Internet protocol version 4 is one of a kind protocol that has made the internet to be successful. Transition methods mechanism and tools have always been part of IPv6 design effort from the beginning. The transition has been specified for IPv6 routers and host, which specifies the use of dual IP layer. The IPv4 along with IPv6 are the foundation of internetworking methods of the internet. Different computers on the internet have their own public IPv4 address that looks similar to a phone number. IPv6 is the new generation of internet protocol version, which has been successfully designed as a successor of IPv4 (Amoss, 60). A new 128 bit that provides enough space for the internet replaces the 32-bit.
Migration of IPv4 to IPv6 does not mean replacing IPv4, but enabling IPv6 in addition to IPv4. Many Ipv4 routing protocols are present for getting routers between networks, where each has IPv6 extension: open shortest path version 3, enhanced interior gateway routing protocol and intermediate system to intermediate system. This enables network administrator to begin benefiting from this new protocol. Migration of IPv6 from IPv4 is not an easy task; it requires solid as well as transparent process. The best tool for migrating is the IP Address Management also known as IPAM. The other thing, which is required, is the information on the existing IPv4 infrastructure. When these things are available, the whole effort becomes manageable (York, 48).
Open Shorten-test Path First (OSPF) is a link for state protocol. An OSPFv2 an interior gateway protocol is used for distribution of routing information. This is between routers of each and every autonomous system in IPv4 networks. Updates of IPv6 is made in OSPFv3. (Gai, 51). Enhanced Interior Gateway Protocol (EIGP) is mainly developed to fill the gap between distance of routing information protocol, interior gateway protocol as well as advanced link state protocols. What it does is to integrate proven capabilities of the letter hence improving operation as well as scalability of the former. (Amoss, 67).
Intermediate System to Intermediate System (ISIS) was describe in ISO standard where is being used in IPv6. For implementation, it requires new protocol ID, which must have been set by IPv6 routers for signaling their capabilities to support ISISv6. It runs with a single topology in most cases for any protocol supported. This has a big benefit since only few resources are used to operate it by routers. (Pau, 37) Ipv6 unicast routing enables IPv6, therefore it must be command executed on the router first.
The different between Ipv4 and Ipv6.
Ipv6 does not implement any traditional IP broadcast. Therefore, they do not define broadcast addresses. One of the important change in addressing model of an IPv6 is its address types, which are supported. IPv4 usually support three types: broadcast, multicast and unicast. IPv6 also support these three types of address but with some changes.
In the IPv6 the source as well as destination addresses are based on a 128 bit. This implies that it can produce more than 3.4 x 1038 combinations. IPv6 has been designed to create hierarchical, efficient and summarize which are able routing infrastructure, which are bases on occurrence levels of service providers. In is clear that IPv6 reduces size of routing tables which are of backbone routers. (Siil, 56). It also has the ability to recover and detect from an unsuccessful forward route.
Another advertage of IPv6 is that it has been designed to support all IPsec. It was built to support mobility version of phones IPv6. (Gai, 80). New header has been specifically designed to minimize the header overhead. This is after moving optional fileds to extension headers, which are placed after IPv6 header. This header is more efficient at intermediate routers as it generates efficiency. As it has been observed, most basic problems of IPv4 have resolved by the new features of IPv6.(Pau, 95).
References
Amoss, John, and Daniel Minoli. Handbook of Ipv4 to Ipv6 Transition: Methodologies for Institutional and Corporate Networks. Boca Raton: Auerbach Publications, 2008.
Gai, Silvano. Internetworking Ipv6 with Cisco Routers. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1998.
Pau, L-F. A Business Evaluation of the Next Generation Ipv6 Protocol in Fixed and Mobile Communication Services: An Analytical Study and Calculation. Rotterdam: Erasmus Research Institute of Management, Erasmus Universiteit, 2002.
Pau, L.-F. Ipv6 Return on Investment (r.o.i): Analysis Framework at a Generic Level, and First Conclusions. Rotterdam: Erasmus Research Institute of Management, Erasmus Universiteit, 2002.
Siil, Karl A. Ipv6 Mandates: Choosing a Transition Strategy, Preparing Transition Plans, and Executing the Migration of a Network to Ipv6. Indianapolis, Ind: Wiley, 2008.
York, Dan. Migrating Applications to Ipv6. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Inc, 2011.
