Ironically, the title of this presentation is the same as that of an article published in Japan in 1996. Yet, since that time we have barely stepped into the IPv6 frontier. Internet Protocol, version 6, or IPv6 for short, has been “3 years away” since the early 1990s. It has received much interest in the academic and research communities and there are several experimental networks. But, there has been no “killer application”, as they used to say when IPv6 was first conceived, so IPv6 has not taken off commercially. But recent trends indicate it actually may take off, and soon.

Fears of IPv4 address space running out have been the primary reason that IPv6 has endured as a viable technology for over a decade despite nearly no acceptance in commercial networks. With “only” 4-billion addresses, the rapidly-growing Internet-based economy needs far more breathing room than IPv4 offers. The U.S. DoD, for example, envisions the deployment of address space thousands of times larger than the present-day Internet on each individual soldier. Those outside the U.S. are motivated to move to IPv6, partly because emerging technological powers like China have little legacy to preserve and strong government-mandated direction to implement leading-edge technologies.

IPv6 shouldn’t be expected to be a final frontier by anyone aware of the history of technology. But, IP networks are entering a brave new world with the maturing of this latest version of the protocol. Fortunately, IPv6 as a commercial reality is still far enough out that most businesses have plenty of time to plan and execute an orderly adoption. In addition to the history of IPv6, this presentation discusses real world pilot examples and gives tips on how to plan pilots and overall IPv6 adoption for your organization.

At the end of the session, participants will:

• Understand the evolution, current status, and future direction of IPv6 deployment
• Understand the drivers that have hindered IPv6 deployment and are now accelerating it
• Learn what you can do to assess the immediate and long-term impact of IPv6 on your organization
• Learn where to start experimenting with IPv6 equipment, software, and the existing international infrastructure
  
• Learn what to do to be ready for IPv6 migration before it becomes an urgent need to do so

Speaker Bio:

Karl Siil is a Senior Research Engineer and Program Manager on SRI International’s C4ISR team. He is responsible for the Information Assurance practice of the Engineering and Systems Division. Karl has over 25 years of experience in Information Technology and is a subject matter expert in network management, software development, and computer and network security. He recently published a book on managing change in enterprise networks, focusing on the Federal IPv6 transition.

Before joining SRI, Karl was a founding member and Chief Architect for Lumeta Corporation. Karl created and managed the company’s Professional Services Organization, architected and developed Lumeta’s flagship IPsonar product, and established the IPv6 Internet Mapping Project to track IPv6 adoption worldwide. Prior to Lumeta, Karl spent over a decade working for Bell Laboratories (now AT&T Laboratories) developing secure operating systems, consumer services, and next-generation networking platforms. Karl holds a BE in electrical engineering from The Cooper Union and an ME in electrical engineering from Manhattan College. He currently lives in Princeton, NJ with his family. Karl enjoys flying and holds a commercial pilot’s license with instrument, multi-engine, and seaplane ratings.

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