Release Notes for Cisco NCS 560 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Release 26.1.1
Available Languages
Bias-Free Language
The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.
- US/Canada 800-553-2447
- Worldwide Support Phone Numbers
- All Tools
Feedback
Feedback
Cisco NCS 560 Series Routers, Release 26.1.1
Cisco NCS 560 Series Routers, Release 26.1.1
Cisco IOS XR Release 26.1.1 is a new feature release for Cisco NCS 560 Series routers.
For more details on the Cisco IOS XR release model and associated support, see Software Lifecycle Support Statement - IOS XR.
Table 1. New software features for NCS 560 Series Routers, Release 26.1.1
| Product impact |
Feature |
Description |
| Segment Routing |
||
| Ease of Use |
BFD CPU offload support for IPv6 |
You can now enable CPU offloading for IPv6 BFD sessions, allowing the CPU to handle packet transmission and reception directly. This feature provides you the flexibility to choose between hardware-offloaded and CPU-offloaded IPv6 BFD sessions based on your requirements. |
| System Security |
||
| Software Reliability |
Strengthened SSH Host Key Generation with RSA 3072 |
This update enhances device security by automatically generating RSA 3072-bit SSH host keys during system boot, replacing the previous default of RSA 2048-bit keys. The stronger key size aligns with industry best practices and provides improved cryptographic protection, ensuring secure SSH access and compliance with future security requirements. |
| Software Reliability |
This enhancement ensures Cisco IOS XR devices comply with evolving security standards by sending syslog warnings if weak SSH host keys are found during system reboot where an Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman (RSA) key less than 3072 bits or any Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) keys are detected. The default RSA key size has been increased from 2048 to 3072 bits to strengthen security. Additionally, DSA keys are no longer auto-generated at boot, and if found, a syslog warning prompts their removal to align with current best practices. |
|
There is no new hardware introduced in this release.
This section provides a brief description of the behavior changes introduced in this release.
● Starting with the Cisco IOS XR Software Release 26.1.1, if the route-policy applied to the eBGP neighbor includes the set next-hop unchangedset next-hop unchanged command, the system preserves and advertises both the received remote SRv6 SID and the remote next-hop when advertising the leaked route from GRT to the VRF table. The local SRv6 SID is no longer always sent.
● MPLS-TE PCE authentication: Starting from Release 26.1.1, you can use TCP Authentication Option (TCP-AO) for MPLS-TE PCE authentication. TCP-AO relies on Message Authentication Codes (MACs) to secure connections. With this option, you protect TCP connections against replay attacks, enjoy more robust and detailed security compared to the MD5 method, and benefit from a broader selection of authentication algorithms—all without needing significant changes to your system or operations.
There are no open issues in this release.
● During the software upgrade to 26.1.1, the system may not complete the Auto-FPD upgrade as expected. After the software upgrade, the FPD status shows 'RLOAD REQ', indicating that you must perform an additional reload to activate the updated FPD.
Compatibility Matrix for EPNM and Crosswork with Cisco IOS XR Software
The compatibility matrix lists the version of EPNM and Crosswork that are supported with Cisco IOS XR Release in this release.
Table 2. Compatibility matrix for Cisco NCS 560 Series Routers, Release 26.1.1
| Cisco IOS XR |
Crosswork |
EPNM |
| Release 26.1.1 |
System requirements
Use the show hw-module fpd command in EXEC and Admin mode to view the hardware components with their current FPD version and status. The status of the hardware must be CURRENT; Running and Programed version must be the same. You can also use the show fpd package command in Admin mode to check the fpd versions.
Software version
To verify the software version running on the router, use show version command in the EXEC mode.-WIP
Router# show version
Fri Feb 27 01:14:06.297 PST
Cisco IOS XR Software, Version 26.1.1
Copyright (c) 2013-2026 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Build Information:
Built By : swtools
Built On : Wed Feb 25 05:28:06 PST 2026
Built Host : iox-lnx-118
Workspace : /auto/srcarchive12/prod/26.1.1/ncs560/ws
Version : 26.1.1
Location : /opt/cisco/XR/packages/
Label : 26.1.1-iso
cisco NCS-560 () processor
System uptime is 4 hours 34 minutes
This table lists the Cisco IOS XR Software feature set matrix (packages) with associated filenames.
Visit the Cisco Software Download page to download the Cisco IOS XR software images.
| Feature Set |
Filename |
Description |
| Cisco IOS XR IP Unicast Routing Core Bundle |
ncs560-mini-x-26.1.1.iso |
Contains base image contents that includes: Host operating system System Admin boot image IOS XR boot image BGP packages OS Admin Base Forwarding Modular Services Card Routing SNMP Agent Alarm Correlation |
| Cisco IOS XR Manageability Package |
ncs560-mgbl-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
Telemetry, Extensible Markup Language (XML), Parser, and HTTP server packages, NETCONF, YANG Models, gRPC. |
| Cisco IOS XR OSPF package |
ncs560-ospf-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
Supports OSPF |
| Cisco IOS XR Security Package |
ncs560-k9sec-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
k9sec is needed for IPsec or MACsec and Dot1x and for basic crypto services such as Decryption, Secure Shell (SSH), Secure Socket Layer (SSL), and Public-key infrastructure (PKI). |
| Multicast Package |
ncs560-mcast-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
Supports Multicast Supports Automatic Multicast Tunneling (AMT), IGMP Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD), Multicast Label Distribution Protocol (MLDP), Multicast Source Discovery Protocol (MSDP) and PIM. |
| Cisco IOS XR ISIS package |
ncs560-isis-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
Supports Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS). |
| Cisco IOS XR USB Boot Package |
ncs560-usb_boot-26.1.1.zip |
Supports Cisco IOS XR USB Boot Package |
| Cisco IOS XR MPLS Package |
ncs560-mpls-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm ncs560-mpls-te-rsvp-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
Supports MPLS and MPLS Traffic Engineering (MPLS-TE) RPM. Label Distribution Protocol (LDP), MPLS Forwarding, MPLS Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM), Link Manager Protocol (LMP), Optical User Network Interface (OUNI) and Layer-3 VPN. Cisco IOS XR MPLS-TE and RSVP Package MPLS Traffic Engineering (MPLS-TE) and Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP). |
| Cisco IOS XR LI Package |
ncs560-li-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
Lawful Intercept |
| Cisco IOS XR EIGRP Package |
ncs560-eigrp-1.0.0.0-r2611.x86_64.rpm |
(Optional) Includes EIGRP protocol support softwar |
Table 3. Related resources
| Document |
Description |
| An interactive tool that assists in locating features introduced across Cisco IOS XR releases and platforms. |
|
| Search by release number, error strings, or compare release numbers to view a detailed repository of error messages and descriptions. |
|
| Select the MIB of your choice from a drop-down to explore an extensive repository of MIB information. |
|
| CCO Documentation for Cisco NCS 560 Series Routers |
|
| Outlines the features currently supported by each operating system. |
|
| Provides a list of insecure features and protocols that are scheduled for systematic deprecation and eventual removal from specified Cisco products. |
|
| Details the reasons why certain features or protocols are deemed insecure and offers secure alternatives when available. |
|
| Information about Smart Licensing Using Policy solutions and their deployment on IOS XR Routers. |
|
| Search by product family, product ID, data rate, reach, cable type, or form factor to determine the transceivers that Cisco hardware device supports. |
|
| A user-friendly reference designed to easily explore and understand the various data models supported in Cisco IOS XR platforms and releases. |
|
| Repository containing the folders with yang data models introduced and enhanced in every IOS XR release. |
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.
© 2026 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.