Are Enterprises IPv6 Ready?

The exhaustion of the IPv4 addresses, which has been predicted since 2003, has now become a reality. IPv4 pools are rapidly diminishing - the global pool managed by IANA was exhausted in February 2011, and the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are also running out one after the other.
IPv6 has long been positioned as a solution to tide over this problem. However, its incompatibility with IPv4 is the deterrent.. IPv6, a protocol that has been patiently waiting in the sidelines until the IPv4 allocation was deplete, holds potential to provide a hugely widened address space. It will allow the Internet to grow too many billions of times its current size - a tempting proposition in today’s technology driven world.

The impact of this transition will first be felt by the Broadband and wireless ISPs. Given the sheer number, and projected growth rate of subscribers, a high number of IPv6 addresses will be needed per quarter to continue business as usual. While a secondary market for IPv4 addresses, where companies sell their unused IP addresses, is likely, it is doubtful it will be enough to provide long-term relief for IPv4 exhaustion.

IPv6 adoption in the enterprise is slow as there is less obvious pressure to migrate immediately. It does depend on the type of enterprise though. This is because unlike service providers, enterprises use very limited number of internet facing servers and applications. Rest of the entire Intranet traffic is within the enterprise network and is originated and terminated within enterprise networks. Hence, overall scope could change with different enterprises. Every organisation, however, will ultimately need to consider the implications of transitioning to IPv6.

With a huge number of smartphones and tablets accessing the enterprise application over the internet, service providers will start assigning the IPv6 address to the smartphones in the future. Additionally, the public servers and applications will be dual stack enabled and there will be IPv6 traffic trying to access the enterprise web sites or trying to send emails. While such IPv6 traffic is very low currently, it is likely to grow exponentially in the next two years. Also, most operating systems like Windows and Linux already support IPv6. It is predicted that within the next decade, ‘Everything’ will be interconnected and this is possible only with IPv6. A clear market space for IPv6 has been the Federal and Defence space which has had mandates for IPv6 ready equipment and migration.

In my perspective, I would argue that enterprises must anyway start to include a solid migration strategy in their current mid-term plan as a delay will only increase the business risks in the long term. While there is no urgency, there are also a number of specific additional benefits that IPv6 can bring to an enterprise. These include improved security, simplified administration, enhanced productivity and business continuity and better mobility and flexibility.

The pull to IPv6 will vary according to the type of business undertaken by the enterprise and the current implementation of network and IT components.

IPv6 Restraints

• Most enterprises are seeking to maximize the business life of IT resources – ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it’

• Most places that enterprises want to visit or interact with will use IPv4 for a long time yet

• Lack of proven stability in IPv6 configurations and systems performance

• Lack of internal experience, resources for deployment

**IPv6 Drivers
**

• Simplified administration, lower support costs in the long term

• Business opportunities with consumers who have IPv6 endpoints, especially mobiles and consumer electronics

Enterprises may be obliged toward IPv6 for business continuity, but there will be a significant upside from the new technology. Many new ways of doing business can be created, and there will be potential for enhanced operations. Industries such as automotive (automobiles and trucks have relied on increasingly numerous intelligent systems and more sophisticated in-vehicle computers), factory automation (exploitation of IPv6 technologies should be planned at the outset of any major upgrade or implementation in a factory or production line environment), BFSI and service provider will be able to save costs and have revenue generation opportunities.

IPv6 also has a critical role to play in the deployment of next-generation networks in enterprises, by delivering significant advantages in performance, security, and features. The challenge lies in implementing IPv6 networking and security devices that are ready to be deployed in operational environments. The security platforms should deliver secure, production-ready IPv6 networking from firewalls to IDP to routers. It should provide a rich offering of high-performance IPv6/IPv4 dual protocols and transition mechanisms that have been proven in the world’s most demanding networks.

_The author is Vice President, Service Provider of Juniper Networks India and SAARC.
_