Upgrading backbones to support IPng

Given the unmitigated progress of IP version 6 (also known as IP Next Generation or IPng), network managers should begin preparing now for the inevitable changes that this will force upon their current networks that run IP version 4. Although many industry pundits point to IPng as an 'Internet-only' problem, today's savvy customers already suspect otherwise -- for example, that changes to IP addressing on the Internet will quickly translate into changes in IP addressing on their corporate backbones. After all, the corporate backbone is very often the point of corporate Internet access.

The advantage of IPng, of course, is that it supports a larger IP address space, clearly required by the mushrooming Internet. Unfortunately, migrating to IPng will likely require upgrading current software on nearly all equipment attached to, or connecting to, the Internet, including firewalls, VPN end points and routers.

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The good news is that IPng-enabled devices will still continue to forward IPv4 traffic, and there is even a standard for encapsulating IPv4 information within a virtual tunnel between IPng devices.

In any case, what customers really need to know right now about IPng is that it introduces several changes to the current IPv4 frame format. In addition to extending the address from 32 to 128 bits, IPng also specifies: a) a header extension for optional services; b) a new type of address type called an "anycast" address; c) provisions for dropping certain IPv4 header fields, or for making them optional; d) adding quality of service capabilities by labeling packets that belong to specified traffic streams or "flows"; and e) adding headers onto the packet for security.

Given these extensive changes to the IP frame formats, network managers must be prepared to upgrade their in house analyzers to support the new standard, as well. Considering all of these fundamental changes to the protocol, it's clear that upgrading to IPng will require upgrading and, in some cases, replacing, some or all of the equipment currently in place, including many of the high-end gear on or near the corporate backbone.

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