Presenter

Ala Hamarsheh - ETRO-VUB

Abstract

About 15 years ago it was decided to introduce a new version for the Internet network protocol IP. The new version, IPv6, was to solve a number of issues with the currently used version, IPv4. The main issues at that time were IPv4 address space exhaustion, flow labeling, and security.

But about 15 years later, the transition to IPv6 is still totally stuck. Deployment of IPv6 is (certainly in Europe and the US) almost limited to research networks and Universities. Despite efforts at the development stage of IPv6 to include mechanisms for a “smooth” transition from IPv4 to IPv6, the transition did not go as planned. Time is now running out however, as the prediction is that the IPv4 address space will run out of addresses somewhere at the beginning of this decade.

The goal of this research is to find out what exactly is holding up the transition to IPv6, and to propose and - where necessary and feasible - implement missing links. Clearly the provided technical measures for the transition did not have their effect in creating a “smooth” transition. One of the reasons identified is that these measures where only technical in nature, too abstract, only oriented towards professionals and not considering the average end-user, and did not take into account any clear “business case”.

It is characteristic for the problem that (mostly technical) people around the world are wondering and debating about “why does it not happen ” Apparently a sound analysis of the situation, taking the “real-world” conditions into account, has never been made.

This research will use a different, much more “pragmatic” approach to the problem, and consider both technical AND social-economical issues.

The solution is not likely to be one single big item, but rather a set of small rectifications, additions and suggestions to remove all the small but numerous technical and non-technical obstacles that holding the transition back.