Update to our IPv6 Allocation Scheme

After gaining some experience in configuring IPv6 networks, and also receiving feedback from others, I’ve revised our IPv6 Allocation Scheme. This is the document which lays out how we intend to allocate networks to departments and colleges, and other services within the University.

The main difference is a change from using /112 networks for router-to-router linknets to /64. Yes, this is horribly wasteful, or at least it feels like it coming from an IPv4 world, but we learned a few things about compatibility with actual implementations of IPv6 which made the /64 seem simpler, for now. There is nothing preventing us moving back to /112 or another size later on.

Also the way in which site-wide service networks such as OWL and Eduroam are allocated has changed, as we have moved their location within our IPv6 space up to the top /46. Other than that, there is not a lot which would affect departments and colleges – the changes are mostly to aid the roll-out by the OUCS Networks team.

Over the next weeks I will be lighting up more IPv6 in the backbone network, and working on our Linux firewall/gateway server (which exists until we have a proper hardware appliance in place). We’re not yet ready to offer a customer service to departments and colleges, and work on the DNS/DHCP system has our attention through to the summer, but after that I hope we can start to have some services hosted on IPv6.

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