The Cisco NCS 4000 Route Processor is based on an Intel IvyBridge 10-core CPU with 32 Gigabytes of RAM and equipped with a 50-Gigabyte solid-state drive (SSD). A second SSD is accessible through the faceplate on the external connection unit (ECU) to provide access to logging data and additional storage space. A USB flash memory device is also available for debugging capabilities.

The route processor holds the control, timing, monitoring, and management functions of the NCS 4000 Series chassis. Multiple LEDs are available on the face plate to summarize the status of the system. The route processor provides external interfaces through an ECU and supports the following interfaces on the front panel:

• One USB 2.0 for CPU access
• Two RJ-45 10/100/1000 Ethernet interfaces
• Two enhanced Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP+) 10 Gigabit Ethernet management interfaces