MPLS and Next-Generation Networks: Foundations for NGN and Enterprise Virtualization

Chapter 11. IPv6 and MPLS

IPv6 is the next version of IP. With a larger address space and more features, IPv6 is the direction in which many service providers are moving—especially in Japan and the Asian Pacific. With the rapid success of the Internet, every device connected to the Internet needs an IP address. Assigning public addresses to all devices is not an option because of the shortage of IPv4 addresses. Hence, the IPv4 addresses must be translated (network address translation [NAT]) using private address space to accommodate all the devices. IETF has standardized a new address family called IPv6 with 16 bytes or 128 bits of address space, a much larger address space than the 4 bytes or 32 bits of IPv4. In addition to addressing, IPv6 also ...