Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Issues - Research Paper Example

INTERTNET PROTOCOL VERSION SIX (IPv6) Insert Name Course Professor’s Name Institution Date Table of Content 1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………3 2.0 The need for IPv6…………………………………………………………………...3-4 3.0 IPv6 IP Addressing framework and Integration…………………………………….4 3.1 design specifications of IP Addresses……………………………………………….4 3.2 IPv6 support in operating system and server software………………………………4-5 4.0 Key Features of IPv6…………………………………………………………………5-6 5.0 Routing in IPv6………………………………………………………………………6 6.0 reference list………………………………………………………………………….7 Introduction Internet Protocol version six (IPv6) is not a new concept to technology specialists. However, it is relatively an uncommon technology to non-technology folks. The internet protocol version is an advancement of the precursor Internet Protocol Version four (IPv4) commonly referred to as internet protocol (IP). The field of networking technology has a long history since the invention of the internet in the year 1969. The internet protocol version four (IPv4) has been in use since then with numerous enhancements in its application in computer networks to facilitate efficient and swift communications. However, the need for network has accrued over the years and more electronic devices such as computers, routers, switches, IP phones and smart phones, which connect to the internet, have exhausted the capacity of IPv4 addressing in some regions in the world; mainly Asia and Africa. In actual fact, the internet protocol facilitates the use of the internet for communication in which devices connected to the internet are assigned unique addresses that is IP address to identify them on the internet (Microsoft, 2013). The need for IPv6 The development of IPV6 came about due to the limitation of IPv4, which is capable of generating only 4.3 billion address to address electronic devices connecting to the internet. In a theoretical point of view, the available range of address seems quite inexhaustible given that IPv4 uses the classless and inter-domain routing (CIDR) and Network Address Translation (NAT) to facilitate the use of a single public IP address by a group of computers to access the internet. However, it is quite obvious that some densely populated countries such as China have just a fraction of their population connected to the internet. The demand for IP addresses is expected to rise although other countries such as the USA are comfortably served with adequate range IP addresses, wherein there is actually a surplus of IP addresses that are not in use. This is merely an exceptional case since most of the developing countries are in dire need of IP addresses for both commercial and personal use. For instance, the African continent has a shortage of IP address despite its least internet connectivity in comparison with developed countries such as the USA and China. In the globalization era, businesses are bound to expand and the global population is expected to grow as well. Thus, there is definitely a definite probability that the world will run out of IPv4 address. This is underscored by the reality of the world population which is approximately 6 billion. Therefore, the capacity of IPv4 address design is bound to be overwhelmed by the demand for IP addresses (Cisco, 2013). IPv6 IP Addressing framework and Integration The limitation IPv4 is what Internet Protocol Version IPv6 mainly addresses. The addressing scheme of IPv4 is a 32-bit design in which an IP Address is made up of 32 bits. In IPv6 the addressing design, IP addresses have been engineered in such a way that they are 128bits long. Consequently, the length of IPV6 IP Address offers exceptional flexibility to generate a vast range of IP addresses that surpasses the IPv4 4.3 billion addresses by a wide gap. In actual fact, the IPv6 addressing scheme has a capacity of a trillion unique IP addresses for use. Due to its great capacity IPv6 is already taking over IPv4 in some places. In reality, new software and hardware products are IPv6 compliant. For instance, Microsoft products are compliant of Common Engineering Criteria (CUC), which is inclusive of IPV6 support. The variety of Microsoft products that support IPv6 range from not only its Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows XP windows 8 and its SQL server technologies, but also clouding computing technologies and services (Microsoft, 2013). Most the leading Information Technology companies are already in the leading edge of the first people to deploy IPv6. For instance, Google ad Facebook deployed IPv6 in their systems as early as June 2012. Other corporations have been slower but mainly due to the procedural and technical requirements of migrating from the native IPv4 addressing scheme to the IPv6 novel addressing design. Switching from IPv4 to IP v6 is an overwhelming administration undertaking and quite time consuming. However, to the common internet user and technology consumer, the change is literally invisible since the computer vendors and hardware manufacturers are selling and distributing IPv6 capable products with IP v6 auto configured and enable for personal computer use. Key Features of IPv6 Technically, IPv6 is superior to IPv6 not because of its great addressing capacity but also its features which are great improvements of the IPv4 technology. The modern networks in the enterprise have a variety of features which were not integrated in the design of the IPv4. Interestingly, the requirements which were absolutely unseen in the years when IPv4 was designed have been addressed in the design of IPv6. For instance, the standard and fundamental IPSec protocol that runs the Virtual Private Network (VPN) capability has been included in the design of IPv6 hence making IPv6 it exceedingly convenient. Therefore, the transmission of information over the internet will occur swiftly with the guarantee of the end to end IPSec security feature (IETF, 1998). The addressing scheme of IPv6 is groundbreaking and offers grand flexibility that makes routing tremendously efficient and scalable since IP addresses can be aggregated with outstanding efficacy. In actual fact, the additional range of IPv6 are a great advantage in network addressing since there is plenty room to facilitate innumerable levels of hierarchy within the address space which comes with a versatile architecture. IPV6 also encompasses a groovy form of addressing that allows several addresses for hosts and networks such that enterprises can enjoy enhanced availability. In addition to this, the IPv6 is inclusive of an expanded use multicast communication where in one device send a packet to many host or a given group of devices in a network. This is very significant feature that boosts efficiency in a network since it makes communication more specific and packets do not have to be process by all devices as the case in broadcast messages in IPv4 networks. IPv4r used broadcast messages in high frequencies hence causing broadcast storms in a network. This is an uncontrollable scenario that entails forwarded broadcast traffic which cripples network speed by utilizing the bandwidth to a maximum. Therefore, it is apparent that IPv6 is efficient and works far much that IPv4 in enhancing swift communication within networks (IETF, 1998). The Ipv6 addresses are expressed in 16-bit hexadecimal and delimited by a full colon unlike the typical IPv4 addresses which are expressed in decimal form and delimited by a period. The IPv6 is defined into three sections. The first 48-bit hexadecimal define the global prefix, the consequent 16-bit define the subnet whilst the last 64-bit hexadecimal define the Interface ID. The 128-bit hexadecimal long Ipv6 address can be shortened. This is provided for in a scenario where there are leading zeros in any of the IP address blocks, such zeros can be omitted. In other scenarios a certain block or several blocks forming the IPV6 address are comprised of zeros in such cases, it is permitted to remove only one block of such contiguous zeros with a double colon (IETF, 1998). Routing in IPv6 For IPv6 to work in an internetwork, it utilizes the Internet Control Message Protocol version six (ICMPv6) especially in it multicasting processes. Ipv6 also use other services such as the DHCP as well as other routing protocols that were designed for IPv4. The trivial routing protocols include Routing Information Protocol next generation (RIPng) which is a new version of the Routing Information Protocol (RIP), Open Shortest Path Fast protocol version three OSPFv3 which is an advanced version of the Opens Shortest Path Fast (OSPF) version two, and Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol EIGRPv6 which is an improvement of the EIGRP precursor technology. In summation, IPv6 has been improvised by newer version of routing protocols that facilitate its work as an Internet Protocol (IETF, 1998). Reference List Microsoft. Microsoft Technology Position Paper. February 12, 2008.[ Accessed November 7, 2013.] Available at http://technet.microsoft.com/library/bb726954.aspx Microsoft. IPv6 Support in Microsoft Products and Services. n.d [Accessed November 9, 2013.] http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/hh994905 Cisco. IP v6 Introduction. Configure.n.d [Accessed November 8, 2013.] Available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/tech/tk872/tk373/tsd_technology_support_sub- protocol_home.html. IETF. Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification. n.d [Accessed November 8, 2013.] Available at http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2460 IETF. IP Version 6 Addressing Architecture.n .d Accessed November 8, 2013. Available at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2373.txt Cisco. Cisco IOS Software Release 15.0(1)SY1 New Features and Hardware Support. [Accessed November 8, 2013.] Available at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps708/product_bulletin _c25-696622.html Read More