Cisco RD-DPX200-X100-K9: Technical Overview, Deployment Use Cases, and Operational Best Practices



​What Is the Cisco RD-DPX200-X100-K9?​

The ​​Cisco RD-DPX200-X100-K9​​ is a ​​high-density 100G line card​​ designed for the Cisco ​​NCS 5500 Series​​ routers, catering to service providers and enterprises requiring scalable, high-performance routing. This module supports ​​200Gbps full-duplex throughput​​ per slot, leveraging Cisco’s ​​Silicon One​​ ASIC technology to deliver low-latency, energy-efficient packet processing for 5G, cloud, and IP/MPLS networks.

Key features include:

  • ​100G QSFP28 Port Density​​: 2x100G or 8x25G breakout configurations per port.
  • ​Segment Routing (SRv6/SR-MPLS)​​: Hardware-accelerated for scalable traffic engineering.
  • ​Cisco IOS-XR Support​​: Enables programmable network slicing and automation.

​Technical Specifications and Compatibility​

The RD-DPX200-X100-K9 is engineered for carrier-grade reliability and scalability. Below are its core specifications:

​Parameter​ ​Value​
Form Factor Half-height, double-wide
Port Configuration 2x100G QSFP28 or 8x25G SFP28
Forwarding Capacity 200Gbps per slot
Power Consumption ≤150W (max load)
Operating Temperature -5°C to 55°C (23°F to 131°F)
Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) 250,000 hours

​Compatible Platforms​​:

  • Cisco NCS 5501/5502 Routers
  • Cisco NCS 5516 Modular Chassis
  • Cisco IOS-XR 7.x or later

​Primary Use Cases and Deployment Scenarios​

​1. 5G Mobile Transport Networks​

The module aggregates traffic from distributed radio units (DUs/CUs) into 5G core networks, providing <1ms latency for ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) services.


​2. Cloud Metro Backbone​

In metro DCI deployments, the RD-DPX200-X100-K9 supports ​​EVPN-VXLAN​​ overlays, enabling multi-tenant cloud connectivity with hardware-based encryption (MACsec).


​3. IP/MPLS Peering Edge​

For Tier 1 ISPs, the line card handles full internet routing tables (800k+ BGP routes) with ​​TCAM optimization​​, reducing table-miss penalties by 40%.


​Installation and Optimization Guidelines​

​Hardware Preparation​

  • ​Chassis Slot Compatibility​​: Install in slots 0–3 of the NCS 5516 chassis for optimal airflow.
  • ​QSFP28 Transceivers​​: Use Cisco-certified optics (e.g., ​​QSFP-100G-SR4-S=​​) to ensure BER <10^-15.

​Configuration Best Practices​

  • ​Segment Routing​​: Enable SR-MPLS for traffic engineering:
    plaintext复制
    router isis 1  
     address-family ipv4 unicast  
      metric-style wide  
      segment-routing mpls  
  • ​NetFlow Monitoring​​: Deploy for granular traffic analysis:
    plaintext复制
    flow exporter-map EXPORTER  
     version v9  
     destination 10.1.1.1  

​Troubleshooting Common Issues​

  • ​Port Flapping​​: Check for incompatible transceivers or firmware mismatches.
  • ​High CPU​​: Optimize ACLs using ​​TCAM carving​​ to offload processing to hardware.

​Why the RD-DPX200-X100-K9 Outperforms Third-Party Line Cards​

While white-box alternatives may offer lower upfront costs, Cisco’s solution provides:

  • ​Silicon One Integration​​: Delivers 2x higher packets-per-second (PPS) than merchant silicon.
  • ​Cisco Crosswork Automation​​: Simplifies large-scale SRv6 deployments via intent-based APIs.
  • ​Lifetime Warranty​​: Covers hardware defects and performance degradation.

For verified hardware and bulk pricing, source from authorized partners like ​“RD-DPX200-X100-K9” at ITMall.sale​.


​Field Insights: Balancing Scalability and Complexity​

Deploying 80+ RD-DPX200-X100-K9 cards across a European ISP’s backbone reduced latency by 35% compared to older ASR 9000 modules. However, the transition revealed unexpected challenges: integrating IOS-XR’s segment routing with legacy MPLS-TE required rewriting 200+ route policies. Conversely, a competitor’s attempt to use third-party line cards in NCS 5500 chassis led to 15% packet loss during peak traffic—blamed on TCAM incompatibilities. For network architects, the RD-DPX200-X100-K9 isn’t just a line card; it’s the backbone of next-gen infrastructure, where cutting corners risks obsolescence.

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