Cisco Network Convergence System 5500 Series: NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S and NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS Fixed Chassis Data Sheet
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Building on the success of the Cisco® Network Convergence System 5501 (NCS-5501), the Cisco Network Convergence System 55A1-24Q6H-S (NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S) and 55A1-24Q6H-SS (NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS) offer improvements designed to meet the challenges of the zettabyte era. The NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S and NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS provide dense 1G/10G/25G/40G/100G functionality in a 1-rack-unit package with line-rate MACsec at 10G/25G/40G/100G speeds and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE)/1588 Class B timing. With ultralow per-bit power consumption, deep packet buffering, and optimized forwarding architecture, the NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S and NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS have the flexibility to be deployed across various network roles, including 5G Mobile Backhaul, Top of Rack (ToR), spine-and-leaf, and Converged Interconnect Network (CIN). Built to take full advantage of the advanced capabilities you have come to expect from Cisco IOS® XR, the NCS-55A1 fixed-chassis models boast advanced packet classification, segment routing, ultrawide Equal-Cost Multipathing (ECMP), programmable network management, and telemetry to make your network smarter, faster, and more agile.
Cisco NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S chassis – MACsec on some ports (6X100G and 16 of the 24X25G ports) at 10G/25G/40G/100G speeds
Cisco NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS chassis - MACsec on all ports (6X100G, 24X25G, and 24X10G) at 10G/25G/40G/100G speeds
Cisco IOS XR Software overview
The Cisco NCS 5500 Series fixed-chassis models are powered by the industry-leading, carrier-class, 64-bit version of Cisco IOS XR Software, designed for operational efficiency, optimized utilization, and service agility (as part of the Cisco Evolved Programmable Network). Cisco IOS XR Software offers rich features such as iPXE boot, auto-provisioning, native support for third-party application hosting, machine-to-machine interface, telemetry, and flexible software package delivery.
The Cisco NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S fixed chassis supports Cisco IOS XR Software Release 6.6.25 and later.
The Cisco NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS fixed chassis supports Cisco IOS XR Software Release 7.2.1 and later.
Tables 1 through 4 list key specifications for the Cisco NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S and NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS fixed chassis.
Table 1. Features and benefits
| Feature |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S specification |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS specification |
| Integrated interface |
1, 10, 25, 40, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet support |
1, 10, 25, 40, and 100 Gigabit Ethernet support |
| Industry-leading, carrier-class Cisco IOS XR Software |
Visibility and telemetry Machine-to-machine interface Application hosting Flexible platform and packaging Modularity Automation |
Visibility and telemetry Machine-to-machine interface Application hosting Flexible platform and packaging Modularity Automation |
| Management ports |
Provide easy access to system console |
Provide easy access to system console |
| External USB port |
Helps simplify image and file management |
Helps simplify image and file management |
| Solid-State Drive (SSD) |
Memory for storing software image, configuration, logging, and recovery |
Memory for storing software image, configuration, logging, and recovery |
| Power consumption |
Ultralow .37W per gigabit |
Ultralow .37W per gigabit |
| Redundancy |
Redundant fan tray Redundant AC or DC power supply |
Redundant fan tray Redundant AC or DC power supply |
Table 2. Specifications
| Feature |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S specification |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS specification |
| Chassis product ID |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS |
| Interfaces |
24 ports of 1G/10G 24 ports of 1G/10G/25G 6 ports of 40G/100G |
24 ports of 1G/10G 24 ports of 1G/10G/25G 6 ports of 40G/100G |
| Integrated route processor |
Cisco IOS XR 64-bit software running on 6-core x86 CPU at 1.9 GHz |
Cisco IOS XR 64-bit software running on 6-core x86 CPU at 1.9 GHz |
| Management ports |
2x RJ-45 ports for console and management |
2x RJ-45 ports for console and management |
| Flexible forwarding ports |
6x 100G with Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP) 28 optics QSFP+ optics to support 40G; 4x 10G/25G breakout options available 24x 25G with SFP28 optics 24x 10G with SFP28 optics SFP+ or SFP optics can be supported on SFP28 ports (refer to the optics supported matrix for details) |
6x 100G with Quad Small Form-Factor Pluggable (QSFP) 28 optics QSFP+ optics to support 40G; 4x 10G/25G breakout options available 24x 25G with SFP28 optics 24x 10G with SFP28 optics SFP+ or SFP optics can be supported on SFP28 ports (refer to the optics supported matrix for details) |
| System memory |
32 GB |
32 GB |
| SSD drive |
128 GB |
128 GB |
| Timing ports |
1 Pulse Per Second (PPS) in/out, 10 MHz in/out, Time of Day (ToD) Internal Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)*
*hardware capable, please check release notes for software support
|
1 Pulse Per Second (PPS) in/out, 10 MHz in/out, Time of Day (ToD) Internal Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)*
*hardware capable, please check release notes for software support
|
| Performance |
Up to 900 Gbps of system throughput Full line-rate MACsec encryption on 6x 100G ports and 16x 25G ports at 10G/25G/40G/100G speeds |
Up to 900 Gbps of system throughput Full line-rate MACsec encryption on all 6x 100G ports, 24x 10G ports, and 24x 25G ports at 10G/25G/40G/100G speeds |
| Route scale |
Up to 1.1M Forwarding Information Base (FIB) entries |
Up to 2M Forwarding Information Base (FIB) entries |
| Power and cooling features |
2 hot-swappable power supplies providing 1+1 redundancy 2 hot-swappable fan trays providing redundant system cooling |
2 hot-swappable power supplies providing 1+1 redundancy 2 hot-swappable fan trays providing redundant system cooling |
| Power consumption |
Typical: 330W at 25° Celsius (77°F) Maximum: 450W at 55° Celsius (131°F) |
Typical: 400W at 25° Celsius (77°F) Maximum: 550W at 55° Celsius (131°F) |
| Physical specifications |
Height: 1RU 1.73 in (4.40 cm) Width:17.4 in (44.20 cm) Depth: 21.7 in (55.19 cm) Weight: 23.8 lb (10.8 kg) |
Height: 1RU 1.73 in (4.40 cm) Width:17.4 in (44.20 cm) Depth: 21.7 in (55.19 cm) Weight: 24.7 lb (11.2kg) |
Table 3. Software features supported in Cisco IOS XR Software Release 6.6.25 and later
| Feature |
Specifications |
| Layer 2 |
● Layer 2 switch ports
●
IEEE 802.1Q VLAN encapsulation/Q-in-Q encapsulation
● IEEE 802.1ad
● Cisco Bundle Ethernet technology (up to 64 ports per Ethernet Bundle)
● Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP): IEEE 802.3ad
● Jumbo frames on all ports (up to 9216 bytes)
● Layer 2 ingress Access Control List (ACL)
● Layer 2 AC-AC cross-connect
● Ethernet Flow Point (EFP) and VLAN trunks
● Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP)
|
| Layer 3 |
● IPv4 and IPv6 unicast
● Layer 3 interfaces: Physical and subinterfaces
● Routing protocols: static, Open Shortest Path First (OSPFv2), OSPFv3, Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS), IS-ISv6, and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP)
● 64-way Equal-Cost Multipath (ECMP)
● Layer 3 ingress and egress IPv4 ACL and IPv6 ACL
● Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD)
● Cisco Ethernet bundle technology (up to 64 ports per Ethernet bundle)
● LACP: IEEE 802.3ad
● Jumbo frame support (up to 9216 bytes)
● VRRP
● Layer 3 VPN
|
| Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) |
● Label switching
● Label Distribution Protocol (LDP)
● MPLS Traffic Engineering
● Ethernet over MPLS (EoMPLS)
|
| Segment Routing (SR) |
● Segment routing–based transport
● IS-IS extensions to segment routing
● OSPF extensions to segment routing
● BGP egress peering engineering
● Segment Routing Traffic Engineering (SR-TE)
● Segment Routing Topology-Independent Loop Free Alternatives (TI-LFA)
|
| Quality of Service (QoS) |
● Hierarchical QoS
● Ingress classification based on Class of Service (Layer 2), IP Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) (Layer 3), IP ACL (Layer 3/4), IP precedence (type of service) (Layer 3)
● DSCP marking
● 8 queues for user traffic
● Support for priority queuing
|
| Automation |
● Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP), iPXE
● Configuration management
● Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF/YANG model)
|
| Security |
● Provides comprehensive network security features, including ACLs; control-plane protection; management plane protection; routing authentications; Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) and TACACS+; Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol; Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) v3; and Route Policy Language (RPL) support
● Layer 2 ingress ACLs
● Layer 3 ingress ACLs
|
| Management |
● MIB, XML, JSON, GPB, and SNMP
● MPLS Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) (Label Switched Path [LSP] ping, LSP traceroute)
● Ethernet OAM
|
Table 4. Environmental properties
| Property |
Specifications |
| Normal operating temperature |
Port-S intake supply: 32° to 104°F (0° to 40°C); Port-S exhaust supply: 32° to 95°F (0° to 35°C) (NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S only) |
| Nonoperating (storage) temperature |
-40° to 158°F (-40° to 70°C) |
| Operating humidity |
5% to 95% (noncondensing) |
| Storage (relative) humidity |
5% to 95% at 40°C per NEBS GR-63-Core |
| Altitude |
0 to 9842 ft (0 to 3000 m) |
| Power inputs |
Worldwide ranging AC (90 to 265V, 50 to 60 Hz) Worldwide ranging DC (-40V to -72V) |
| Airflow |
Front to back Back to front (NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S only) |
Regulatory standards compliance
Table 5. Regulatory standards compliance: Safety and EMC
| Specification |
Description |
| Regulatory compliance |
Products complies with CE Markings according to directives 2014/30/EU and 2014/35/EU |
| Safety |
● UL 60950-1 Second Edition
● CAN/CSA-C22.2 No. 60950-1 Second Edition
● EN 60950-1 Second Edition
● IEC 60950-1 Second Edition
● GB4943
|
| EMC: Emissions |
● 47CFR Part 15 (CFR 47) Class A
● AS/NZS CISPR22 Class A
● CISPR22 Class A
● EN55022 Class A
● ICES003 Class A
● VCCI Class A
● EN61000-3-2
● EN61000-3-3
● KN22 Class A
● CNS13438 Class A
|
| EMC: Immunity |
● EN55024
● CISPR24
● EN300386
● KN 61000-4 series
|
| RoHS |
The product is RoHS-6 compliant with exceptions for leaded-Ball Grid-Array (BGA) balls and lead press-fit connectors. |
Refer to the Cisco NCS 5500 Series supported transceivers module matrix: www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/interfaces-modules/transceiver-modules/products-device-support-tables-list.html
Please note, 1G Auto Negotiation is not supported on 24 ports of 1G/10G/25G.
Table 6. Ordering information - Perpetual
| Part number |
Product description |
| NCS-55A1-24Q6H-S |
NCS55A1 Fixed 24X10G, 24X25G, and 6X100G Chassis |
| NCS-1100W-ACFW |
NCS 5500 AC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Intake/Front-to-Back |
| NCS-1100W-ACRV |
NCS 5500 AC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Exhaust/Back-to-Front |
| NCS-1100W-DCRV |
NCS 5500 DC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Exhaust/Back-to-Front |
| NCS-950W-DCFW |
NCS 5500 DC 950W Power Supply Port-S Intake/Front-to-Back |
| NCS-1RU-ACC-KIT |
NCS 5500 Accessory Kit for 1RU Chassis |
| NC55-A1-FAN-FW |
NCS 5500 Fan Tray 1RU Chassis Port-S Intake/Front-to-Back |
| NC55-A1-FAN-RV |
NCS 5500 Fan Tray 1RU Chassis Port-S Exhaust/Back-to-Front |
| XR-NC55-P-06.06 |
Cisco IOS XR IP/MPLS Core Software |
| XR-NC55-PK9-06.06 |
Cisco IOS XR IP/MPLS Core Software 3DES |
| NCS55A1 Fixed 24X10G, 24X25G, and 6X100G MACsec Chassis |
|
| NCS-1100W-ACFW |
NCS 5500 AC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Intake/Front-to-Back |
| NCS-950W-DCFW |
NCS 5500 DC 950W Power Supply Port-S Intake/Front-to-Back |
| NCS-1RU-ACC-KIT |
NCS 5500 Accessory Kit for 1RU Chassis |
| NC55-A1-FAN-FW |
NCS 5500 Fan Tray 1RU Chassis Port-S Intake/Front-to-Back |
| XR-NC55-P-07.02 |
Cisco IOS XR IP/MPLS Core Software |
| XR-NC55-PK9-07.02 |
Cisco IOS XR IP/MPLS Core Software 3DES |
Table 7. Ordering information – Perpetual Software Licenses
| Part number |
Product description |
| NC55P-BDL-100T |
NCS 5500 SW 4 x License Bundle for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G BW |
| NC55P-ADVL3-100T |
NCS 5500 L3VPN Lic for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G Bandwidth |
| NC55P-ADVL2-100T |
NCS 5500 L2VPN Lic for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G Bandwidth |
| NC55P-CRAGR-100T |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggr Lic for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G BW |
| NC55P-PEER-100T |
NCS 5500 Peering Lic for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G Bandwidth |
| NC55P-ADVDC-100T |
NCS 5500 Adv Data Center Lic for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G BW |
| NC55P-MSEC-100T |
NCS 5500 MACsec Lic for NCS 5500 Base Per 100G Bandwidth |
| NC55P-TIMING-F |
NCS 5500 Timing and Mobility Lic for Fixed Chassis |
Table 8. Ordering information – Flexible Consumption Model
| Part number |
Product description |
| NCS-55A1-24Q6-SYS |
NCS55A1 Fixed 24X10G, 24X25G and 6X100G chassis with Flexible Consumption Model (Requires Smart Licensing) |
| NCS-55A1-24Q6-TRK |
NCS 55A1 Fixed 24X10, 25G and 6X100G chassis HW Tracking PID |
| NCS-1100W-ACFW |
NCS 5500 AC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Intake / Front-to-Back |
| NCS-1100W-ACRV |
NCS 5500 AC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Exhaust/Back-to-Front |
| NCS-1100W-DCRV |
NCS 5500 DC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Exhaust/Back-to-Front |
| NCS-950W-DCFW |
NCS 5500 DC 950W Power Supply Port-S Intake / Front-to-Kack |
| NCS-1RU-ACC-KIT |
NCS 5500 Accessory Kit for 1RU Chassis |
| NCS-1RU-FAN-FW |
NCS 5500 1RU Chassis Fan Tray Port-S Intake / Front-to-Back |
| NCS-1RU-FAN-RV |
NCS 5500 1RU Chassis Fan Tray Port-S Exhaust / Back-to-Front |
| NCS-55A1-24QX-SYS |
NCS55A1 Fixed 24X10G, 24X25G and 6X100G MACsec chassis with Flexible Consumption Model (Requires Smart Licensing) |
| NCS-55A1-24QX-TRK |
NCS 55A1 Fixed 24X10, 25G and 6X100G MACsec chassis HW Tracking PID |
| NCS-1100W-ACFW |
NCS 5500 AC 1100W Power Supply Port-S Intake / Front-to-back |
| NCS-950W-DCFW |
NCS 5500 DC 950W Power Supply Port-S Intake / Front-to-back |
| NCS-1RU-ACC-KIT |
NCS 5500 Accessory Kit for 1RU Chassis |
| NCS-1RU-FAN-FW |
NCS 5500 1RU Chassis Fan Tray Port-S Intake / Front-to-back |
Table 9. Ordering information – Flexible Consumption Model Software Licenses
| Part number |
Product description |
| ESS-100G-RTU-1 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Essentials SW RTU v1.0 100G |
| ADV-100G-RTU-1 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Advantage w/o Essentials SW RTU v1.0 100G |
| ADN-100G-RTU-1 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Advantage w/ Essentials SW RTU v1.0 100G |
| ESS-100G-SIA-3 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Essentials SIA per 100G 3-5 Year Subscription |
| ADV-100G-SIA-3 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Advantage w/o Essentials SIA per 100G 3-5 Year Subscription |
| ADN-100G-SIA-3 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Advantage w/ Essentials SIA per 100G 3-5 Year Subscription |
| ESS-100G-SIA-5 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Essentials SIA per 100G 5-10 Year Subscription |
| ADV-100G-SIA-5 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Advantage w/o Essentials SIA per 100G 5-10 Year Subscription |
| ADN-100G-SIA-5 |
NCS 5500 Core and Aggregation Advantage w/ Essentials SIA per 100G 5-10 Year Subscription |
For details on the Cisco Network Convergence System 5500 Series Perpetual Software Licenses, refer to this data sheet and details on the flexible consumption model for the NCS 5500 Series are available in the data sheet for the IOS XR Software flexible consumption model.
The Cisco NCS 5500 Series has a 1-year limited hardware warranty. The warranty includes hardware replacement with a 10-day turnaround from receipt of a Return Materials Authorization (RMA).
Cisco offers a wide range of services to help accelerate your success in deploying and optimizing the Cisco NCS 5500 Series. These innovative Cisco Services offerings are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, and they are focused on helping you increase operating efficiency and improve your data center network. Cisco Advanced Services uses an architecture-led approach to help you align your data center infrastructure with your business goals and achieve long-term value. The Cisco Smart Net Total Care® service helps you resolve mission-critical problems with direct access at any time to Cisco network experts and award-winning resources. With this service, you can take advantage of the Cisco Smart Call Home service, which offers proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts on your Cisco NCS 5500 Series. Spanning the entire network lifecycle, Cisco Services offerings help increase investment protection, optimize network operations, support migration operations, and strengthen your IT expertise.
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Learn more about the Cisco NCS 5500 Series.
| New or Revised Topic |
Described In |
Date |
| Minor changes |
NCS-55A1-24Q6H-SS datasheet |
September 13, 2022 |