Deploying Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) over Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) tunnel

Abstract

Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) or IP next generation is the protocol that has been designed to replace the existing Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). These two protocols are expected to coexist for a number of years during the transition period. A number of IPv4-to-IPv6 transition tools are available to address the various needs of different networks. The two most basic transition tools available are the hybrid stack mechanism and tunneling. A hybrid or dual stack host, implements both IPv4 and IPv6, usually in a single stack in which most of the code is shared by the two protocols. Tunneling is the encapsulation of IPv6 traffic within IPv4 packets so they can be sent over an IPv4 infrastructure, allowing IPv6 hosts and routers to communicate without the need to upgrade the IPv4 infrastructure that exists between them. This paper looks at how tunneling can be performed over existing internetwork infrastructure.