| Discussions of the utility of the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) usually emphasize the abundance of addresses it provides. While it is true that the main driver for IPv6 was the imminent depletion of the IPv4 address space, the focus on the address size may be misleading when deciding whether and when to transition to IPv6. Frequently, customers and network providers refer to the Network Address Translation (NAT) as a solution to the IPv4 address shortage. Furthermore, the existing DoD IPv4 address space accommodates basic networking needs even without the NAT. Still, IPv6 is vital for many networks, and even more so for the DoD’s Global Information Grid (GIG).
This paper provides a broad review of IPv6 features that enhance customer networks above and beyond providing more addresses. These include many advanced IPv6 protocol features that correct deficiencies observed in IPv4 networks including fragmentation, multicast, and others. The paper also illustrates how having more addresses is not the same as “having the same thing but bigger,” but is the basis for new operational concepts that would not be possible with IPv4. With IPv6, not only people and devices are individually addressable over the GIG, but networking also extends to device components and sub-components, sensors, nanotechnology, individual applications, etc., thus creating unprecedented opportunities for the Net Centric operation of the GIG.
IPv6 also plays a crucial role when designing complex network connectivity across the ciphertext (CT) based GIG Black Core, including Quality of Service (QoS) features, discovery operation, and accommodating “red gateways.” |
| Victoria Fineberg [SM] (Victoria.Fineberg@DISA.mil) is a Senior Member of IEEE and a licensed Professional Engineer. Upon graduating with Masters Degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1989, Victoria joined Bell Laboratories, AT&T / Lucent Technologies. After leaving Bell Labs in 2001, Victoria worked as an independent consultant and actively supported the Technical and Tutorial Committees of the MPLS Frame Relay and ATM Forum. At present, she works at DISA for the Office of the CTO. Victoria’s professional interests include networking across the encrypted Black core, QoS, MPLS, VPN, IPv6 and VoIP, and she has published several IEEE articles and conference papers on these topics. |