IPv6: The Future is Here Now - ISATAP and Manageable Migration
Thinking about IPv6? Good!
Are you worried that it is going to take you a long time to get all your gear, systems, applications, etc. upgraded to actually do IPv6?
Well, I've got some good news for you: It's not going to be as hard as you think. To help you get started with planning, testing and (yes!) deploying IPv6 today, we've posted a pair of documents to the Microsoft IPv6 TechNet site that introduces ISATAP - one of a number of IPv4/IPv6 transition technologies.
ISATAP, short for Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (now you see why we just call it ISATAP), enables you to easily deploy unicast IPv6 connectivity over an existing IPv4 network, in a very manageable way. It was jointly defined by Cisco and Microsoft in RFC 4214 and our two companies have co-authored a short whitepaper that offers an introduction to ISATAP and how you can leverage it in your 'v6 endeavors:
Once you've read the executive overview, take a look at another new document that covers deployment:
Intra-site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol Deployment Guide
Together, these guides offer you insights on what you can do today (with XP and 2003) and how you can get the ball rolling for Windows Vista and Windows Server "Longhorn".
Also, don't forget about my previous post (don't you love the shameless plug for my own stuff?) that talks about how you can use IPsec today on IPv4 networks to enable a more secure transition to IPv6:
And this article I wrote for the US IPv6 Summit:
As always, let us know if this is what you'd like to see from us!