monitoring functionality controlled by licensing, so you can add functionality as needed, without having to re-install or install any new components Performance monitoring (CPU utilization, Disk space and utilization, Interface utilization, Memory, Ping Latency ) with configurable thresholds Wireless Access Point Monitor (WAP) Includes MIBS management tools (Walker, File Export) Hardware monitors - UPS, Printer, Fan, Power Supply, Temperature, etc. Monitor and report on your network s capacity to support and maintain acceptable call quality for Voice over IP Ability to receive and view SNMP alerts (traps) from devices under distress Custom actions using JScript or VBscript (e.g. to restart services/systems) Uses standard databases for which administration skills are easy to find within the team (for data trending) Proactively monitors health, availability and performance of your network devices, servers and applications But must pay extra for APM Compare Gold & 2
Monitoring & Automation Synthetic transaction monitoring of core applications including web, databases and IP services Support for multiple versions of SNMP (v1,2 and 3) to ensure monitoring of new and legacy devices Easily export/import critical network configuration, topology or log data information into existing corporate-wide archiving repository (No email and FTP monitors) Network Traffic Monitoring Network traffic and application and conversation level bandwidth usage monitoring Gives you visibility into your non-flow enabled network devices as well Flow Aggregation capabilities to group and manage multiple flow sources in a single view even across different devices and treat them as a single aggregated source Customizable data collection for one or multiple ports to adapt to all network designs, including those with complex firewalls, or forwarding rules Configuration Management Automate network device configuration file backup, restore, storage, and change management processes Schedule and automatically execute configuration changes for individual or groups of network devices Oversee and maintain audit trails of all device configuration changes to ensure accountability and traceability Integrated SNMP-based VLAN management interface to reduce the likelihood of human error Compare Gold & 3
Virtualization Management Visibility into the complete systems environment across physical hardware, virtual instances and the OS Workspace Reports for Physical Host Servers, Virtual Machines and Virtual Clusters Capabilities to perform several virtualization actions (i.e. take a snapshot, power on, power off, shutdown guest, etc.) Alert Management and Notifications One pane of glass- Unified view of ALL alerts and problems happening in your infrastructure - performance, application or hardware issues, bandwidth usage violations, misconfiguration errors, connectivity issues Multiple notification mechanisms: Email, Alpha/Text Pager, SMS, Web Alarms, Sound... Dependent alarm suppression based on intra- and inter-device monitor criticality to prevent alert floods Alert on configuration changes or policy failures with capabilities to restore a known good configuration Alert on the use of unauthorized applications or as soon as bandwidth usage violations are detected Ability to initiate automated action based on alert level and threshold (Service Restart, External Scripts) Advanced alert suppression & blackout reporting capabilities- to get a report of all suppressed alerts when you are back in the office and it fits your schedule Maintenance window setting to prevent flood of alerts during scheduled downtime Compare Gold & 4
Reporting and Visualization Real-time dashboard views and historical performance reporting Sub-second granular monitoring with real-time reporting to aid operational troubleshooting Easily visualize performance details as you hover over devices and systems in your maps Wide variety of data export via email, PDF, CSV, etc. for sharing and integration into 3rdparty tools Integrated view of network performance and log auditing information with capabilities to quickly drill-down into specific computers to zero-in into security threats Group and manage multiple flow sources in a single view even across different devices and treat them as a single aggregated source Flow and virtualization-centric reports (Top Protocols, Top Applications, Top Senders, Top Conversations, Workspace Reports for Physical Host Servers, Virtual Machines and Virtual Clusters, etc.) Other Business and Environmental Factors to consider about Gold: Complete IT management solution, air-tight security and protection 20 years of experience working closely with U.S. Federal, State and Local Governments, educational and healthcare institutions, and commercial organizations Our products are 100% made and supported in the USA Worldwide presence and a history of continuous technical innovation Unmatched quality and ease of access to customer support Social Mission: Giving back to the community is an integral part of our culture and values The difference in price is directly attributed to the different licensing philosophies. SolarWinds licensing is based on the number of elements managed (e.g. interfaces or volumes), while Gold believes in simple, direct device-based charging. The Gold family delivers comparable functionality, but at a much lower cost as much as 8 times less. Download a 30-day free trial of Gold today: http://www.whatsupgold.com/products/download/network_management.aspx Compare Gold & 5