IPv6 could change things - Was: DMCA takedowns of networks

Tue Oct 27 14:45:02 UTC 2009

> But do the commonly-used operating systems support adding hundreds or
> thousands of addresses to an interface, and what would the performance
> implications be?
>
> Jeff Ollie

Last time I checked, and this may have changed, the limit in Linux was
around 4096.

In practice though, you also have to consider the physical limitations
of the server itself.  The biggest bang for the buck in dense hosting
environments seems to be running about 1000 sites per box, with a few
boxes dedicated to your heavy hitters with 100 or less ea.

Until we start seeing IPv6-only hosting though, I suspect that we will
see IPv6 address mirror the configuration of the IP assignments.
Sites with dedicated IPs will have dedicated IPv6, sites with shared
IP will have shared IPv6, if only to maintain sanity.

If you're trying to make the case for IPv6 to hosting companies,
you're barking up the wrong tree.  IP address just became a scarce
commodity, instead of providing you with a free IP address, the can
now charge $100 a mo for one.  They know darn well that it will take a
while for every user to have IPv6 from their SP and that if you want
to run a site you'll need access to the "legacy" IP Internet to reach
your customers.  On the bright side, this will encourage the market to
adopt IPv6 because they can't afford IP.  Hopefully ARIN adopts a
policy of decommissioning IP space as they reclaim it to prevent
people from receiving new allocations as people begin to go IPv6-only,
otherwise we'll be stuck with two Internets for a very long time.

-- 

Ray Soucy
Communications Specialist

+1 (207) 561-3526

Communications and Network Services

University of Maine System
http://www.maine.edu/