U.S. federal government agencies are required to integrate IPv6 into their network infrastructures, but the mandate does not define the required steps. The way an agency plans and executes the IPv6 integration will have long-lasting ramifications on agency operations, IT, and mission effectiveness. Important questions include:
Should we attempt to fully transition to IPv6 all at once, or is it preferable to integrate it in phases?
Given that not all applications will be ready for IPv6 at the same time, what is the best approach when applications need to coexist on IPv4 and IPv6?
How can we take advantage of new IPv6 features, such as peer-to-peer communications and autoconfiguration, and reduce management requirements?
How can we ensure security for both IPv4 and IPv6 during the transition?
The way that agencies answer these questions affects the speed and ease of the IPv6 integration and how soon they can realize its business benefits.
It is a myth that organizations must transition to IPv6 all at once. Rather, by integrating IPv6 in phases, IT staff members can learn what they need to know to help their agencies begin experiencing the benefits of IPv6 while the integration is underway. Following are the main phases required to validate and move IPv6 to full production:
Test the IPv6 integration in network infrastructure and applications in a lab environment
Conduct a pilot production deployment for one or more campus LAN segments, or the WAN, as appropriate for the business mission
Expand the geographic reach of IPv6 by deploying it more broadly in the LAN/WAN environment and using it for Internet connectivity
Adopt new applications, such as peer-to-peer communications and autodiscovery, that can enhance government applications and services. This phase is when agencies actually experience the benefits of IPv6. Integrating IPv6 into the network infrastructure is simply a prerequisite.
This paper provides guidelines for IPv6 integration in federal government. It outlines the actions that agency IT groups need to take during each phase of the integration. Sources for more detailed information on each phase are listed at the end of the paper.
