| In 2003, the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) instituted a mandate to transition all the DoD communications to be IPv6 capable by 2008. In support of this mandate, the OSD authorized the establishment of Pilot networks to demonstrate functional IPv6 capability and build expertise for a DoD-wide transition to IPv6. The pilot defined Joint Staff operational criteria and three milestone objectives (MO) for IPv6 transition. MO1 authorizes IPv6 operation within network domains, while MO2 permits tests in multi-domain environments. MO3 declares that operational networks will accept and route traffic across any domain. In Phase 1 of the IPv6 pilot, networks must meet MO1 criteria, and have a migration path towards MO2.
The Global Broadcast Service (GBS) provides a worldwide, high bandwidth, one-way transmission of classified and unclassified video, imagery, and other files to support deployed warfighters. In support of the OSD mandate and DoD’s Network-centric visions, the GBS Joint Program Office and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) have been investigating IPv6 transition of GBS networks. The GBS-JPO and DISA have jointly submitted a nomination package and obtained approval for GBS participation in the DoD IPv6 Pilot.
GBS-JPO and DISA have established a test network to meet the criteria of the IPv6 pilot and to facilitate the future IPv6 transition of the operational GBS network. To meet MO2, GBS will test with the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) over the Defense Research Engineering Network (DREN). This paper describes GBS pilot activities, including transition technologies, interoperability of transition mechanisms with High Assurance Internet Protocol Encryptors (HAIPEs), and integration of voice, data, and video. This paper summarizes initial results of the GBS IPv6 pilot, which will provide a reference architecture and requirement specifications for the future transition of GBS to IPv6.
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