July 14, 2005
Important IPv6 Conference This September in San Jose, CA
The momentum toward IPv6 migration is picking up, as indicated by the extensive agenda at the North American IPv6 Technology Conference 1. Scheduled for September 19 - 22 at the San Jose State University campus, the conference kicks off with a day of tutorials to give IPv6 acolytes a solid footing in IPv6 practicalities. Then follows an intensive three-day blast of sessions on technology, transition planning, and deployment issues relating to IPv6. But the gem of the conference has got to be the tutorials day.
The tutorials provide a roadmap for implementing IPv6 in the enterprise, beginning with trasitioning the LAN to IPv6. The morning sessions explain the support mechanisms you need to have in place before enabling IPv6, how to gracefully migrate from an IPv4-only LAN to one where IPv4 and v6 coexist, and how to deal with transitory security issues that arise in a mixed v4/v6 network.
The second half of the day describes the details of enabling IPv6 on host systems -- both servers and workstations -- and how you can take advantage of IPv6 enhancements to mobile, multicast, and QoS service. IPv6 actually greatly simplifies network administration, eliminating, for example, the need for DHCP IP address assignment, since the IPv6 local address is created automatically from a device's Ethernet hardware address.
After IPv6 host enablement, you'll need to know what upgrades are required in enterprise software dealing with IP addresses: DNS, email, and other network-aware applications. The bulk of the afternoon material deals with such software issues.
At the end of the tutorials, you'll be well equipped to begin planning your own IPv6 migration, whether you choose to stay for the rest of the conference or not. At just $100 for the day, the tutorial session should be a no-brainer for anyone serious about enhancing their IPv6 expertise.
The conference proper, however, has a great slate of material that will interest enterprise network administrators. Perhaps the most important issue facing IPv6 is the business case for moving to it, a topic tackled in a session entitled "IPv6 Business Value Proposition." Several case studies describing in-progress network migrations by the likes of Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and BAE Systems can surely be mined by any prospective enterprise IPv6 guru. A session on IPv6 security tools also promises to deliver practical value.
A Solutions Demo area will let you get your hands on living, breathing (and working) IPv6 goodies.
I hope to see you there!
Posted by Mel Beckman at July 14, 2005 9:13 AM
