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IPv6 The Next Generation Internet, article by Ing. Clara Delia
::10.05.06::
Articles
The Internet Protocol (IP) – the language of the Net - is understood by each and every one of the millions of devices that are connected to it. The version of IP that is in use today is four – known for short as IPv4.
IP has been around in its current shape and form for more than 25 years. Its inherent flexibility and adaptability have led to its widespread deployment. The protocol has given tremendous service to the networking community. However, as the need for public IP addresses, together with the number of always-on Internet users, increases the demands being placed on the Internet are becoming more taxing. Resources are being stretched to the limit. In ICT parlance, it is time to upgrade!
A few years ago a new version of the protocol – six – was agreed upon, leading to IPv6. Due to the pitfalls with IPv4, firms are starting to adopt IPv6 as their new standard. In the near future, as the Internet continues to grow and new applications are employed, IPv6 will definitely become a major focus of ICT activity worldwide. It is expected to replace IPv4 gradually, with the two protocols co-existing for a number of years during the transition period. Rightly so, such a transition requires careful planning.
Initially, the need for such a transition was not widely felt. Indeed, many experts even began to doubt the fact that an upgrade would ever be needed. They felt that IPv4 was coping just fine. However, with the rapid take up of high-speed broadband and third generation mobile telephony, a significant problem began to emerge.
An IP address must be assigned to every device connected to the Internet. The 32-bit address space of IPv4 supports about 4 billion IP addresses, implying, at most, 4 billion unique connections. While this results in a significantly large amount of IP addresses, it is still insufficient to cater for the world’s population (even if every person on earth were to be assigned only one IP address). Furthermore, there are inherent inefficiencies in the way v4 addresses are allocated and different geographic regions have had varying abundance or scarcity of assignments. IPv6 solves these issues since it caters for an almost infinite number of addresses (the 128-bits constituting an IPv6 address lead to IPv6 supporting approximately 3.4x1038 addresses - around 1030 addresses per person on this planet). This infinite address space is the primary driver for migration.
The lack of IPv4 addresses causes another, less obvious problem. In order to cater for a decline in the availability of IP addresses, a system was developed to map multiple addresses to a single one. This technique – network address translation or NAT – worked well for most applications. Yet it stifled the development of new applications that could not handle the translation process. This goes against the very spirit of the Internet where connecting ought to be free and where innovation should be encouraged and supported.
In addition to offering a larger address space, IPv6 offers a number of other advantages over IPv4, namely:
- More efficient routing: The IPv6 protocol is designed so that Internet backbone routers have significantly smaller routing tables than they currently have with IPv4. Instead of knowing every possible route, the routing tables only contain information related to those routers connected directly to them.
- New configuration options: The address auto-configuration feature is built into the IPv6 protocol. This facilitates intranet-wide address management and enables a large number of IP hosts to easily discover the network. A new and globally unique IPv6 address, associated with the location, is obtained in the process. This auto-configuration feature enables ‘plug-and-play’ Internet deployment of new consumer devices such as cell phones, wireless devices and home appliances. Consequently, network devices can connect to the network without manual configuration and without any servers, like DHCP servers.
- Integrated security: IPSec is optional in IPv4. However, it is mandatory in IPv6 since it is part of the protocol suite. IPv6 provides security extension headers, like the Authentication header, and supports security protocols like the Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP). This makes it easier to implement encryption, authentication and virtual private networks (VPNs). It can provide end-to-end security services.
- Standardized QoS support: IPv6 handles QOS in exactly the same way it is currently being handled in IPv4. However, the IPv6 header has a new field named Flow Label that can contain a label identifying a specific flow of information such as video stream or videoconference. The flow label itself is not a feature of QOS. However, it enables QOS devices in the path to take appropriate actions based on this label.
- Mobile IPv6: Mobility is a built-in feature in IPv6. Any IPv6 node can use mobility as required. IPv6 packets addressed to the home address of a mobile node are transparently routed to its ‘care-of’ address. This is achieved by caching the bound home address of the mobile’s node with its ‘care-of’ address. This binding allows any packets destined for the mobile node to be directed to it at this ‘care-of’ address. One useful by-product of this feature is location-based services.
- Efficiency/performance: The IPv6 header is different from the IPv4 header. The former header size is larger yet simpler than the IPv4 header. In the IPv6 header, some IPv4 header fields have been dropped or made optional to reduce the necessary amount of packet processing and to limit the bandwidth cost of the IPv6 header
The drive for IPv6 started a number of years ago. In fact, anticipating the future direction of the Internet, most hardware (Sun, Checkpoint and Cisco for example) and software vendors are already shipping IPv6 capable products. Windows XP Service Pack 2 and most UNIX variants support both IPv4 and IPv6. IPv6, however, is still not common in consumer devices based on embedded OS.
The subject of IPv6 is causing interest all around the globe. Several countries are looking at IPv6 as an alternative protocol to its IP predecessor. The main drive in most of the cases is the lack of address space. Many firms in Asia are adopting IPv6 technology because they need IP addresses and have no other choice. Japan has a government-imposed deadline to upgrade its IT sectors to run on IPv6 by 2005. Through the setup of a large-scale Next Generation Network with an IPv6 core, China is becoming a powerful engine for the world’s IPv6 industry development. Even in the Americas, where there is ample address space available, the interest in IPv6 is growing slowly but steadily. Indeed, all US government entities have to be IPv6 compatible by June 2008
The transition to IPv6 will not be straightforward. In order to avoid widespread problems it is necessary to plan carefully and to address a number of issues at once. In order to provide a focal point throughout any transition, the Maltese IPv6 Task Force was launched on the 26th October 2005. The Task Force represents a range of stakeholders including the Ministry for Investment, Industry and IT (MIIIT), the University of Malta, the Malta Standards Authority and all the telecommunications networks and service providers, amongst others.
The objective of the Task Force, currently chaired by the Malta Communications Authority (MCA), is to explore the required milestones leading to an eventual nationwide migration to IPv6. In order to provide a facility that can be used by interested parties to experiment with IPv6 away from “live” networks, it is intended to set up a test bed that will run IPv6. The IPv6 test bed, hosted by the University of Malta, should be running by May 2006. Interested parties will be able to connect to this test-bed and gain v6 experience before going live on their own networks. Global IPv6 connectivity for the test bed participants will be provided via the GEANT2 network, a pan European IPv6 network specifically set up for IPv6 testing and research purposes. Figure 4 depicts a basic layout for the Maltese IPv6 test bed.
Another priority of the Task Force will be the dissemination of technical information relating to IPv6. The Task Force should act as a Centre of Excellence on the subject and evangelise the need to fast-track transition. Research will also be carried out to accumulate knowledge and develop competencies. Rightly so, links with other, similar organizations will also be set up. In addition, the Maltese Task Force has also affiliated itself to the EU IPv6 Task Force with the intention of continuously widening its spectrum of IPv6 knowledge. Several interactions with similar task forces in other countries has also taken place and a number of task force members will be undergoing training to strengthen their IPv6 knowledge and to better prepare themselves for the challenges that lie ahead. Connections with similar groups in other jurisdictions is considered essential in order to ensure that Malta remains at the forefront of best practice in this area.
The current composition of the Task Force is listed below. It can clearly be seen that engineers form the majority of the members. The responsibility of a successful transition, therefore, is in the capable hands of most of Malta's leading network engineers.
Ms Clara Delia - Technical Specialist, MCA
Mr Adrian Scicluna - Project Coordinator, MIIIT
Mr Dave Mifsud - Systems Engineer, University of Malta
Mr Robert Sultana - Executive Director of the Computing Services Centre at the University of Malta and Executive of the Malta Internet Foundation
Ing. Francis Farrugia - Chairman, Malta Standards Authority (MSA)
Ing Stephen Camilleri - Research and Development Manager, Datastream / Maltanet
Mr Kenneth Ciangura - Networking and Security, Go Mobile
Mr Alan Brincat - Malta Information Technology and Training Services Ltd (MITTS)
Ing. Ian Bonello - Networks Team Manager, Malta Information Technology and Training Services Ltd (MITTS)
Ing Christian Sammut - Chief Executive Officer, Innovate
Mr Ivo Galea - Information Technology Director, Maltacom plc.
Ing. Conrad Chircop – Network Development Manager, Air Malta Plc
Dr. Ing Saviour Zammit - Chamber of Commerce – ISP Trade Section
Ing Mark Ebejer - IP Services Manager, Vodafone Malta Ltd
Ing Mark Pace Balzan - Systems Engineer, Melita Cable plc
It is acknowledged that Malta is positioned somewhat at the “edge” of the Internet. The transition will be most challenging at the backbone and core - the impact being more profound and wide-reaching there. Therefore, Malta has an excellent opportunity to be amongst the first movers. From the consultation held so far with the industry, it appears that many support this initiative. Internet users, be they network operators, SMEs or people at home, must together build on this consensus in order to achieve success in this venture.
For once, Malta’s small size can be turned into an advantage. The potential exists for it to become the first country to completely migrate to v6. This could position Malta as a technological leader as well as providing a textbook case of how to accomplish the changeover. If Malta is successful in achieving this, it could become a reference point to many, drawing the world’s attention, and thus enhancing its position as a regional focal point for ICT initiatives. Malta's well known application development strengths together with a national next-generation Internet infrastructure would harmoniously combine and further reinforce Malta's recent successes in attracting substantial ICT-focused investment.
Clara Delia is a Technical Specialist at the Malta Communications Authority and is the Chaiperson of the Malta IPv6 Task Force.
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