The Internet has grown rapidly, even faster than many believed it ever would and we’re seeing a substantial increase in demand for more IP addresses as devices such as smartphones, tablets and more become connected to the Internet. The Internet as we know it mainly consists of Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4), but recently, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) assigned the last remaining blocks of IPv4 addresses. This means the IANA cannot assign any new IPv4 addresses. Of course, the Regional Internet Registry still has a small remaining block of IPv4 addresses but these will be depleted over the course of this year in order to support the increasing number of devices connected to the Internet. For this, all of networks will need to deploy Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) instead of IPv4 in near future.

Today, many network service providers are still only using IPv4 for their network infrastructures. However, they will need to deploy IPv6 in the coming months and will also need to maintain both IPv4 and IPv6 networks during what could be a long, drawn out transitional period. In order for the service providers to enable customers to utilize the existing services, they will have to provide IPv4 connectivity to the customers across their deployed IPv6 network infrastructures. Also, they will need to provide IPv6 connectivity to their existing customers connected to their IPv4 only network infrastructures.

To support a smooth migration from IPv4 and IPv6, transition technologies become very important. If transition technologies are not in place, network service providers cannot migrate successfully to IPv6. The inevitable end goal is to deploy pure IPv6 networks all around the world. While transition technologies are temporary and will be eliminated once IPv6 deployment for the service providers’ entire network infrastructure, network services and websites are completed, they are of the utmost importance today.  

Recently, two primary types of transition technologies from IPv4 to IPv6 have been proposed. The first provides IPv6 connectivity across the IPv4 network infrastructures. The second provides IPv4 connectivity across the IPv6 network infrastructures. Furthermore, each type has two modes of deployment called “stateless” and “stateful.” In order to provide IPv6 connectivity across IPv4 network infrastructures, Layer2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) can be used as the stateful technology. Also, IPv6 Rapid Deployment can be used as the stateless technology.

In order to provide IPv4 connectivity across IPv6 network infrastructures, Dual-Stack Lite (DS-Lite) can be used as the stateful technology. Also, IPv4 Residual Deployment (4RD) can be used as the stateless technology. There are a few pros and cons between the “stateless” technology and “stateful” technology which should be reviewed. If using “stateful” technology, service providers’ network infrastructures need to maintain the state of each customer. For this, service providers can manage each customer directly. However, since service providers need to maintain a lot of customers’ state, it is very difficult to achieve large scalability and high availability. If using “stateless” technology, service providers do not need to maintain any state of each customer. Hence, it is easy to achieve large scalability and high availability. However, it is difficult to mange each customer directly from service providers.

As networks transition to IPv6, legacy the support of IPv4 across IPv6 network infrastructure is imperative. In addition, the support of IPv6 across the existed IPv4 network infrastructure is necessary in order to provide new services using IPv6 to the existed customers. For the coexistence of IPv4 and IPv6 networks, tunneling is one of the key deployment mechanisms as described above. Tunneling enables to provide IPv4 connectivity across IPv6 network infrastructure as well as to provide IPv6 connectivity across IPv4 network infrastructure. Eventually, service providers need to support both IPv4 connectivity across their IPv6 network infrastructure and IPv6 connectivity across their IPv4 network infrastructure simultaneously.

Since its inception in 1999, IP Infusion has been a pioneer in the development of solutions for IPv4 and IPv6 technologies, and has carried out extensive testing with Japanese carriers. IP Infusion’s ZebOS Rapid Deploymentforwards IPv6 traffic though IPv4 networks, and vice versa and is based on 6rd (IPv6 rapid deployment) and 4rd specifications which are published as a Request for Comments (RFC) by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). IP Infusion’s ZebOS Advanced Platform is a versatile and proven platform which provides solutions that can support IPv4- only, IPv6-only and dual IPv6/IPv4 networks. The various mechanisms provided by ZebOS Advanced Platform for IPv6 integration and services give Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) the power to quickly add robust IPv6 capabilities to their network elements.

The first proper test of IPv6 will come later this year when we observe World IPv6 Day on June 8. The stated goal of World IPv6 Day is to inspire organizations industry wide, including ISPs, hardware makers, operating system vendors and Web companies, to prepare their services for IPv6 to ensure a successful transition. Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Comcast, Time Warner (News - Alert) and many other well-known Web companies have already signed up to participate and they will take the IPv6 network on a 24 hour “test flight” to see what it can handle and what needs to be done before the world switches over to IPv6. More information about World IPv6 Day can be found on the Internet Society (ISOC) website.

As we’ve witnessed, there has been a significant increase in demand for more IP addresses, and the adoption of IPv6, due to the rapid growth of smartphones and tablets as well as new wireless technology such as LTE (News - Alert) and WiMAX. The quadrupled address space that will be provided by IPv6 will therefore be critical to deploying services to the next billion Internet users worldwide. There is an immediate need for IPv4 and IPv6 networks to coexist, giving network providers’ legacy support for IPv4 and rapid transition and deployment to IPv6. There’s no turning back now, but without a doubt, IPv6 has a bright future and at IP Infusion, we will continue to be at the forefront in ensuring that transition technologies are in place to provide IPv6 connectivity across IPv4 network infrastructures.

Asif Hazarika
Senior Director Product Management
IP Infusion Inc.

As senior director of product management at IP Infusion Inc. (IPI), Asif Hazarika has full responsibility for the product marketing and management for the company’s ZebOS product line. Hazarika joined IP Infusion in March 2009, with over 20 years experience in the marketing, design and development of networking semiconductor products and equipment.

Prior to joining IP Infusion, Hazarika was director of the Networking Solution Group at Fujitsu (News - Alert) Microelectronics America. Hazarika also spent 15 years in various positions in the networking industry with industry leaders AMD, IBM, Lucent Microelectronics, and Luminous Networks, developing chips for a variety of networking and telecom application in Switching and Traffic Management.

Hazarika has a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Oregon State University. He is a member of the IEEE (News - Alert), and has participated in the IEEE 802.3/802.1 subcommittees and working groups for Data Center Bridging, RPR, 10GbaseT, and Backplane Ethernet. He is also working with the MEF to support the Carrier Ethernet and Mobile Backhaul activities. 

Tetsuya Murakami 
Principal Engineer
IP Infusion Inc.

As principal engineer at IP Infusion Inc. (IPI), Tetsuya Murakami is focused on MPLS, IPv6, IPv6 transition technologies and sensor networking.

Murakami has been working in the networking industry as a software engineer focused on MPLS and IP routing technologies since 1998. Prior to joining IP Infusion, he worked for the Furukawa electric company then joined the Japan Development Centre for Cisco Systems (News - Alert), mainly developing Multicast and MPLS related technologies such as P2MP.

Murakami is a member of the MPLS Japan community and has a master’s degree in information science from Nara Institute of Science and Technology.