Publications

A report on IPv6 deployment activities and issues at Sandia National Laboratories:FY2007

Eldridge, John M.; Maestas, Joseph H.; Hu, Tan C.; Tolendino, Lawrence F.

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) has been a mainstay of the both the Internet and corporate networks for delivering network packets to the desired destination. However, rapid proliferation of network appliances, evolution of corporate networks, and the expanding Internet has begun to stress the limitations of the protocol. Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is the replacement protocol that overcomes the constraints of IPv4. As the emerging Internet network protocol, SNL needs to prepare for its eventual deployment in international, national, customer, and local networks. Additionally, the United States Office of Management and Budget has mandated that IPv6 deployment in government network backbones occurs by 2008. This paper explores the readiness of the Sandia National Laboratories network backbone to support IPv6, the issues that must be addressed before a deployment begins, and recommends the next steps to take to comply with government mandates. The paper describes a joint work effort of the Sandia National Laboratories ASC WAN project team and members of the System Analysis & Trouble Resolution, the Communication & Network Systems, and Network System Design & Implementation Departments.