Hi everyone!
Today I will discuss about the key features and benefits introduced by IPv6. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) also known as IP Next Generation (IPng) is the new version of the Internet communication protocol. It is developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). IPv6 was first issued and published in 1995 in the RFC 1883.
IPng was designed to be used from a local area network to the worldwide Internet to support new emerging technologies and growing networks towards a converged system of High-Speed Internet (HSI), Voice over IP (VoIP), real time IPTV, over-the-top (OTT) multimedia services and data communications i.e. Next Generation Network (NGN). The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) was established with the purpose of delivering IPv6 in order to address limitations of IPv4 by providing innovative features and a considerable improvement over the IPv4 design. These changes incorporate enormous bigger IP address space, built-in IP Security (IPSec), Quality of Service (QoS), enhance routing efficient, upgraded header, auto-setup and neighbor recognition. The following are the most significant features of IPv6 as compared to the IPv4 used is the Internet.
IPv6 Address Representation and Address Types
The hexadecimal notation is used to represent IPv6 addresses. As hexadecimal notation values show the size and format of the IPv6 address which expand addressing capability with larger numeric expression that makes it easier to use and can be well-organized. IPv6 addresses are 128-bits long. In this format, 128-bits are subdivided into eight 16-bits hex blocks and each block holds 4 digits, where blocks are bifurcated by colons. IPv6 address length is commonly followed by prefix notation and first 64-bits of each address typically consider network infrastructure segment and last 64-bits represent the interface identifier or host portion as revealed in below figure 1.
Figure 1 IPv6 address prefix notation
IPv6 gives different levels of chain of command and adaptability in outlining progressive tending to and directing inside the Internet. These sorts of progressive steering are not accessible in the IPv4-based Internet. IP version 6 (IPv6) address architecture offers wide range of address hierarchy, that provides more flexibility in designing IPv6 addressing in order to enhance interior routing efficiency within the Internet. These hierarchical-based routing techniques are not available in the previous Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4).
IPv6 supports multiple network address types which varies from transport process
The first type is unicast IP address is most commonly assigned one network interface typically a network component. The packet is routed over this single and specific individual interface. The second address type is multicast address which is also known in IPv4, multicast address identifies multiple network interfaces. Data packet will be delivered to multiple interfaces in the network. The third type is anycast address which is new type in IPv6. An anycast address also identifies a multiple network interface. However, in anycast, the packet will be transported to atleast one single group member which is closer router or host. While broadcast address no longer used in IPv6, broadcast is replaced with multicast addressing.
IPv6 Features and Benefits
Expanded Addressing Space
The most important enhancement in the IPng next generation of the Internet Protocol is massive and bigger address space of 128-bits, which is approximately 3.4 x 1038 addresses, compared to 32 bits in IPv4, as shown in figure 2 The huge IPv6 address space offers several benefits to the ISPs, including network scalability, global reachability, and flexibility. And these benefits are very helpful for ISPs to manage or deploy a wide range of existing network infrastructure along with the increasing demands of the internet access of emerging networks without disrupting operational network.
Figure 2 IPv4 compared to IPv6 address bits
Header Format Simplification
Another major improvement in IPng is divergence of packet header as existing in IPv4. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) has made a simpler packet header as compared to IPv4 by dropping some of the fields from IPv4 header that are surplus and rarely used. IPv6 adds new fields that increases network performance and provide better support for real-time multimedia traffic such as VoIP and live video streaming that has a strict delay requirement. The structure of the IPv6 header is shown in figure 3.
Figure 3 IPv6 Header diagram
Improved Support for Extensions and Options
The option fields of IPv6 are put in discrete extension headers, which is always situated in between IPv6 packet header and upper layer packet header. These extension headers are not inspected by an intermediary router, that improve performance while transport a IPv6 packet. Whereas, in IPv4 all packets are examined by router in order to deliver it final destination. IPv6 extension header bring several options such as hop-by-hop, destination, routing, fragmentation, mobility, and authentication.
Flow Labeling Capability
The IPv6 flow label option maintains the consecutive stream of the packets sent from a source to destination, IPv6 header defines flow label mechanism for better control on a particular flow of packets. For this, source tags the sequence that help router to identify the particular packet and specific flow of information. Typically, it is considered to avoid reordering of data packets to improve Quality of Service (QoS) connections, such as required in real time services, Internet TV, over-the-top (OTT), VoIP, video and other media services which are directly delivered over the internet.
Support for Mobility
IP mobile feature provides more IP user accessibility. The basic concept of mobile IPv6 is still similar as IPv4, but mobile IPv6 enhanced the most advanced features, such as, handling end-to-end connectivity, route optimization, and security. These features give more flexibility to the Service Providers (SP) toward customer requirements.
Authentication and Privacy Capabilities
Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) designed to give the authentication, privacy and encryption of IP packet on network. IPsec is optional in IPv4 protocol. Therefore, additional security approaches may be used in different security level by Service Providers (SP) such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) network layer, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) transport layer, Secure Shell (SSH) application layer, and routing security. This can create significant problems for Service Providers (SP) to tolerate security policy implementation particularly in wide distribution system. IETF improved security features of IPv6 and made IPsec as mandatory part of IPv6 which affords interoperable, high-quality and cryptographically to protect the services of IP layer.
SUMMARY
With the evolution IP based network infrastructure all over the world, Internet users has been increasing very quickly on backbone network. Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and network operators are taking necessary efforts to implement correlative technology within their existing IPv4 to improve overall network performance of IP services and better utilize the IP backbone network Infrastructure. I hope this post provides a better understanding IPv6 key features and benefits, in order to build more powerful IP based network Infrastructure of ISPs with vastly larger scale compared to the previous IPv4 addressing architecture.
References
1. Deering, S and Hinden, R.” Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification”, RFC 1883; IETF: Fremont, CA, USA, 1995. [Online] Available: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1883.txt
2. Hinden, Robert, and Stephen Deering. IP version 6 addressing architecture. No. RFC 4291, IETF. 2006. [Online]. Available: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc4291
3. Deering, Steve, and Robert Hinden. “Internet protocol, version 6 (IPv6) specification”. No. RFC 8200, IETF. July 2017. [Online]. Available: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8200
4. Deering, S.; Hinden, R. “Internet Protocol, Version 6 (IPv6) Specification”. No RFC 2460, IETF, Fremont, CA, USA, 1998. [Online]. Available: https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2460.txt
5. Albkerat, Ali, and Biju Issac. "Analysis of ipv6 transition technologies." International Journal of Computer Networks & Communications (IJCNC) Vol.6, No.5, arXiv preprint arXiv:1410.2013 (2014)
