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IPv6 and CANARIE
CANARIE is leading the way in helping their users adopt the next-generation Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) and raise awareness of the need for organizations to transition to IPv6. In fact, CANARIE has been using IPv6 since 2000. In 2010, CANARIE launched a funding program to help partner organizations across the country develop their IPv6 capability.
Today, CANARIE and the twelve Optical Regional Advanced Networks in Canada are IPv6 enabled.
What is IPv6?
IPv6 is a version of the Internet Protocol (IP) intended to succeed IPv4, which is the protocol currently used to direct almost all Internet traffic.
Addresses in the Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), which connect computers and other devices to the Internet, are widely expected to run out by 2012. Some regions have already depleted all of their available IPv4 addresses.
This is comparable to how some large cities have run out of telephone numbers and have had to introduce additional area codes. IPv6 addresses this issue, which is growing in part due to the proliferation of “connected” devices – cell phones, cars, appliances, watches, even refrigerators – each of which requires a unique IP address. IPv6 provides greater IP addressing capacity – more than 4 billion times more addresses than IPv4 – and it enhances security.
The R&E Community Needs IPv6
Without IPv6 functionality, Canadian researchers involved in international research collaboration projects will find themselves unable to access data or collaborate with their peers around the world who are IPv6-enabled. This is particularly true with leading IPv6-enabled countries like China and South Korea. The issue will become increasingly urgent in the next year, as more and more websites and online resources and applications are only available in the IPv6 space.
Therefore, it is essential that Canada’s research and education institutions migrate to IPv6, so that participation in international research collaborations is not interrupted.
Find out more at the World IPv6 Launch website.
- Check out CANARIE's real-time IPv6 "weathermap."
- CANARIE's IPv6 Allocation and Assignment Policy and IPv6 Allocation Plan and Assignments
Free Training for Technicians
in Canada’s R&E Community
For technicians whose institutions are connected to the CANARIE network, ten training modules are now available to download from CANARIE’s twiki.
Topics
- key IPv6 concepts, only the relevant for regional networks operational purposes
- how to get address space and create an address plan
- how to configure, activate and troubleshoot IPv6 in the core and access networks
- how to configure, activate and troubleshoot IPv6 services such as DNS, email, web and related servers
- how to configure, activate and troubleshoot IPv6 in peering and transit.
- key security considerations
- how to troubleshoot IPv6
- key references for additional reading
Access is easy!
To access the training sessions, go to twiki.canarie.ca/twiki/bin/view/TWiki/TWikiRegistration and complete the registration form. Please specify IPv6 Training in the “comments” section. CANARIE’s TwikiMaster will authenticate your request prior to granting you access.
