Building an IPv6 Test Network

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Building an IPv6 Test Network
Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Topics

• Purpose/Goals
• Constraints
• Design
• Resources
• Current IPv6 network
• Addresses
• Issues
• Looking Forward

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Purpose/Goals

• Gain experience for our engineers in v6 concepts
  and network configurations.
• Create a semi-production network to test new v6
  capable hardware/software.
• Preempt customer demand
• Get on fast track for deployment, hopefully to
  be able to use v6 service as a competitive edge.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
4
Constraints

• Not a product, so how do we do anything?
• Without an official project, it is hard to get
  any money for what is seen as an engineering pet
  project
• First customers will be beta/non-paying, so
  intitially none of this will generate any
  revenue.
• Time spent by engineers is mostly in between all
  the official projects assigned.
• Make sure service is not sold before there is
  a support structure in place, both in engineering
  and operations.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
5
Design

• Deployment
• Get a router in as many POPs as possible.
• Wide Area Connections
• Use native links where possible, tunnel
  otherwise.
• Customer connectivity
• Existing v4 customers could tunnel to the
  nearest v6 enabled router.
• Connectivity with current v4 network
• Use whatever we can. Currently this means
  either FastE or POS OC3.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Resources

• Routers
• Customer access Cisco 7507s are being
  decomissioned. Keep one in each site as initial
  v6 router.
• Same situation will soon occur with many Cisco
  12008 routers. These will replace 7507 where
  available.
• WAN
• The three OC3s of Qwests initial buildout from
  two years ago were decomissioned a while ago, but
  never turned off. These form the core of the
  initial v6 buildout.
• Servers
• We scrounged up a number of Intel boxes that
  could run Linux/FreeBSD and a couple Sun boxes
  for Solaris.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Current IPv6 Network
Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Addresses

• Started with pNLA assigned by Abilene, who
  provides our 6bone connectivity.
• Applied for production sTLA with ARIN, which was
  just approved a couple days ago. We are now just
  waiting for our check to clear to receive the
  allocation.
• Address architecture
• We are still trying to learn the best way to
  allocate addresses for our own internal network.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Router Issues

• Software
• Lack of v6 code
• Not all backbone router vendors have IPv6 code,
  limiting choices.
• Even those with code are still missing features,
  such as IGPs other than RIP.
• Router is IPv6 ready, but software is not.
• Claims that there is not enough customer demand
  to make IPv6 a priority.
• Code that is currently available is not
  necessarily as fast or as stable as current v4
  code.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net
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Looking Forward

• Increase Network Size
• Get a v6 router per POP, add more native
  circuits.
• Migrate to production
• Start adding beta customers and peers to get
  experience running a v6 network.
• Eventually create a product.
• Integrate with production v4 network
• Stable code required, along with high performance
  code.
• Work with multiple vendors to ensure
  interoperability.
• One network for both v4 and v6 is the goal.

Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer_at_qwest.net