Methods of Network Transition from IPv4 to IPv6

Organizations, businesses and the world at large use a certain protocol for data communication through networks. Today, most of the IPv4 addresses are already in use and organizations must move to IPv6. According to data experts, this migration does not need to be globally coordinated to be a success. The transition is a process that requires the use of experts to make it a success.

The best part is that you can get such services with ease if you hire in Active Wizards, who are well experienced in data engineering. Just to send you on the right path, we will discuss all that you need to know before making the transition.

Transition Requirements

For such a delicate process, the organization will need to make preparations. Meeting these requirements fully will help with a smooth transition within a short time to avoid paralyzing any operations. The tools needed may not be as numerous as one may think. In the dual-stack method that we will cover below, the routers and the host hardware using IPv4 will not be changed. Instead, the IPv6 host will have a right to use all the IPv4 capabilities. This minimizes the cost of the requirements.

On the same note, you will need experts to conduct the transition. Experienced data consultants and technicians are in a position to analyze the current infrastructure and advise what needs to be changed or retained.

Methods of Transition from IPv4 to IPv6

• Dual stack method – as mentioned above, this method runs the IPv6 on an IPv4 device. It is considered to be the simplest way to transition. In some cases, the devices will run well without any challenges. However, some devices will not accommodate the IPv6 capabilities, and these can now be replaced with newer devices. The money saved depends on the number of devices that can accommodate the latest version.
• Tunneling method – this method is a bit technical, but experts in data are familiar with it. The emphasis is on transparent transportation of IPv6 traffic on the IPv4 channels. Again, the process involves encapsulating the data before transportation and decapsulating it on the other end. For IPv6, you will get numerous tunneling methods certified by their manufacturers. When using reputable data experts, they will recommend what best suits your organization’s needs.

Some of the tunneling methods include IPv6 rapid deployment (6rd), manual IPv6 tunnels and generic routing encapsulation carrying IPv6 traffic in addition to other methods. Each of these methods has their capabilities. All you need is to check the one that provides more benefits to your company before implementation takes place.

• Translation – as the name suggests, the traffic in IPv4 gets translated to IPv6 and the other way around. What determines the translation is whether the destination type is IPv6 or IPv4. The network address translation protocol translation (NAT-PT) is commonly used in many organizations with great success. The other one you will come across is the NAT64, with which 1-to-N capabilities are possible, a feature not available in the NAT-PT.

Conclusion

No organization can go wrong with one of the above transition methods. The important part is to do thorough research to know the one to apply. When done well, smooth flow of data and cost saving will be the results.