Cisco NCS 5500 Network Convergence System Chassis

The Cisco NCS 5500 Network Convergence System Chassis is a high-performance, modular foundation designed for service providers and data centers that demand scalable, reliable network convergence. Built to fit standard 19-inch racks, this chassis measures 17.5 inches wide, 33.1 inches deep, and 12.2 inches tall in its Gray finish. It serves as the backbone for a flexible mix of line cards and modules, enabling you to tailor a converged networking solution that grows with your traffic, supports diverse protocols, and simplifies centralized management. Engineers and operators who seek a future‑proof platform for IP/MPLS routing, edge aggregation, and carrier-grade transport will find the NCS 5500 chassis an ideal starting point for building a resilient, scalable network.

Designed with modularity at its core, the NCS 5500 chassis provides the opportunity to deploy the exact mix of processing, fabric, and service modules needed for current workloads while leaving clear upgrade paths for future growth. This approach minimizes downtime and total cost of ownership by reducing the need for wholesale replacements as requirements evolve. The chassis is engineered for demanding environments, delivering predictable performance under high load and long-term reliability for service providers and enterprise networks alike. Cisco’s engineering philosophy behind the NCS 5500 emphasizes tight integration with the broader Cisco ecosystem, ensuring compatibility with management platforms, telemetry, security policies, and automation workflows that modern networks rely on for efficiency and velocity.

In addition to raw performance, the NCS 5500 chassis emphasizes operational simplicity. Operators can standardize provisioning, monitoring, and maintenance across multiple sites, reducing training time and enabling faster service rollouts. Its gray enclosure blends with typical data-center aesthetics and racks, while the internal design focuses on airflow, component accessibility, and serviceability. This combination of aesthetic integration and practical design helps network teams deploy, scale, and manage complex convergence environments with confidence, even as traffic patterns shift toward increasingly dynamic workloads.

For organizations prioritizing multi-service convergence, the Cisco NCS 5500 chassis supports a broad spectrum of card families and modules that enable converged transport, routing, and services. The platform is built to parallel Cisco’s vision of scalable throughput and modular expansion—so you can add capacity without costly rewrites or disruptive migrations. Whether you’re consolidating point-to-point connections, delivering high-capacity IP/MPLS services, or enabling edge-to-core transport in a multi-site topology, the NCS 5500 chassis provides a versatile, future-ready foundation. Additionally, its engineering aligns with energy efficiency goals, helping operators balance peak performance with responsible power consumption and cooling strategies in dense data-center environments.

With the NCS 5500 chassis, you’re not just buying a piece of hardware—you’re investing in a platform designed for enduring network evolution. The chassis is compatible with Cisco’s broad portfolio of management and automation tools, enabling centralized control, telemetry, and policy-driven operations. As networks migrate toward intent-based networking and continuous improvement cycles, this chassis supports a streamlined path from initial deployment to ongoing optimization, with predictable performance, robust security postures, and scalable capacity that can expand as your portfolio of services grows.

• Modular scalability: The Cisco NCS 5500 chassis is designed to accommodate a variety of line cards and modules, enabling organizations to scale capacity and functionality as network demands evolve without replacing the entire platform.
• High-density, high-performance architecture: Built for large-scale service provider networks and data centers, the chassis supports high-throughput traffic, extensive routing tables, and rapid forwarding to reduce congestion and latency across critical paths.
• Reliability for service continuity: The chassis architecture emphasizes availability, with redundancy options, robust component design, and hot-swappable modules in supported configurations to minimize downtime during maintenance or upgrades.
• Energy efficiency and cooling design: The chassis incorporates efficient power and cooling strategies to optimize total cost of ownership, helping operators meet sustainability goals while keeping operational expense in check.
• Integrated management and interoperability: It works with Cisco management ecosystems, supports standard automation and telemetry interfaces, and is compatible with Cisco's suite of network management tools to streamline provisioning and ongoing operations.

Technical Details of Cisco NCS 5500 Network Convergence System Chassis

• Dimensions: 17.5 in (width) x 33.1 in (depth) x 12.2 in (height)
• Color/Finish: Gray
• Form factor: 19-inch rack-compatible modular chassis designed for flexible deployment
• Configuration: Supports a range of Cisco NCS line cards and modules to suit diverse routing, switching, and transport needs
• Recommended environments: Service provider and data center core, edge, and aggregation networks requiring scalable convergence

How to install Cisco NCS 5500 Network Convergence System Chassis

Installations should be performed by qualified technicians following the organization’s electrical and safety standards. Begin with a planning phase to determine the optimal rack location, ensuring adequate clearance for airflow, cabling, and future expansion. Transport the chassis securely and place it in a suitable 19-inch rack, aligning it with the rack rails. Attach the mounting rails per the provided installation guide and verify that the chassis is plumb and securely anchored. Connect grounding and power feeds according to local electrical codes, and verify that the selected power distribution units (PDUs) can handle the chassis’ load profile, including any redundant power configurations if required. Install the chosen Cisco line cards or modules into the chassis slots, ensuring correct seat and orientation for each module, and secure all module chassis screws. Establish management connectivity by connecting the chassis’ management interfaces to your transport and out-of-band networks, then configure initial access credentials and secure management channels. Power on the system and monitor the boot sequence for any faults or module detection messages. Use Cisco management tools to verify visibility of all installed modules, firmware levels, and baseline health indicators. Perform a basic configuration to enable routing and convergence services, followed by a staged traffic test to confirm forwarding performance and QoS policies. If deploying redundancy, verify failover behavior for power and cooling paths, and validate management failover to ensure uninterrupted control in production scenarios. Document the deployment and create a baseline monitoring and alerting profile to support ongoing maintenance and proactive issue resolution.

Frequently asked questions

• Q: What is the Cisco NCS 5500 Network Convergence System Chassis best used for?
  A: It is designed to serve as a scalable, modular backbone chassis for service provider and data center networks, enabling convergence of diverse traffic types (IP, MPLS, optical) while supporting high availability and manageability.
• Q: What are the key features?
  A: Modularity for growth, reliable hardware design, support for Cisco NCS line cards, integration with Cisco management tools, and options for high availability and energy-efficient operation.
• Q: Is it suitable for service providers?
  A: Yes. The NCS 5500 chassis is tailored for provider-grade deployments that require scalable routing, convergence, and robust management capabilities in a single modular platform.
• Q: What are the physical dimensions?
  A: The chassis measures 17.5 inches in width, 33.1 inches in depth, and 12.2 inches in height, with a gray finish.
• Q: Does it support redundant power or cooling?
  A: Redundancy options exist in configuration and components to support continuous operation and high availability in demanding networks.