RFC 1933 (rfc1933) - Page 1 of 22
Transition Mechanisms for IPv6 Hosts and Routers
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group R. Gilligan
Request for Comments: 1933 E. Nordmark
Category: Standards Track Sun Microsystems, Inc.
April 1996
Transition Mechanisms for IPv6 Hosts and Routers
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.
Abstract
This document specifies IPv4 compatibility mechanisms that can be
implemented by IPv6 hosts and routers. These mechanisms include
providing complete implementations of both versions of the Internet
Protocol (IPv4 and IPv6), and tunneling IPv6 packets over IPv4
routing infrastructures. They are designed to allow IPv6 nodes to
maintain complete compatibility with IPv4, which should greatly
simplify the deployment of IPv6 in the Internet, and facilitate the
eventual transition of the entire Internet to IPv6.
1. Introduction
The key to a successful IPv6 transition is compatibility with the
large installed base of IPv4 hosts and routers. Maintaining
compatibility with IPv4 while deploying IPv6 will streamline the task
of transitioning the Internet to IPv6. This specification defines a
set of mechanisms that IPv6 hosts and routers may implement in order
to be compatible with IPv4 hosts and routers.
The mechanisms in this document are designed to be employed by IPv6
hosts and routers that need to interoperate with IPv4 hosts and
utilize IPv4 routing infrastructures. We expect that most nodes in
the Internet will need such compatibility for a long time to come,
and perhaps even indefinitely.
However, IPv6 may be used in some environments where interoperability
with IPv4 is not required. IPv6 nodes that are designed to be used
in such environments need not use or even implement these mechanisms.
The mechanisms specified here include:
Gilligan & Nordmark Standards Track