Interesting People mailing list archives
IP: Stop the IPv4 World, I Wanna Get Off
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2002 18:51:51 -0500
Stop the IPv4 World, I Wanna Get Off The transition from IPv4 to IPv6 on a global scale is a colossal chore. The task is so extensive, that several major ISP vendors have asked everyone to hold their horses, at least until a smooth trail can be blazed. by Jim Thompson [April 5, 2002] <http://isp-planet.com/technology/2002/ipv6_world_waits.html> The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) wants development on new IPv6 transition tools stopped-at least for the time being. But this doesn't mean that the updated addressing protocol has been laid to rest permanently. IPv6 is still being pushed forward by developers in Asia and Europe right now. But IPv6 won't receive the same kind of love and attention from U.S. developers for another year or two. Controversy and confusion reigned late last month when the IETF pronounced at their March meeting in Minneapolis that it's time to bring some sanity to the rampant development of IPv6 transition tools. Their solution-stop all development of new tools in order to nurture the move from IPv4 to IPv6. "We did a hard reset and decided that there will be no new development until we describe a set of environments that we believe are common," said Tony Hain, co-chair of the IPv6 Transition Working Group, otherwise known as Next Generation Transition (ngtrans). "This will give us the chance to describe the particular tool set that should be used for a particular environment." Some developers see the decision as a blow against the open creativity, a direct slap in the face for progressive developers who are working on new applications and tools to smooth the transition period. Hain cautions against jumping to conclusions concerning the request to take transition tool on a brief hiatus. "The IETF is not saying that new tools aren't useful and needed, but that we don't need new things right now. We have to decide the best use for what we have now, before moving into new areas," noted Hain. Brief hiatus The call for a temporary halt in new IPv6 transition tools development is expected to take only a few months. The process involves re-evaluating where IPv6 technology is at today, determining which existing transition tools should be used tomorrow, and eventually agreeing about what needs to be done to resolve any lingering technical issues. The good news is that the protocol has reached the stage where it is stable enough for this grand transition process to even be considered. After all, a half-baked protocol transition tool would simply not stand up to the scrutiny the IETF intends to put it through. The majority of work over the next few months will focus on clarifying existing documentation and deciding on the best method to address known issues. One of these issues is determining best practices for finding domain name servers. Using auto discovery mechanisms for addressing means that Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) is not in use. <snip> ------ End of Forwarded Message For archives see: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- IP: Stop the IPv4 World, I Wanna Get Off Dave Farber (Apr 06)