Migrating to IPv6: Hands-On

Frequently Asked Questions

What is this course about? In this course, you gain the knowledge and skills to design, implement, verify and troubleshoot an IPv6 network within your organization. You will learn to manage the successful transition from IPv4 to IPv6 using proven techniques, ensure the compliance of your applications, and completely secure your IPv6 communications. What background do I need? A familiarity with data networking concepts is assumed. You should have a working knowledge of IPv4 at the level of Course 367, TCP/IP: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction. Who will benefit from this course? This course is designed to address both management and technical issues associated with the evaluation and implementation of IPv6 and, as such, benefits planners and architects who are responsible for determining the need for IPv6 and designing the optimal approach to migration. Managers, who need to know how to maximize the successful transition, and engineers and technicians, who will be implementing the transition, also benefit greatly from this course. What is IPv6? Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is a network layer IP standard used by electronic devices to exchange data across an internetwork. It is the second version of the Internet Protocol to be adopted for general use. The primary difference between IPv4, the current Internet Protocol, and IPv6 is the increased number of addresses available for networked devices. Currently, IPv4 supports 4.3 billion addresses, less than one unique address for each person alive today. This lack of address space becomes a significant issue when you consider the increase in connective devices (cell phones, PDAs, etc.) being used world wide. IPv6, which uses 128 bit address space (as opposed to 32 bit for IPv4) can offer approximately 5×1028 addresses for each of the over 6.5 billion people alive today. I heard that IPv4 will continue to be around for a long time. Why do I need to migrate to IPv6 now? There has been debate as to when IPv4 will exhaust its address space. Some say not until 2031, some say as soon as a few years. The general consensus is around 2011. The United States government is migrating to IPv6 as the network backbone for all federal agencies by 2008. Although IPv4and IPv6 will coexist for some time, it makes solid business sense to be ahead of the migration curve and convert to IPv6 as soon as possible. I work for a small/medium/large enterprise organization. Can this course help us prepare for migration to IPv6? Absolutely! In this course, you will learn how IPv6 can best be leveraged to improve your existing IPv4 network by analyzing that network to determine the optimum approach to migration. You will be further prepared for the migration process by learning in detail how to get IPv4 and IPv6 to coexist on the same network, how to deploy proven methods to deliver IPv6 traffic across an existing IPv4 backbone and the Internet, and how to assess the impact of migration on existing network applications. Will I learn about the new applications and functionality of IPv6? Yes. Much of the course is spent investigating both in lecture and hands-on exercise the new and enhanced functionality available in IPv6. From exploring the increased use of multicasting to improve network efficiency, to discovering how autoconfiguration can save valuable man-hours, to uncovering the details of the IPv6 protocol operations and packet structures, to experiencing how protocol enhancements facilitate improved performance and functionality, you are immersed in the many new elements of IPv6 so that you can make an informed judgment about migration. How much time is spent on each topic? Content Hours Current IP-based networks 3.0 Modernizing networks through IPv6 4.0 Leveraging the address space 3.0 Extending functionality with ICMPv6 2.5 Evolving legacy protocols and applications 1.5 Migrating from IPv4 to IPv6 3.5 Securing your enhanced network 3.5 Maintaining IPv6 at your organization 1.5 Times, including the workshops, are estimates; exact times may vary according to the needs of each class. What kinds of hands-on exercises does this course include? This course is built around an ongoing, evolving case study where you gain practical skills in migrating an existing network to IPv6. Exercises include: Installing and configuring IPv6 on hosts and routers Examining headers and protocols with Wireshark Architecting an IP addressing scheme Implementing and troubleshooting auto configuration Exploring IPv6-enhanced applications Configuring and verifying tunnels to establish internetwork communication Deciphering router configurations Deploying IPsec to secure business communications How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses? This course is part of the Networking curriculum, whose courses include: 450, A Comprehensive Introduction to Networking provides the fundamental background in IP addressing, TCP/IP operation, LAN solutions, QoS requirements, wireless network options, security elements, enterprise internetworking and modern hardware 451, Network Configuration and Troubleshooting: Hands-On offers the skills necessary to configure networks and resolve problems related to cables, wireless connections, protocols and applications 949, Telecommunications Fundamentals: Hands-On Network Convergence has both a strategic and technical focus that helps you make sense of the complex options for applying modern technologies to converged networks 367, TCP/IP: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction provides a comprehensive technical introduction to the working aspects of TCP/IP and is the prerequisite for this course 364, Switches and Routers: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction presents the essential knowledge required to deploy and use switches and routers in TCP/IP networks 371, Implementing and Troubleshooting Wi-Fi® Networks: Hands-On offers the skills to deploy, troubleshoot and secure wireless networks 170, Deploying Virtual Server and Workstation Technology: Hands-On provides the practical knowledge and skills required to install, configure and manage virtual servers and workstations 174, Storage Technology Foundations (Information Storage and Management) focuses on concepts, principles and design considerations of storage technology 461, Voice over IP: Hands-On provides the working knowledge to use a data packet network to provide wide area voice communications