OMB: IPv6 by June 2008

Sun Jul 3 19:00:57 UTC 2005

On Jul 3, 2005, at 10:16 AM, Peter Dambier wrote:
> The good thing with IPv6 is autoconfiguration. There is no need to  
> renumber.

I wasn't aware IPv6 auto-configuration:
- updated AAAAs and PTRs for all possible entries DNS associated with  
the old address, including the glue records maintained by other folks.
- updated filters, firewalls, and security credentials bound to the  
old address.
- updated router configurations, network management, and monitoring  
systems.
- updated node locked software licenses (should they exist).
- updated configuration files that include IP addresses.
- provided a mechanism to transfer long running TCP sessions to the  
new address.
etc.

Of course, if you talk to many large enterprise IT folks about IPv6  
stateless auto-configuration, they look at you in horror and ask "why  
in the world would I want to let simply anyone attach to my network  
and get a valid address?!?".

Auto-configuration (stateless or statefull) helps in renumbering.  It  
doesn't remove the requirement however.  And since there will be the  
requirement, someone will address it in the obvious (if arguably  
stupid) way: NATv6.

> I have given up writing a new peace of software every now and then to
> fix a new protocol broken on my NAT-router.

I'm well aware of the many problems NAT creates, particularly when  
folks come up with protocols that (perhaps even purposefully) don't  
recognize the simple fact that NAT exists.  However, pretending that  
IPv6 is a panacea is silly.  IPv6 dealt with the address space  
limitations found in IPv4 (although there are those who believe the  
way IPv6 is being allocated results in the IPv6 truck trying to drive  
into the IPv4 swamp yelling "me too! me too!" (paraphrasing and with  
apologies to Dave Clark)).  IPv6 didn't deal with routing scalability  
or insuring packets are coming from and/or going to where they  
should.  However, I'm sure something will be hacked together if IPv6  
takes off.  Necessity is a mother and all that...

Rgds,
-drc