A shift in how the U.S. Federal Authorities connects to the Web is underway. The excellent news is that it has some very welcome advantages, together with enhanced safety and better operational effectivity for federal businesses. Plus, it is going to assist federal businesses with their IT modernization efforts. And all of it revolves round IPv6, the newest model of Web Protocol (IP).
As the brand new IP customary for the U.S. Federal Authorities, IPv6 gives extra IP addressing and safety to help the long run development of linked units in federal businesses. The transfer is pushed by the Workplace of Administration and Price range (OMB) mandate that 80% of IP-enabled property on federal networks be working in IPv6-only environments, somewhat than the older and fewer safe IPv4, by the tip of fiscal 2025. By making the transfer, federal businesses can enhance safety, lower complexity, and facilitate innovation in help of their mission.
The advantages of IPv6 over IPv4 for federal authorities
As I discussed earlier, safety and effectivity are large drivers within the transition from IPv4 to IPv6 by the federal authorities. However one other large motivator is the huge quantity of IPv6 addressing out there. With the expansion of linked units, the necessity for increasingly addresses has grown. And there’s no slowdown in sight.
Fortunately, IPv6 presents up a formidable variety of addresses to be used. Take into account these numbers – IPv4 relies on 32-bit addressing that’s restricted to simply 4.3 billion addresses, however IPv6 relies on 128-bit addressing which presents 340 undecillion (340 trillion3) usable addresses! With numbers like that, the OMB’s mandate is certainly a clever one.
As well as, IPv6 addressing can scale back routing desk dimension. It does this by permitting ISPs to combination clients’ prefixes right into a single prefix and current solely that one prefix out to the IPv6 web. I’d like to notice that many networks implement IPv6 concurrently with IPv4 (in a dual-stack design). However newer networks normally deploy IPv6 natively, offering compatibility with IPv4 if it’s wanted. This method additionally addresses present authorities mandates for IPv6 use.
The advantages of transferring to IPv6 transcend addressing. It additionally presents federal businesses:
- A shift from shortage to plentiful mindset on IP enabled units
- Stateless tackle autoconfiguration
- Eliminates NAT (Community Handle Translation)
- True realization of IoT (Web of Issues)
- A lead within the subsequent technology of IP communication
- Simpler administration with DHCPv6
- Improved high quality of service with stream labeling.
How federal businesses can method the IPv6 OMB mandate
In the event you’re a frontrunner in federal IT, I encourage you to realize a deeper understanding of simply what the OMB IPv6 mandate means to your group. As a primary step, I counsel getting up to the mark with two of our newest assets:
When you evaluation these two assets, it is best to begin interested by your method to implementing IPv6 in your group, together with the alternatives out there for:
- Assessing and constructing a method for community transformation to IPv6
- Constructing an structure and a plan to help IPv6
- Higher understanding the influence of infrastructure migration and purposes availability.
How Cisco will help
Implementing a profitable IPv6 technique could be a bit daunting. Our staff of Cisco IPv6 consultants are glad that will help you all through the method. The Cisco Buyer Expertise (CX) staff presents the next providers with skilled steerage and insights, letting you obtain higher outcomes sooner.
- Technique: We will help you create a personalized journey based mostly on capabilities, present community setting, and future imaginative and prescient.
- Planning: Cisco’s consultants will help set up and validate a subsequent technology structure that leverages the capabilities and advantages of IPv6.
- Transformation: We will present you the right way to speed up transformation by leveraging automation based mostly on confirmed methodologies and finest practices.
As an business chief in IPv6, Cisco presents the widest vary of platforms and options in comparison with another vendor. This provides us the potential to customise and combine options units to higher meet the precise wants of your federal company. And with 8,500 Cisco permitted companions, our associate ecosystem can present your company with the personalized options you must work seamlessly together with your current or deliberate infrastructure as you implement the OMB IPv6 mandate.
Further assets for OMB IPv6 success
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