IPV6 implementetion

[red_hat]

Hello

our company backbone is hp 5406, and desktop switches are hp 2510 currently we are working with ipv4.

if we want to start to use IVP6 for test environment,  what’s things we need to enable in our backbone/regular switches.

i mean for example if we want to set static IPV6 address for 2 servers and send ping between them, or even make new vlan with IVP6 subnet, and use it like regular vlan but with static ip's(until we got ipv6 dhcp).

what’s is required from us?

i have hp 5406 manual for IPV6 but i can't understand what i really need to do for start using IPV6.

thank you very much

[Jeff Carrell]

Well, you can put static IPv6 addresses on the servers, but it is not req'd.

ANY IPv6 capable device, will self-assign an IPv6 addr known as the Link-Local when IPv6 is "enabled". These addr are in the format of fe80::xxxx:xxxx:xxxx:xxxx and are pingable to each other as long as they are on the same vlan (broadcast domain). There are not routable addresses...and, ALL IPv6 capable interfaces on devices MUST/WILL have an IPv6 Link-Local address as a minimum.

On the 5406, as long as you have K.13+ (and is better to goto K.15 something), and enable IPv6 on the same vlan as the servers, the 5406 vlan interface will also have a Link-Local address and can also ping (ping6 on switch) the IPv6 Link-Locals on the servers.

----

5406(config)# vlan 1 ipv6 enable

5406# show ipv6

to ping a device from the switch:

5406# ping6 <device_IPv6_address>%vlan1   (dest IP addr of device, sourced from vlan1)

to view the IPv6 neighbors on the switch:

5406# show ipv6 neighbors

-----

to ping an IPv6 addr from a Win7+ or W2K8+ device:

C:\ netsh interface ipv6 show interface  (to determine which interface number is being used (ex %11)

    can also be found from C:\ipconfig /all |more

C:\ ping <device_IPv6_address>%<interface-id>

to view the IPv6 neighbors on Windows:

C:\netsh interface ipv6 show neighbors interface=<interface-id>

-----

I don't know if the 2510 switches support IPv6, but they should pass the traffic regardless.

You don't really have to do much to have a basic "IPv6 network".

Perhaps you configure a separate VLAN to test with :-)

Further reading for IPv6, see a new book - Guide to TCP/IP 4th Edition. Generic in the sense of not a manufacturer's book, but it does cover Win7/W2K8-R2 configuration info. Complete IPv4 and IPv6 coverage :-)

hth...Jeff