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Product Overview: The Critical Role of Blank Pane...
Architecture and Core Capabilities
The Cisco NC55-5500-RMK-E= is a modular routing processor designed for Cisco’s NCS-5500 Series, specifically engineered to manage hyperscale 800G spine-leaf topologies in AI/ML data centers and 5G core networks. Built on 5nm Cloud Scale ASIC v3.2, it delivers 25.6 Tbps throughput per slot while supporting hybrid 100G/400G/800G deployments through programmable FlexE channelization.
Key Hardware Specs:
- Compute Cores: 16x ARM Cortex-A78 @ 2.8GHz with hardware-accelerated SRv6
- Memory: 256GB DDR5 ECC RAM + 8TB NVMe SSD for telemetry storage
- Redundancy: Dual hot-swappable power supplies (48VDC/60VDC) with 6kV surge protection
- Thermal Design: Variable-speed fans (18,000–32,000 RPM) for 55°C ambient operation
Critical Innovation: Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) micro-segmentation reduces control-plane overhead by 40% compared to traditional MPLS-LDP setups.
Performance Comparison: NC55-5500-RMK-E= vs. Competing Solutions
| Metric | NC55-5500-RMK-E= | Juniper PTX10K-24C | Arista 7800R3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 800G Port Density | 72 | 48 | 60 |
| Buffer per Port | 64 MB | 48 MB | 56 MB |
| MACsec Latency | 85 ns | 120 ns | 95 ns |
| BGP Update Rate | 4M routes/sec | 2.8M routes/sec | 3.5M routes/sec |
| Energy Efficiency | 8.1W/100G | 9.6W/100G | 8.9W/100G |
Key Insight: While Arista offers better route update performance, Cisco’s adaptive buffer allocation and 5nm ASIC integration dominate in latency-sensitive AI training environments.
Targeted Deployment Scenarios
1. Distributed AI/ML Training Fabrics
The processor reduces GPU-to-GPU communication latency to 1.5μs via RoCEv2 with adaptive load balancing, improving ResNet-152 training cycles by 22% compared to static ECMP configurations.
2. 5G Standalone (SA) Core Networks
- Network Slicing: Manages 16M concurrent slices with 128-way ECMP
- Time-Sensitive Sync: Achieves ±5ns accuracy for 5G RU/DU synchronization using PTPv2.1
For optimized deployments, consider NC55-5500-RMK-E= at itmall.sale with pre-installed IOS XR 7.9.1 and validated antenna patterns.
Addressing Critical Configuration Challenges
“Can Existing 400G Line Cards Operate with 800G Ports?”
Yes, under these conditions:
- Enable FlexE 2.1 channel bonding via
hw-module profile flexe mode 800G - Reserve 30% buffer capacity for RDMA traffic using
qos buffer-reservation 30 - Limit 400G ports to 75% line rate during firmware upgrades
“How to Mitigate TCAM Exhaustion in Multi-VRF Setups?”
- Activate Unified Forwarding Table v4 with
platform resource tcam extended - Implement route summarization via
router bgp 65000 address-family ipv4 aggregate-address 10.0.0.0/8 - Monitor usage with
show platform hardware utilization forwarding
Licensing and Hidden Operational Costs
Cisco’s Hyperscale Advantage License for NC55-5500-RMK-E= includes:
- Base Tier: Layer 3 routing, VXLAN (included)
- Advanced Features: SRv6, EVPN, Telemetry ($58,000 per chassis)
- 800G Enablement: FlexE channelization + MACsec ($12,500 per port)
Hidden Cost Alert: Thermal Upgrade Kits (N55-FAN-UPG=) cost $4,200 per chassis—mandatory for sustained 55°C operations.
Strategic Perspective: Balancing Innovation and Ecosystem Constraints
While the NC55-5500-RMK-E= redefines spine-leaf scalability, its dependency on Cisco’s proprietary ASIC toolchain complicates multi-vendor interoperability. Organizations running pure Cisco stacks will benefit from its deterministic latency guarantees in AI/ML pipelines, but those adopting open networking standards may find its closed-loop automation restrictive. The processor’s true differentiation lies in gradual 800G migration—unlike competitors requiring full chassis replacements, it preserves investments in existing 400G optics through software-defined FlexE slicing. However, the licensing complexity demands meticulous TCO analysis, particularly for security-focused enterprises needing full MACsec coverage across 800G ports. In hyperscale environments where buffer flexibility outweighs upfront costs, this module sets a new benchmark—yet its 5nm ASIC thermal constraints necessitate precise cooling infrastructure planning rarely required in legacy architectures.