NAT64 Technology: Connecting IPv6 and IPv4 Networks

What You Would be Learning in this Module: 

There are 3 main options are available for migration to IPv6 from the existing network infrastructure, dual-stack network, translation, and tunneling. Here we are going to briefly discuss all of these options as well as highlights the advantages of translation and particularly stateful translation, over the other two. Here we would be discussing the ways to provide a seamless Internet experience to users accessing IPv4 Internet services through completely new “greenfield” IPv6-only networks. We would be even describing how to establish content providers as well as content enablers could transparently provide existing or new services to IPv6 Internet users by deploying Network Address Translation IPv6 to NAT64 IPv4 technology with little or no change in their existing network infrastructure, thus it would also maintain business continuity. We know, that lots of things are to be discussed, which again wouldn’t be able to discuss in here, but worry not! You could have it all, by joining the Lab Prep Courses offered by the SPOTO. Dual-Stack Network: 

Dual stack is considered a transition technology in which IPv4 as well as IPv6 so as to operate in tandem over shared or dedicated links. In a dual-stack network, both IPv4, as well as IPv6, would be fully deployed across the infrastructure, so that configuration and routing protocols would be handled by both IPv4 and IPv6 addressing and adjacencies. Although dual-stack might appear to be an ideal solution, it would be presenting the two major deployment challenges to enterprises as well as ISPs:

• It would be requiring a current network infrastructure that would be capable of deploying IPv6. In many cases, however, the current network might not be ready and might require hardware as well as software upgrades.
• IPv6 would be needed to be activated on almost all the network elements. To meet this requirement, the existing network might need to be redesigned, posturing business continuity challenges.

Tunneling

Using the tunneling option, organizations would be able to build an overlay network that tunnels one protocol over the other by encapsulating IPv4 packets within IPv6 packets and IPv6 packets within IPv4 packets. The advantage of this approach is that the new protocol would be able to work without disturbing the old protocol, thus it would provide connectivity between users of the new protocol. Tunneling again has the following two disadvantages:

• Users of the new architecture couldn’t use the services of the underlying infrastructure.
• Tunneling doesn’t enable users of the new protocol for communicating with users of the old protocol without dual-stack hosts, which again would negate interoperability.

Translation: 

Translation which is also known as the Address Family Translation (AFT), would be facilitating the communication between IPv6-only as well as IPv4- only hosts and networks, whether in a transit, access or an edge network by performing IP header as well as address translation between the two address families. AFT isn’t a long-term support strategy; it would be considered as a medium-term coexistence strategy that could be used to facilitate a long-term program of IPv6 transition by both enterprises as well as ISPs. 

The translation would be offering two major advantages:

• The translation would provide a gradual migration to IPv6 by providing seamless Internet experience to greenfield IPv6-only users, by accessing IPv4 Internet services.
• Existing, content enablers as well as content providers, would be able to provide services transparently to IPv6 Internet users by using the translation technology, with little or no change in the existing network infrastructure, thus you would be able to maintain IPv4 business continuity.