Interim Fix Microsoft Advocates Path for IPv6 Evolution—continued

Meanwhile, Microsoft believes that the new protocol can be moved ahead through technology that allows data with IPv6 addressing to tunnel to those using IPv4 addressing.

Noting that it will take years for ISPs to replace existing network equipment to handle a switch-over to IPv6, Microsoft advocates encapsulating IPv6 packets within IPv4. The software maker believes this will facilitate incremental deployments of end systems that would in-turn, demonstrate the demand for IPv6 implementation to ISPs.

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, "to stay on the high performance path of the existing routers, IPv6-enabled Windows systems will default to tunneling over IPv4 unless the ISP provides a specific indication to do otherwise and a native IPv6 path exists end-to-end. The only requirement is that the Windows systems directly connected to an ISP receive at least one public IPv4 address. Subsequent systems in a home or business will receive IPv6 to IPv4 prefix router advertisements from the directly connected system."

Microsoft realizes that simplicity of deployment is the greatest barrier to the ubiquitous roll-out of IPv6. Besides automatic tunneling over existing IPv4 networks, Microsoft is encouraging simplicity by delivering stateless address auto configuration (including temporary addresses), and appropriate use of scoped addresses.

By throwing its considerable weight behind the deployment of IPv6, Microsoft is providing the needed push to move the protocol from just an interesting possibility to a working reality. The prediction of an IP address crisis hitting in 2003 may be a bit premature, but there is no doubt that the end of IPv4 drawing nearer every day.

—End

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