Internet Engineering Task Force                               F. Garneij
Internet-Draft                                                  Ericsson
Intended status: Informational                           August 30, 2010
Expires: March 3, 2011


                  IPv6 Deployment Related Terminology
              draft-garneij-ipv6-deployment-terminology-02

Abstract

   When discussing deployment matters related to IPv6, a first hurdle
   which is encountered is the lack of common terminology or at least
   basic terms used in various fora.  As a contribution in this area,
   this document identifies and proposes a set of terms and their
   definitions.

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on March 3, 2011.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
   2.  IPv6 Deployment Related Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     2.1.  IPv6 Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     2.2.  IPv6-only Node  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     2.3.  IPv6-only Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     2.4.  IPv6-only Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     2.5.  IP-agnostic Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
     2.6.  IPv6 Migration  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
     2.7.  IPv6 Migration Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
     2.8.  IPv6 Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
     2.9.  IPv4-IPv6 Interconnection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
     2.10. IPv4-IPv6 Interworking  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
   3.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   4.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   6.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
     6.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
     6.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   Appendix A.  A tale of two countries  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
   Author's Address  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6





























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1.  Introduction

   This document is intended to serve as a reference to IPv6 deployment
   related terminology.  It is not the purpose of this document to
   introduce any new terminology into this area but only to provide
   definition of already existing and established terminology.


2.  IPv6 Deployment Related Terminology

2.1.  IPv6 Deployment

   IPv6 Deployment is the process of introducing IPv6 capabilities
   within a network or service (e.g., DNS, VoIP) environment, be it an
   environment where IPv4 is in use and/or the two IP versions co-exist
   or in a "Greenfield" deployment with no prior IP infrastructure.
   IPv6 Deployment in co-existence with an IPv4 environment may or may
   not have the goal of completing an IPv6 migration.

   IPv6 Deployment can be discussed from a node capability perspective
   as well as from an application capability perspective.

2.2.  IPv6-only Node

   IPv6-only Node denotes an entity which embeds only IPv6 capabilities
   from an IP transfer standpoint.

2.3.  IPv6-only Network

   IPv6-only Network defines a network mode where only IPv6 transfer
   capabilities are available for the delivery of IP packets.

2.4.  IPv6-only Application

   IPv6-only Application refers to an application which is able to
   manipulate and handle IPv6 addresses (i.e., parse IPv6 addresses, use
   IPv6 addresses as a parameter when invoking internal or external
   functions, etc.).  In particular, an IPv6-only Application is not
   able to invoke IPv4-specific functions such as IPv4 name resolution.

2.5.  IP-agnostic Application

   IP-agnostic Application refers to an application or service being
   written in a way that makes it possible to operate using either IPv4
   or IPv6 networking infrastructures, thus being IP version
   independent.  However, an IP-agnostic program may change its behavior
   depending on which IP version currently being used to adapt its
   behavior to the specifics of the current IP version if needed (IP



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   version aware).

2.6.  IPv6 Migration

   IPv6 Migration is the process of switching from an IPv4-only mode to
   an IPv6-only mode in a network or a service realm.  Several
   intermediate steps can be implemented based on the local policies of
   the administrative entity which undertakes the IPv6 migration.  In
   particular:

   o  Co-existence phase: refers to the phase where both IPv4 and IPv6
      capabilities are enabled and are in use.

   o  Transition point: refers to a point in time when you turn IPv4
      off, leaving the transisioning entities IPv6-only in the IPv6
      Migration process.

2.7.  IPv6 Migration Strategy

   Refers to the process of implementing an IPv6 Migration process
   within clear milestones and objectives.

2.8.  IPv6 Transition

   IPv6 Transition defines the task of making the transition of a
   network to IPv6-only as the final stage of the IPv6 Migration
   process.  IPv6 Transition Mechanisms [RFC4213] are designed to enable
   transition and to support IPv6 hosts and routers that need to
   interoperate with IPv4 hosts and utilize IPv4 routing
   infrastructures.

2.9.  IPv4-IPv6 Interconnection

   IPv4-IPv6 Interconnection function refers to any function which is
   used to interconnect two heterogonous realms (i.e., IPv4 and IPv6).
   An interconnection function may be a translator, an encapsulator, a
   proxy, etc.

2.10.  IPv4-IPv6 Interworking

   IPv4-IPv6 Interworking denotes to the ability of establishing
   successful communications between IPv4-only and IPv6-only nodes.  The
   interworking relies on IPv4-IPv6 Interconnection function together
   with application-specific modules such as ALG (Application Level
   Gateway).






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3.  Acknowledgements

   Discussions and presentations during the 3GPP-IETF IPv6 Migration WS
   in Shanghai November 2009, especcially from Fred Baker, were
   essential to the creation of the content in this document.  The
   author would like thank Mohamed Boucadair for providing valuable
   comments and additions to this document.


4.  IANA Considerations

   This document includes no request to IANA.


5.  Security Considerations

   There are no security considerations associated to this document.


6.  References

6.1.  Normative References

   [RFC4213]  Nordmark, E. and R. Gilligan, "Basic Transition Mechanisms
              for IPv6 Hosts and Routers", RFC 4213, October 2005.

6.2.  Informative References

   [EMIGRANTS]
              Vilhelm Moberg, "The Emigrants (novels)",
              <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emigrants_(novels)>.


Appendix A.  A tale of two countries

   Freely adapted from "The Emigrants" novels series [EMIGRANTS]

   Once upon a time there where two countries, IPv4 and IPv6.  IPv4 was
   a crowded country with limited resources and a growing population
   tormented by starvation and diseases.  On a distant shore across the
   sea was a brave new land, full of promises and plenty, called IPv6.
   Spurred by the opportunities of a better life in the distant country
   families started the process of migrating from their old country IPv4
   to IPv6.  In their new homeland the people there spoke another
   language called IPv6, while the newcomers only spoke IPv4, the
   language of their old country.  Luckily many of the people that
   already lived in IPv6 also spoke IPv4, and being bi-lingual made it
   possible for them to talk to their new fellow countrymen and to



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   introduce them to the language of their new country.  Eventually the
   immigrants also became bilingual and for some their frequent use of
   their new won language they made the transition from speaking IPv4 to
   IPv6.  I was also common that the children of the immigrants only
   spoke IPv6, which was made possible because of the bi-lingual skills
   of their parents.  Some of the older people, like grandparents than
   accompanied the families, kept their old habits and language which
   they spoke among their kin and friends from the old country.  To talk
   with their grandchildren they had to rely on the bilingual parents to
   translate between children and grandparents.  Eventually the need of
   being bi-lingual became less important as time went by, and when the
   need will go away only time can tell.

   Bi-lingual read Dual-Stack

   Starvation and diseases read Address pool depletion

   Migrate - move from one country or region to another and settle there

   Transition - a change of state


Author's Address

   Fredrik Garneij
   Ericsson
   Linholmspiren 11
   Gothenburg,   417 56
   Sweden

   Phone:
   Email: fredrik.garneij@ericsson.com



















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