IPv6 News

If you are just starting to learn about IPv6 and want to get your hands on it, try the Test Lab Guide: Demonstrate IPv6 ( http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=9db5abdf-80e0-4c3e-9204-69c6c65e2195 ). T his new Test Lab Guide (TLG) takes you through the following:

The default IPv6 behavior of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 on a multi-subnet IPv4-only intranet
The use of the Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP) on an IPv4-only intranet
The use of native IPv6 addressing and routing on the intranet
The use of 6to4 to send IPv6 traffic across a simulated IPv4-only Internet

The resulting test lab is native IPv6-enabled on the intranet and can act as a test bed for application testing.
To configure and demonstrate DHCPv6 in the IPv6 test lab, see the IPv6 Test Lab Extension: Demonstrating DHCPv6 .
To configure the IPv6 test lab for IPv6-only connectivity, see the IPv6 Test Lab Extension: Demonstrating an IPv6-only Environment .
See the IPv6 Test Lab for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 portal page in the TechNet Wiki for more information.
Enjoy.

Joe Davies Principal Writer Windows Server Information Experience…(read more)

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The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority ( IANA ), the international body responsible for distributing Internet addresses, completed their last allocation of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) address blocks on February 3, 2011 2010 . IPv4 addresses are the “phone numbers” of the Internet and are responsible for identifying computers so they can communicate with each other. IPv4 has around 4 billion addresses. Considering the number of people and businesses that use the Internet, many of whom have multiple Internet devices, it’s easy to see why we’ve run out.
Right now, many households in the United States are given what’s called a “unique” or “public” IPv4 address, like your phone number. You can call people, people can call you, and both parties have unique and routable identifiers. The most immediate effect of a shortage of IPv4 addresses is that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will have to be more frugal when giving IPv4 addresses to customers. Many households may have to share addresses using network address translators ( NATs ).
It is critical to understand that IPv4 scarcity shouldn’t impact your standard Internet browsing experience in the near-term. However in the long-term, there is concern about the following issues:

Large Scale Network Address Translation (LSN) can cause performance and reliability issues, especially in peer-to-peer scenarios. Multiplayer computer games might experience issues.
Websites often use IP addresses to locate services relevant to you and your location. An example would be a website automatically finding the pizza place nearest your computer. If many people across disperse geographies are sharing IP addresses, it could make location-aware services very difficult.
Many security tools used to keep websites safe from denial of service attacks use IP addresses to identify and analyze attacks. As IPv4 scarcity worsens, it is possible that such tools may accidentally disable access to users who are doing nothing wrong.
Businesses may face difficulties expanding their online presence, as IPv4 addresses will grow increasingly hard to secure.

The Solution: IPv6
To ensure that these issues are avoided, the Internet is transitioning to the new protocol, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). IPv6 offers a tremendous number of unique addresses – more than a billion per person! We’ll hopefully never run out. Websites and Internet experiences will gradually transition to this new system of communication, and we’re confident that prudent IPv6 migration will ensure that the Internet continues to function and grow.
On June 8, 2011, Bing.com , Xbox.com , along with Internet properties from a host of technology companies , will be participating in World IPv6 Day . Most websites today only support IPv4, but on World IPv6 Day participating Internet properties will additionally enable connectivity via IPv6, going “dual-stack.”
This one-day test will enable the Internet community to evaluate the general state of IPv6 preparedness. We want to validate that all of the hardware and software that participates in Internet communication is able to transition smoothly. Laptops, home routers, web servers, network load balancers – there are a lot of things that need to checked for robust and scalable IPv6 support.
Most people won’t even notice World IPv6 Day. If you have no IPv6 connectivity, then you will continue to work as before. If you happen to have IPv6 connectivity, then your connectivity to participating websites will automatically shift over to IPv6. Here at Windows, we’ve been working on IPv6 support since Windows XP . Windows Vista and Windows 7 are automatically enabled to use IPv6 when it is provided by your ISP and your local network.
IPv6 “Brokenness”
Again, most people will be fine on IPv6 Day. But not necessarily everyone – one thing that we hope to assess and isolate is how many users might lose network connectivity when accessing web sites that support dual IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity, a situation called “IPv6 Brokenness.” For example, it is possible that a misconfiguration of your Internet connection can make it hard for your computer and browser to pick the right IP address to contact. This problem might require usage of the IPv6 Brokenness fix that we have made available on Knowledge Base .
Current indications show that this affects less than 0.1% of Internet users. The below test can help you understand whether you will be negatively affected, as well as whether you have IPv6 web access.
It’s important to note that this is a basic test of your computer, its configuration, its local network, and the connectivity provided by your ISP. A negative test at a coffee shop isn’t necessarily informative of the experience at your home.

Related Links

Bing.com Announcement of Participation in World IPv6 Day
Xbox.com Announcement of Participation in World IPv6 Day
ISOC World IPv6 Page
Test-IPv6.com (This is a cool Javascript based test, that provides considerable detail on your IPv6 status)
Google’s World IPv6 Day Announcement
Facebook’s World IPv6 Day Announcement…(read more)

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Take a look at the MS Enterprise IPv6 Deployment TechNet Webcast for information about the requirements for IPv6 on the Microsoft corporate network, Microsoft’s IPv6 deployment strategy, its current state, lessons learned along the way, and suggested areas of planning for your IPv6 deployment.

Note that this Webcast is mistitled “Architecting a Rollout of IPV6 for Improved Security.”

Enjoy.

Joe Davies
Principal Writer
Windows Server Information Experience…(read more)

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The new IPv6 TechNet Forum (http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-us/ipv6/threads) provides a space for you to ask questions and comment on issues with IPv6 in Windows. This is a TechNet forum, so there is a slight server/IT focus, but we welcome discussions on IPv6 application development as well. Best! Chris Palmer Microsoft IPv6 Program Manager…(read more)

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The new IPv6 Survival Guide ( http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/ipv6-survival-guide.aspx ) in the TechNet Wiki contains a new organization of links to Microsoft and third-party resources on IPv6.
Because this is a TechNet Wiki topic, feel free to review and add resources that you have found valuable in learning about or evaluating IPv6 for your networks.
Thanks.
Joe Davies Principal Writer Windows Server Information Experience…(read more)

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The IPv6 Learning Roadmap provides an organized and sequential list of Web and print resources that you can use to build your understanding of IPv6, starting with prerequisites and then adding level 100 (introductory), level 200 (intermediate), and level 300 (advanced) knowledge. Each section contains an ordered list of steps. Each step contains a learning goal so that you know how to fulfill the knowledge and experience requirements for that step. The learning goals allow you to quickly identify the prerequisites that must be met and determine your level for additional learning. If you are new to IPv6 or are looking to enhance your knowledge of IPv6, check out the IPv6 Learning Roadmap . Joe Davies Principal Writer for the Windows Server Documentation Team…(read more)

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The University of New Hampshire Interoperability Laboratory has certified Windows 7 as IPv6 Ready , which confirms via third-party testing that the IPv6 protocol in Windows 7 complies with interoperability and conformance tests defined by the IPv6 Ready Logo committee. To see the versions of Windows that have passed interoperability testing, click here . Joe Davies Principal Writer for the Windows Server Documentation Team…(read more)

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Vivek Kundra, the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), issued a directive on September 28 to “expedite the operational deployment and use of IPv6,” which includes the following for US agencies (excerpted): Upgrade public/external facing servers and…(read more)

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Vivek Kundra, the Federal Chief Information Officer (CIO), issued a directive on September 28 to “expedite the operational deployment and use of IPv6,” which includes the following for US agencies (excerpted): Upgrade public/external facing servers and services (e.g. web, email, DNS, ISP services, etc.) to operationally use native IPv6 by the end of FY 2012 Upgrade internal client applications that communicate with public Internet servers and supporting enterprise networks to operationally use native IPv6 by the end of FY 2014 To read the directive, click here . For an additional summary, see White House issues IPv6 directive in NetworkWorld. Joe Davies Principal Writer for the Windows Server Documentation Team…(read more)

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A recent survey by the Number Resource Organization (NRO) of over 1,500 network operators found that 84% either have or are considering obtaining public IPv6 address space from Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). See No IPv6 plan? You’re behind schedule in NetworkWorld for the details. Joe Davies Principal Technical Writer for the Windows Server Networking Documentation Team…(read more)

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