RFC 2740 (rfc2740) - Page 1 of 80

OSPF for IPv6

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Network Working Group                                          R. Coltun
Requests for Comments: 2740                                Siara Systems
Category: Standards Track                                    D. Ferguson
                                                        Juniper Networks
                                                                  J. Moy
                                                       Sycamore Networks
                                                           December 1999


                             OSPF for IPv6

Status of this Memo

   This document specifies an Internet standards track protocol for the
   Internet community, and requests discussion and suggestions for
   improvements.  Please refer to the current edition of the "Internet
   Official Protocol Standards" (STD 1) for the standardization state
   and status of this protocol.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Copyright Notice

   Copyright (C) The Internet Society (1999).  All Rights Reserved.

Abstract

   This document describes the modifications to OSPF to support version
   6 of the Internet Protocol (IPv6).  The fundamental mechanisms of
   OSPF (flooding, DR election, area support, SPF calculations, etc.)
   remain unchanged. However, some changes have been necessary, either
   due to changes in protocol semantics between IPv4 and IPv6, or simply
   to handle the increased address size of IPv6.

   Changes between OSPF for IPv4 and this document include the
   following. Addressing semantics have been removed from OSPF packets
   and the basic LSAs. New LSAs have been created to carry IPv6
   addresses and prefixes. OSPF now runs on a per-link basis, instead of
   on a per-IP-subnet basis. Flooding scope for LSAs has been
   generalized. Authentication has been removed from the OSPF protocol
   itself, instead relying on IPv6's Authentication Header and
   Encapsulating Security Payload.

   Most packets in OSPF for IPv6 are almost as compact as those in OSPF
   for IPv4, even with the larger IPv6 addresses. Most field-XSand
   packet-size limitations present in OSPF for IPv4 have been relaxed.
   In addition, option handling has been made more flexible.






Coltun, et al.              Standards Track
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