Introduction

With all the changes from IPv4 to IPv6, the task of deploying the new protocol can appear insurmountable. This chapter will explain methods of deployment of IPv6, the co-existence with IPv4, and the migration from IPv4. Strategies for deploying IPv6 have been discussed alongside the protocol development since its inception. This has been a carefully considered topic of the designers of IPv6, because a smooth transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is vital to the protocol s success. An entire IETF working group has been assigned the task of figuring out how to transition the Internet from IPv4 to IPv6. We will talk about some of the deployment scenarios that have been thought of so far.

Although there are various methods of deploying IPv6 on a network, a well-thought-out project plan and a solid execution are necessary for any project of this magnitude. Successful conversion and migration of each network attached to the Internet is critical to the overall transition to IPv6, so the future of the Internet is in the hands of the collective group of network engineers, administrators, and designers that work for not only tier-1 providers and ISPs, but also for individual organizations. This chapter will provide the necessary information to make an informed decision as to which path to take when deploying IPv6.

IPv6 Deployment Strategies

We will discuss many deployment strategies in this chapter for deploying IPv6 into an operational IPv4 network, or at the least running Ipv6 alongside IPv4. IPv6 and IPv4 can co-exist until...