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IETF Highlights Future Numbering System for the Internet - Demonstration of the IPv6-only Network
PHILADELPHIA, PA, USA, 10 March 2008 - The 71st Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting is now underway in Philadelphia, in what some are describing as a weeklong "IPv6 experience."
The IETF is the premier Internet standards development body, responsible for creating the technologies at the heart of the Internet's infrastructure, including the standards for email, chat, Internet telephony, and of course the Internet address protocols IPv4 and IPv6.
Until now, most of the Internet has been built on IPv4 addressing, but the IETF is drawing more focus on the future of the Internet numbering system, highlighting the steps necessary for successful deployment of IPv6 as the next generation of Internet addressing.
As it has done for many years, the IETF is providing both IPv4 and IPv6 network connectivity at the meeting. This week, however, the IETF is encouraging all attendees to explore and experiment with the Internet from an IPv6-only perspective.
"It's not just about making individual Internet protocols work with IPv6," says Russ Housley, Chair of the IETF, "it's about ensuring that deployed systems work and interoperate."
Even as more parts of the Internet are deploying IPv6, many engineers do not get to use a purely IPv6 network in their day-to-day work. This week's activity provides an opportunity for protocol designers working to see how much "just works".
Throughout the week, meeting attendees can choose to try an IPv6-only wireless network. Then, during the administrative plenary session, everyone will dive into IPv6 together as the regular IPv4 access will be turned off in the plenary meeting room, and attendees will only have IPv6 addresses to connect to the outside world. During this period, everyone will be encouraged to explore the Internet, including their own sites, to see what works and what doesn't.
The IETF is promoting this activity at a time when IPv6 deployment is becoming a matter of global importance. IPv6 was designed to provide a much larger number of addresses than IPv4. As the Internet grows, this larger address space is needed in order to ensure continued global addressability of the entire network.
"With IPv6 deployment becoming more important, it is good to see the Internet technical community stepping up to explore the current reality and determine what further work is needed," said Leslie Daigle, Chief Internet Technology Officer for the Internet Society.
By the end of this meeting, the expectation is that the Internet engineering community will have a wider understanding of remaining IETF work items needed to support ongoing IPv6 deployment in the global Internet.
The Comcast Corporation provided the facilities to conduct the live test of IPv6 and was the host sponsor of IETF-71 in Philadelphia.
For more information on IPv6, including an FAQ on IPv6 deployment issues, see the ISOC web site.
About the IETF
The IETF is a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers concerned with the evolution of the Internet architecture and the smooth operation of the Internet.
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC, and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of people throughout the world.
For further details
Mark Thalhimer
Director of Communications and Public Relations, Internet Society
E-mail: thalhimer@isoc.org
Telephone: +1 703 326 9880 x130
1775 Wiehle Avenue
Reston, VA 20190-5108
USA
