Building an IPv6 Test Network

1. Building an IPv6 Test Network Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer@qwest.net

2. Topics • Purpose/Goals • Constraints • Design • Resources • Current IPv6 network • Addresses • Issues • Looking Forward Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer@qwest.net

3. 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@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@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@qwest.net

6. 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 Qwest’s 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@qwest.net

7. Current IPv6 Network Sean Mentzer IP Architecture smentzer@qwest.net

8. 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@qwest.net

9. 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@qwest.net

10. 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@qwest.net