Cisco NCS55A1 Router Chassis

CiscoSKU: 7432001

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Sale price$123,256.97

Description

Cisco NCS55A1 Router Chassis

The Cisco NCS55A1 Router Chassis is a state-of-the-art networking solution meticulously engineered to cater to the requirements of the zettabyte era. Building on the foundation of the renowned Cisco Network Convergence System 5501 (NCS-5501), the NCS55A1 Router Chassis blends Cisco’s proven routing heritage with modern fabric technology to deliver scalable, reliable, and intelligent routing for service providers, hyperscale data centers, and large enterprises. This chassis represents a modular, future-ready platform designed to meet today’s traffic demands while remaining agile for tomorrow’s workloads. From core and edge deployments to large-scale data-center interconnects, the NCS55A1 is built to simplify service delivery, accelerate time-to-value, and drive operational efficiency in complex networks.

  • Unmatched scalability for hyperscale networks: Engineered to grow with your network, the NCS55A1 offers expansive interface density and a flexible module strategy that accommodates rapid capacity expansion. Its architecture is purpose-built for service providers and large enterprises that must scale across multiple dimensions—traffic, services, and orchestration—without sacrificing performance or reliability. This chassis enables you to consolidate diverse network functions and service chains into a single, scalable platform, reducing footprint while increasing throughput and efficiency.
  • Modular, hot-swappable design for maximum uptime: The NCS55A1 embraces a modular, serviceable approach with hot-swappable line cards, supervisor modules, power supplies, and cooling trays. This design minimizes planned and unplanned downtime by enabling maintenance, upgrades, and fault isolation without disrupting the entire system. Operators can optimize capacity, refresh aging components, and deploy new features while keeping critical services online, delivering higher availability and faster turnarounds for enterprise and carrier networks alike.
  • High-performance fabric and advanced routing: At the heart of the NCS55A1 is a high-throughput fabric and a sophisticated routing stack designed to handle demanding workloads—from high-capacity interconnects to complex service chains. It supports deterministic forwarding, low-latency paths, and scalable policy-driven routing that meets the stringent requirements of modern data-center traffic, real-time analytics, and video-rich applications. The result is predictable performance under load, with the flexibility to adapt to evolving traffic patterns without major architectural changes.
  • Reliability you can trust with enterprise-grade resilience: Cisco’s reliability framework is embedded in every facet of the NCS55A1. Redundant power options, fault-tolerant hardware components, and proactive health monitoring come together to support 24/7 operation in mission-critical environments. Built-in diagnostics and self-healing capabilities help minimize mean time to repair (MTTR), while service-aware telemetry and fault isolation enable faster issue resolution and improved service assurance for carriers and enterprises alike.
  • Integrated management, security, and automation: Running Cisco IOS XR software, the NCS55A1 delivers a comprehensive feature set for routing, automation, telemetry, security, and policy enforcement. This includes advanced service orchestration, programmable telemetry, and secure management interfaces that simplify day-to-day operations. The platform’s security controls, software integrity checks, and regular updates help organizations stay ahead of threats while ensuring consistent performance and policy compliance across large-scale deployments.

Technical Details of Cisco NCS55A1 Router Chassis

  • Overview: Part of the Cisco NCS 5500 family, the NCS55A1 is designed to deliver scalable, high-performance routing for service providers, hyperscale data centers, and large enterprise networks. It is engineered to handle extensive traffic growth and to support diverse interconnect scenarios with resiliency and ease of management.
  • Modularity: Supports hot-swappable line cards, supervisor modules, power supplies, and cooling modules to enable flexible growth, maintenance, and rapid recovery. The modular approach reduces maintenance windows and extends the usable life of the chassis by simplifying capacity upgrades and hardware refresh cycles.
  • Interface Strategy: Offers flexible interface density through swappable line cards and fabric components, allowing administrators to tailor port counts, speeds, and aggregation patterns to current and projected workloads. This adaptability helps optimize cost-per-bit and ensures that the platform can evolve with evolving service requirements.
  • Software Platform: Operates on Cisco IOS XR, a robust, scalable operating system that supports advanced routing protocols, policy control, service automation, telemetry, and security features. IOS XR provides modular software architecture, stability, and rich management capabilities suitable for large, multi-domain networks.
  • Reliability and Availability: Built with redundant power supplies, redundancy in critical fans and controllers, and comprehensive health monitoring. The chassis is designed for continuous operation, rapid fault isolation, and easy recovery, enabling operators to meet stringent uptime targets.
  • Security and Manageability: Features integrated security controls, secure software update processes, role-based access, and encrypted management channels. The platform supports modern telemetry and monitoring to help operators detect anomalies, enforce policies, and optimize performance across the network.
  • Deployment Scenarios: Ideal for core and edge routing, data-center interconnect, metro networks, and large-scale enterprise backbones that require scalable, resilient routing with centralized management and automation capabilities.

How to install Cisco NCS55A1 Router Chassis

Installing the NCS55A1 is a structured process designed to minimize downtime and ensure reliable operation from the moment power is applied. Follow these guidelines to achieve a clean, repeatable deployment that aligns with best practices for modern data-center and service-provider environments.

  • Plan the installation in a suitable environment with adequate rack space, mount hardware, power, cooling, and network connectivity. Verify cabinet width, depth, weight, and mounting rails to ensure proper enclosure fit and floor loading, while confirming that the power distribution and cooling capacity meet the chassis requirements.
  • Install redundant power supplies and cooling modules before adding active line cards to maximize availability. Ensure that power cables and grounding are configured to meet local electrical codes and the data center’s reliability standards.
  • Seat supervisor modules and line cards in their designated slots according to the network design. Label interconnects, verify slot occupancy, and secure all components to prevent vibration or misalignment that could affect fabric integrity or performance.
  • Connect fabric interconnects and control-plane networks as required. Power up the chassis, enter initial device setup, and load the appropriate Cisco IOS XR software image. Confirm console access, bootstrap success, and baseline health checks before enabling routing protocols.
  • Apply baseline configuration that includes system settings, routing policies, security features, and telemetry. Validate that management interfaces are reachable, authenticate devices, and run end-to-end traffic tests to verify throughput, latency, and jitter against expected performance targets.
  • Establish ongoing monitoring and maintenance routines. Implement software update plans, hardware health checks, and proactive alerting so that the system remains aligned with security and performance best practices over its lifecycle.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is the Cisco NCS55A1 Router Chassis? A modular router chassis designed for scalable, high-performance networking in service provider, data center, and large enterprise environments. It is built to support the Cisco NCS 5500 family with hot-swappable components and robust reliability.
  • What networks is it best suited for? Core and edge networks, data-center interconnect, metro/backbone deployments, and large enterprise networks requiring high throughput, low latency, and dependable service delivery.
  • What software runs on it? Cisco IOS XR provides advanced routing, automation, telemetry, security, and policy capabilities at scale, with integrated management and security features tailored for large, multi-domain environments.
  • Does it support redundancy? Yes. The chassis is designed with redundant power supplies, redundant cooling, and fault-tolerant components to support continuous operation and rapid recovery from faults.
  • How do I install it? Follow the official deployment and installation guidelines, including planning for power, connectivity, software initialization, and staged configuration to ensure a smooth, reliable rollout.
  • What makes it different from other NCS platforms? The NCS55A1 combines a modular, scalable chassis with a flexible line-card strategy, high-density fabric, and an emphasis on automation and telemetry, making it well-suited for hyperscale and multi-service networks that require rapid service orchestration and resilient performance.
  • Where can I find exact specifications? Exact specifications vary by SKU/UPC, as listed in official vendor documentation and Synex/Synnex catalogs. Refer to the product listing for precise dimensions, power, thermal, and port-density figures.

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