Considerations for Transitioning Content to IPv6

RFC 6589

Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) J. Livingood Request for Comments: 6589 Comcast Category: Informational April 2012 ISSN: 2070-1721 Considerations for Transitioning Content to IPv6 Abstract This document describes considerations for the transition of end-user content on the Internet to IPv6. While this is tailored to address end-user content, which is typically web-based, many aspects of this document may be more broadly applicable to the transition to IPv6 of other applications and services. This document explores the challenges involved in the transition to IPv6, potential migration tactics, possible migration phases, and other considerations. The audience for this document is the Internet community generally, particularly IPv6 implementers. Status of This Memo This document is not an Internet Standards Track specification; it is published for informational purposes. This document is a product of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It represents the consensus of the IETF community. It has received public review and has been approved for publication by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG). Not all documents approved by the IESG are a candidate for any level of Internet Standard; see Section 2 of RFC 5741. Information about the current status of this document, any errata, and how to provide feedback on it may be obtained at http://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6589. Livingood Informational [Page 1] RFC 6589 Transitioning Content to IPv6 April 2012 Copyright Notice Copyright (c) 2012 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the document authors. All rights reserved. This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal Provisions Relating to IETF Documents (http://trustee.ietf.org/license-info) in effect on the date of publication of this document. Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights and restrictions with respect to this document. Code Components extracted from this document must include Simplified BSD License text as described in Section 4.e of the Trust Legal Provisions and are provided without warranty as described in the Simplified BSD License. Livingood Informational [Page 2] RFC 6589 Transitioning Content to IPv6 April 2012 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................4 2. Challenges When Transitioning Content to IPv6 ...................4 2.1. IPv6-Related Impairment ....................................5 2.2. Operational Maturity Concerns ..............................5 2.3. Volume-Based Concerns ......................................5 3. IPv6 Adoption Implications ......................................6 4. Potential Migration Tactics .....................................6 4.1. Solving Current End-User IPv6 Impairments ..................7 4.2. Using IPv6-Specific Names ..................................8 4.3. Implementing DNS Resolver Whitelisting .....................8 4.3.1. How DNS Resolver Whitelisting Works ................11 4.3.2. Similarities to Content Delivery Networks and Global Server Load Balancing ...................15 4.3.3. Similarities to DNS Load Balancing .................15 4.3.4. Similarities to Split DNS ..........................15 4.3.5. Related Considerations .............................16 4.4. Implementing DNS Blacklisting .............................17 4.5. Transitioning Directly to Native Dual Stack ...............18 5. Potential Implementation Phases ................................19 5.1. No Access to IPv6 Content .................................19 5.2. Using IPv6-Specific Names .................................19 5.3. Deploying DNS Resolver Whitelisting Using Manual Processes .................................................19 5.4. Deploying DNS Resolver Whitelisting Using Automated Processes .......................................19 5.5. Turning Off DNS Resolver Whitelisting .....................20 5.6. Deploying DNS Blacklisting ................................20 5.7. Fully Dual-Stack Content ..................................20 6. Other Considerations ...........................................20 6.1. Security Considerations ...................................20 6.2. Privacy Considerations ....................................21 6.3. Considerations with Poor IPv4 and Good IPv6 Transport .....22 7. Contributors ...................................................23