Did you notice any problems accessing your favorite websites last Wednesday? On Wednesday, June 8, the Internet Society coordinated World IPv6 Day, a 24-hour IPv6 "test flight." For most Internet users, June 8 was no different than any other day. There was no ticker on news programs or front page headlines stating that the Internet had melted down. In fact, there were no major issues encountered on World IPv6 Day at all, which is good news for the future of IPv6 technology.
A lot of hard work went into making sure that the Internet didn't collapse on June 8. Website and content providers have been working on addressing IPv6 deployment issues since the initiative was announced back in January. Equipment manufacturers strived to show their support for IPv6 by participating in programs offered by the UNH-IOL, such as the IPv6 Ready Logo Program and the USGv6 Test Program. In addition, some took the steps necessary to have their products included in the UNH-IOL's CE Router Tested List, which identifies vendors that tested their devices during the UNH-IOL IPv6 CE Test Event, as well vendors that passed 100 percent of the IPv6 Ready Logo CPE Router Interoperability Test Scenario at the UNH-IOL. ISPs also worked diligently to make sure that their networks could properly handle IPv6 traffic.
Even with all of the preparations, minor issues, like IPv6 MTU black holes, were discovered during the test flight. The identification of such issues highlights the importance of testing IPv6 deployments before they become necessary. Early IPv6 interoperability testing ensures that problems can be discovered and resolved ahead of time. The take away from World IPv6 Day is that, given the relatively small amount of issues encountered, the initiative was a success and the widespread industry support demonstrated on June 8 was a huge milestone for the advancement of the next generation of IP.
Timothy Winters, Senior IP Manager