The Internet Protocol (IP) is a computer communication protocol that allows users to upload files, send email, and download Web pages over the Internet. Using this protocol, each device or service that is connected to the Internet has to have a unique IP address. In IPv4, only 32 bits are used for this address, which means that only 4.3 billion unique addresses can be created. However, with the exponential growth of the Internet, these IP addresses are being consumed rapidly. On 3 February 2011, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority allocated the last IP address blocks from the global IPv4 central address pool.
IPv6 is the long-term solution to the issue of IPv4 exhaustion. With its 128-bit addressing capability, it will be able to offer a theoretical maximum of about 340 trillion, trillion, trillion addresses. While IPv4 will continue to work, there will be a growing number of web sites that will only work on IPv6 after Internet Service Providers (ISPs) run out of IPv4 addresses. If our infocomm systems are not IPv6-ready, we will not be able to access these web sites.
Consumers depend on their Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for their connectivity into Internet, thereby allowing them to reach Internet content and services. Currently, majority of consumers are using IPv4-based technologies.
With rapid Internet growth and the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, there is an inevitable adoption of IPv6 and there will be new content and services delivered via IPv6 channels from both local and non-local companies.
As IPv4 and IPv6 are not directly compatible, some form of transition mechanisms need to be implemented to allow interoperability. Otherwise, IPv4-only consumers may not be able to access new IPv6 services or sites. Key stakeholders such as ISPs are well aware of such IPv6 transition issues.
In Singapore, the Next Gen NBN will be IPv6 ready. Major local telcos are also well underway in preparing for this transition. Generally, the IPv6 transition is expected to be gradual over several years. Consumers are likely to continue to use their devices, personal computers, printers, routers etc for a relatively long period of time. They should be prudent and check with vendors that products and services are both IPv4 and IPv6 compliant when they purchase or upgrade their equipment so as to maximise the useful lifespan of the assets during the transition period to IPv6.
IPv6 is already enabled in most computers and operating systems including Windows, Linux and the Mac OS. To allow your computers to make use of IPv6, you just need to make sure that your home Internet router is IPv6-ready.
Since 1998, most vendors have started building in IPv6 capability into their products. IDA has observed that widely-used infocomm products such as operating systems and mobile phones from major vendors are already IPv6 ready.
In general, both industry players and enterprises should plan thoroughly, buy correctly and transition appropriately. Should they not pay attention to ensuring IPv6 capabilities, their business growth may be affected as the pool of IPv4 addresses allocated to ISPs reduces over time. This may affect their ability to serve their customers in terms of access to new IPv6 websites. Operating in IPv4 environment may also become increasingly costly as they will compete for scarce IPv4 resources.
Companies should note that there is no one-size-fit-all implementation plan, as it is dependent on unique conditions of organisations and their preferred technical transition solution.
The transition is about moving to a new network architecture to support the accelerating growth of the Internet. It also means removing the limitations built into the Internet due to its initial design made 30 years ago and subsequent attempts to extend the same design, such as breaking of end-to-end connectivity by introducing network address translation.
The various stakeholders in the Internet ecosystem fully recognise the need for gradual transition to IPv6 without discarding the current IPv4. It is generally accepted by the industry that IPv4 and IPv6 will co-exist for a relatively long period of time, as it could be several years before the gradual transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is complete.
The adoption of IPv6 will not only enable more users to go onto the Internet, it will also pave the way for the introduction of a whole new range of innovative Internet-enabled services. For example, smart monitoring devices such as those used in metering systems and intelligent buildings will allow readings to be tracked in real time over the Internet.
IPv6 also enables services such as peer-to-peer applications, multicasting and mobile roaming to be delivered more efficiently. Peer-to-peer applications work best with true end-to-end connectivity which is possible only when sufficient Internet addresses are available. IPv6 also provides in-built support for multicasting, in which data such as video or audio can be delivered to different destinations simultaneously. With IPv4, muilticast is optional and slows down performance when deployed. As for mobile roaming, which allows mobile device users to move from one network to another without changing their IP address, each device will require two IP addresses. IPv6, with its larger address space, is thus more suitable for this. Other services which will benefit from enhanced quality of service with IPv6 include video/audio, interactive games and ecommerce.
Existing devices and networks connected to the Internet through IPv4 addresses will continue to work as they do now. In fact, IPv4-based networks are expected to co-exist with IPv6-based networks for quite a while.
With the upcoming depletion of IPv4 addresses, the Internet community will move towards adopting IPv6 technologies, while IPv4 will continue to co-exist along with IPv6 for some time. Given the interdependency of the stakeholders in the Internet community who will experience varying degrees of impact, the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is expected to be a gradual and collaborative effort.
IDA formed an IPv6 Task Force in 2006 to assist Singapore's transition from IPv4 environment to an IPv4/IPv6 environment seamlessly, and to engage key stakeholders such as the Internet Service Providers (ISPs), hardware and software vendors, businesses and institutes of higher learning etc in this process.
The Task Force has been holding industry briefings since 2009 on IPv6, to sensitise these stakeholders to the need to monitor their utilisation of existing IPv4 addresses, as well as to encourage their active planning and adoption of IPv6 technologies. The Task Force also collaborated with Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) to bring technical training to local engineers and technical staff of industry players and enterprises. This will help minimise the impact of IPv4 address exhaustion on the growth of new Internet businesses. Work has been underway in getting Singapore's key infrastructure networks like the Next Gen Nationwide Broadband Network and other government systems to be IPv6 ready. The National IT Competency Framework was also updated to include IPv6 skills so as to guide the overall skills development for IPv6 technologies in Singapore. IDA is also working closely with the ISPs to ensure active management of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and to ensure that ISPs are prepared to offer IPv6 services. The Task Force also works closely with the major local telcos in monitoring the availability of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses for Singapore businesses.
IDA also formed an industry working group to develop and standardise a common terms of reference for IPv6 here. The Singapore IPv6 Profile which was developed with the industry's comments and which aims to define such a 'working language' for IPv6 is now ready and can be found at /doc/Policies%20and%20Regulation/Policies_and_Regulation _Level2/20060424161505/IDARSIPv6.pdf
Through the Task Force, IDA will continue to work closely with the industry to continually keep ISPs and other stakeholders informed and prepared for IPv6. In addition, IDA is monitoring market developments and will assess if further measures are needed to aid the transition.
Singapore-based Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who obtain IP addresses from the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) have to compete with heavy demand from countries like China and India for IP addresses. Taking into account the reserve IP addresses held by local ISPs, the direct impact of IPv4 exhaustion is expected to be felt within the next decade.
Singapore is a progressive and leading economy in the region, and the danger of a non-IPv6 infrastructure means that economic growth will be stalled as a result of the inability to grow the Internet economy and to participate in new growth opportunities that require IPv6-ready infrastructure.
Under the IPv6 Transition Programme, many activities have been organised to accelerate preparation and readiness for IPv6. For example, executive briefings and conferences have been held to educate the industry on IPv6 as well as to garner support for migration.
IDA has also published the Singapore IPv6 Profile , which specifies a common working language to help organisations understand IPv6 terminology and the baseline requirements for IPv6-ready products and services. To formulate relevant programmes to meet industry needs, an in-depth study has been conducted into IPv6 readiness in Singapore to give IDA a thorough understanding of the IPv6 issues faced by the industry. An adoption guide has also been published to help stakeholders in the transition to IPv6.
IPv4 exhaustion is a global phenomenon and governments worldwide recognise the longer-term economic benefits of IPv6 deployment. As a result, many countries have taken positions on IPv6 transition through Government-led initiatives to catalyse the movement of IPv6 migration. The following are some examples:
With the imminent exhaustion of IPv4 addresses and the exponential growth in the number of connected users and devices, the Internet infrastructure will have to transition to IPv6 to ensure its continued growth and enable the deployment of new services. Professionals in the Infocomm industry will therefore have to upgrade their skills to include IPv6 competencies that are necessary to help businesses make the transition and to capitalise on the new opportunities presented by IPv6. As IPv6-enabled Internet hits critical mass, many organisations will demand Infocomm personnel or consultants who have the relevant certification and experience to implement a variety of IPv6 systems and projects.
To implement IPv6, you will need to understand how IPv6 operates at different levels such as networking, routing, security, programming, etc. IPv6-specific skills include understanding the IPv6 protocol details, address allocation strategy, network architecture, security, transition planning, inter-operability technologies, and knowledge of various platforms (for example, Cisco, Juniper, Windows, Linux) from an IPv6 perspective.
To guide the organisation in its transition to IPv6, you will also need to, for example, understand updates to IPv4 routing protocols that are needed to support IPv6 topologies and be able to identify and implement the appropriate transition mechanisms such as Tunnelling, Dual Stack, Translation, etc for different scenarios.
Many businesses make use of the Internet today for critical operations ranging from communications to online transactions and the delivery of Internet-enabled services.
Given the pervasiveness of Internet usage, there are compelling business reasons for migrating to IPv6. With the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses and as IPv6 adoption gains traction, your business will soon have to cater for partners and customers with IPv4 or IPv6 public addresses.
The depletion of IPv4 addresses is inevitable. When that happens, you will have to make use of IPv6 when looking to expand your operations, or to introduce new Internet-enabled services. In fact, in many emerging business markets and developing countries, a growing proportion of users will be using IPv6-only systems. To capitalise on the business opportunities that this presents, it is important that your business is IPv6-ready.
Starting early will allow the businesses to phase in IPv6 gradually instead of doing a costly overhaul when the critical IPv4 depletion occurs.
Organisations should overcome the "wait and see" strategy and start planning ahead for the inevitable. Government agencies across the world are fostering the development of IPv6 by actively engaging all the stakeholders. It is time now to act and be the first to reap the benefits. Hence, the strategy for the businesses should be to become a pioneer by planning ahead and be the first-to-market by implementing this imminent technology.
Some small to medium sized businesses may find that they're already running IPv6, at least partially. Many recent operating systems and applications will enable and use IPv6 on the network interfaces.
For a simple office network, an IPv6 upgrade may be a simple matter of upgrading your firewall or router. If you have multiple offices, and if a firewall sits between the offices or between home workers and the office, you will need to configure the firewall to take into account the IPv6 addresses that are being used.
If you are using an IT service provider, find out if they are IPv6-ready. For example, if you have a web site, check with the web hosting company to find out if the site is already working using IPv6.
There will be some costs associated with IPv6 transition. However, many vendors have already been building IPv6 support into their hardware for some time, while current versions of many software products also support IPv6. With proper planning, IPv6 readiness can be factored into ongoing technology refresh cycles. By doing this, the cost impact can be significantly mitigated.
While the core IPv6 specifications are increasingly being incorporated as a standard part of products and service offerings, there are still significant disparities in the level of actual IPv6 readiness, especially in lower-end equipment. Similarly, while many applications and operating systems have been updated for IPv6, not all are fully IPv6-ready.
To help businesses in procuring IPv6-ready products and services, the Singapore IPv6 Task Force has released the Singapore IPv6 Profile which defines a common "working language" to help businesses understand the requirements that Infocomm products and services have to meet in order to be fully IPv6-ready. The requirements listed in the profile can be used in your specifications for new Infocomm procurements.
The Singapore IPv6 Profile can also be used as a checklist for auditing your existing network and Infocomm systems for IPv6 readiness.
Given the vital role that the Internet plays in communications and the delivery of services in today's business environment, the imminent exhaustion of IPv4 addresses impacts everyone and everything connected to it, including your organisation.
Your organisation will need to support new services and devices as you grow. As the remaining IPv4 pool becomes depleted, your existing address allocations may be insufficient to support the increase in the number of connected devices per person. IPv6 will help resolve this with its very large addressing capabilities.
IPv6 is also important in ensuring that your services remain accessible to the rest of the Internet and that your organisation is able to capitalise on new business opportunities. This applies especially to emerging markets where the proportion of IPv6-only systems is expected to grow. Connectivity with such sites (and customers) will require IPv6.
NAT can only provide a stop-gap measure as the number of IP addresses needed by an organisation grows and more innovative services are delivered over the Internet. With NAT, users share their IP address with many users. This results in reduced performance and capabilities for end users. For example, the incoming connections may not be able to provide seamless support for peer-to-peer applications like Voice over IP. At the same time, the use of NAT involves higher costs and management complexity compared with IPv6.
IPv4 systems can continue to co-exist with IPv6 as long as there are no performance issues with IPv4 and it is cost effective to retain the older networks. For example, back-end infrastructure which users do not interact with directly with can continue to be based entirely on IPv4. It may also not be possible or cost effective to upgrade certain legacy systems to IPv6. However, the public-facing part of the enterprise infrastructure should be IPv6-ready to ensure uninterrupted access by customers and business partners.
Organisations should start planning their IPv6 transition strategy immediately, if they have not already done so. Starting sooner will enable you to factor IPv6 readiness into your procurement plans for regular ICT refresh cycles, thus avoiding the costs involved in a complete IPv6 overhaul. Transition mechanisms can be implemented as an interim measure to enable the newer IPv6 equipment to be used in tandem with existing IPv4 equipment.
Starting early will also allow you time to capitalise on this opportunity to redesign your addressing plan and take advantage of the greater flexibility of IPv6 to assign subscriber address blocks more optimally. For example, by eliminating the need for NAT and its associated overheads and limitations, IPv6 transition presents an opportunity for businesses to make more efficient use of the Internet.
To devise an appropriate transition strategy, you will have to take into account your existing network inventory and the business requirements of your organisation before working out the implementation details. Some recommended steps to take are:
There will be some costs associated with IPv6 transition, for example operational costs, training costs and one-time administrative costs to add IPv6 to management databases and documentation. Organisations with in-house customised software will also have to upgrade these to IPv6 and also incur an additional cost for the IPv6 configuration tests.
In terms of capital expenditure, however, many vendors have been building IPv6 support into their hardware for some time, while current versions of many software products also support IPv6. This allows organisations to deploy IPv6 as part of their routine technology upgrades.
Therefore, with proper planning to capitalise on technology refresh cycles, the cost impact of IPv6 transition can be significantly mitigated.
The IPv6 Task Force has released the Singapore IPv6 Profile in collaboration with industry partners to facilitate stakeholders in the procurement of IPv6-ready products and services. The profile defines a common "working language" to help organisations understand the requirements that are needed from their hardware and software infrastructure in order to meet IPv6 baselines and activities. You can refer to the requirements listed in the profile when developing your procurement tender specifications for new infrastructure.
The adoption of IPv6 across the Infocomm ecosystem is a function of a complex set of interactions and dependencies between the different stakeholders such as hardware and software vendors, service providers, Internet service providers and network providers. Hardware and software vendors, for example, are key enablers of IPv6 adoption because without suitable products from these stakeholders, the rest of the ecosystem will be unable to progress. All major industry players, therefore, need to act to ensure that their products and services are ready for the transition. For example, operating system vendors need to implement specific software updates, hardware vendors may need to update their firmware and service providers such as web companies will need to be able to offer their sites and applications over IPv6.
For Infocomm vendors, the main driver for IPv6 readiness is to prepare themselves to meet future demand and to capitalise on new business opportunities. As the remaining IPv4 pool becomes depleted, there will be a growing demand for IPv6-only systems and solutions, especially in developing markets. The growth of popular peer-to-peer services such as Voice over IP that work best with end-to-end IP connectivity and the emergence of new technology paradigms such as smart metering and intelligent buildings will also drive the demand for products that are IPv6-ready as IPv4 addresses run out.
The IPv6 Task Force has released the Singapore IPv6 Profile in collaboration with industry partners to facilitate stakeholders in the procurement of IPv6-ready products and services. The profile defines a common "working language" to help organisations understand the requirements that are needed from their hardware and software infrastructure in order to meet IPv6 baselines and activities. These requirements are based in the Internet Engineering Task Force's Request for Comments (IETF RFC). As a vendor, you may want to pay attention to the mandatory requirements listed under the different IPv6 functional categories in the profile and interpret these as the minimal feature set required for your products or solutions.
Internationally, the United States Government IPv6 Profile and the IPv6-ready logo certification are programmes that certify a level of IPv6 conformance for both hardware and software products.
You should plan for IPv6 as you would for any major service upgrade. To devise an appropriate transition strategy, you will have to take into account your existing network inventory, the level of IPv6 technical knowledge within your staff and make plans to develop capabilities to support IPv6 implementation.
Design a transition solution based on your current and future business requirements. For example, identify the segments of your business that stand to lose most from NOT being IPv6 compatible and make those a priority for IPv6 transition. For example, end-user facing infrastructure such as web servers may have to IPv6-ready immediately before internal networks are converted. Transition mechanisms may also have to be implemented for legacy systems if it is not feasible or cost effective to migrate them to IPv6.
For Infocomm procurements, you can refer to the Singapore IPv6 Profile for guidance on IPv6 readiness requirements that you should be looking out for, and factor IPv6 readiness into your regular technology upgrade cycles.
Finally, develop the full implementation details of your transition plan and track critical junctures of the migration process till completion.
From the ISPs' perspective, IPv6 readiness will help ensure continued growth for the business in the face of IPv4 address depletion and enable them to position their business to address new emerging opportunities. With the potentially unlimited pool of IP addresses available with IPv6, ISPs will be able to continue expand their customer base and introduce new services. Examples of services that will drive demand for IPv6 connectivity include peer-to-peer services such as Voice over IP and new technology paradigms such as smart metering and intelligent buildings.
IPv4 systems can continue to co-exist with IPv6 if it is not possible or cost effective to upgrade certain legacy systems to IPv6. However, the public-facing part of your infrastructure should be IPv6-ready to ensure uninterrupted access by customers and business partners.
For long term, however, it is advisable to upgrade the legacy system to support IPv6 due to economies of scale and maturity of IPv6 products, and the phasing out of availability of IPv4 products in the future.
For Internet service providers, the process of adopting IPv6 will be a phased approach spread across one to three years, depending on the complexity and IPv6 readiness of the current network and systems. The four main phases of IPv6 adoption are:
However, the key role of ISPs in the IPv6 deployment sequence, and the increased urgency arising from the final depletion of new IPv4 address blocks, means there is no longer time for ISPs to follow the suggested phased approach if they have yet to start, or are behind with, their preparations. ISPs in this position must therefore accelerate their progress in preparing for IPv6 by immediately undertaking the following actions:
