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IPv6 and standardization : IPv6 Ready Logo
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IPv6 Ready Logo Program presentation
IPv6 Ready logo program is a certifying program initiated by the IPv6 Forum, worldwide members consortium aiming at promoting the deployment of the new Internet Protocol : IPv6. This certification is destined to all the products implementing this procotol.
The technical aspects of this program are managed by the IPv6 Logo Committee (v6LC) which is composed of :
Logo Committee's missions are :
- setting up specifications for IPv6 conformance and interoperability tests and its associated protocols (self-configuration, mobility, security, transition...),
- producing tests tools,
- defining a procedure to attribute the Logo and guarantee its distribution.
This article introduces in a first part the objectives of the logo, and the technical content of the tests in a second part.
Logo advantages
Why a logo ?
Contrary to IPv4 which appeared with the Unix system, there is currently no finalized IPv6 implementation which can be used as a reference to develop and test other implementations. The set-up of series of tests becomes consequently essential and necessary to reduce the divergences between producers and to ease the emergency of a stable standard.
Aiming at avoiding any confusion in final user's mind, the different Logo Program's participants agreed to define common specifications tests and distribute one and only label : the "IPv6 Ready" logo.
The logo delivered in its "Silver" version since September 2003 through the first phase of the program was a mean to show how much operational IPv6 already is. Since February 16th 2005, the certification process has been reinforced with its "Gold" version attributed to the products which satisfy the whole test items described for the "Core Protocols" of the standard.
Who is it for ?
- to industrials : for development activities as well as for integration activities, the logo allows the products developers to attest the respect of the standard and to accelerate its set-up by detecting its defects more easily and rapidly.
- to final user : the logo allows to validate the interoperability between products coming from different producers and attest a better perenity of investments and installations.
What are the products concerned ?
The logo can be delivered to different categories of products: from stacks (protocol implementation) to final products (routeurs, computers, etc.), as well as operating systems.
The certification is associated to the software/hardware version that has been tested. To avoid the appearance of new bugs, the tests are re-executed at each product updates.
Examples of already certified (Phase 1) products :
- IPv6 stacks (protocol implementation): Kame, Usagi, Ipnet, Kasago, Turbo Trek,
- operating systems: IBM z/OS, Cisco IOS, AIX, Windows Server 2003,
- routeurs, ADSL modems, ethernet routing switches : 6WINDgate 6211, Cisco 12000 series, NEC IX1000 series
- Others: Panasonic KX-CL500-V6 printer, Panasonic KX-HCM230v6 camera, Matsushita FreeFit 1 network lighting controller , Matsushita Icont 0.9 intelligent controller for gate management system, etc.
Tests content
The series of tests specified and produced by the Logo Committee can be divided into two types : conformance and interoperability. The program joined up three steps in 2003, 2005 and 2006 respectively. The series are progressively enriched, from a minimum cover with a Phase 1 to a complete cover with the Phase 3 items.
This section introduces the notions of conformance and interoperability in a first part, and the tests content and its evolution during the three phases in a second part.
- Conformance and interoperability
The conformance test aims at validating a product in reference of the standard (or RFC). It is done through a specific tool which emulates an environment of reference for the tested product. The protocol of the test is analyzed, its functionalities and its terms of use are classified as exhaustively as possible, from the most obvious to the most "incredible" ones. Then, the product must face - more or less - critical scenarios created on demand in order to highlight a specific situation (we often speak of "torture test", aiming at "breaking" the system and finding out any fault). The system behaviour is precisely analyzed and compared to what the standard forecasts. In case of divergence, the product is not labelised.
The interoperability test is realised in a real environment, the tested product being interconnected with other products (routeurs, hosts, etc.) in typical configurations. The developed scenarios aim at verifying if the product is able to interact with other products of different origins. This kind of test is more complex to specify and to set-up, in reality only simple cases can be used.
Conformance and interoperability tests cannot be compared in terms of efficiency, they complete each other. The conformance tests point out the respect of the standard and the interoperability tests point out the appropriate functioning in a real context. If an equipment passes the conformance tests, it can be unusable in practice; and on the contrary, another one can work properly without respecting the standard at all. The use of both tests -interoperability AND conformance- is essential to ease the rise of a stable and functional standard.
- Covering : two phases
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Phase 1 (Silver)
Since September 1st 2003, the Phase 1 logo focuses on "core protocols", meaning IPv6 itself and the basis mechanisms associated with it (i.e. self-configuration). It aims at guaranteeing a minimum IPv6 support.
The logo color is silver and two categories of equipments can be observed : hosts and routeurs (having different items and exigencies in terms of functionalities). In both cases, conformance and interoperability can be found.
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Phase 2 (Gold)
Since February 16th 2005, the Phase 2 of the logo is moving in the Phase 1 tracks. The Phase 2 completes the "core protocols" and adds the mechanism of discover of the MTU (RFC 1981). The Phase 2 will be completed by tests for functionalities as follow:
- IPsec (security: authentification/encryption),
- MIPv6 (mobility),
- MLD (multicast hosts announcement),
- SNMP and MIB (remote administration),
- 6to4 and NAT-PT (IPv4 to IPv6 transition mechanisms experimentation).
The logo is golden. A new category has been added to the host and routeur categories : the "Special Devices" category for all the equipments which have no light IPv6 implementation (i.e.: a controlling camera) for resources reasons.
The Phase 2 has long-term perspectives. The tests specifications are the results of a technical consensus between the logo's members. The specifications have been unified and redefined very precisely. The Committee's goal is to approve a unique logo which is delivered in the same conditions whatever is the testing tool and wherever it is tested.
The IPv6 Forum strongly encourages the firms to obtain the Gold logo as long as it guarantees an optimum quality thanks to complete series of tests including the mandatory functionalities as well as the recommanded ones ("SHOULD") for the standard. The Silver logo can be attributed to any product satisfying the sub-set of properties defined for the Phase 1 tests ("MANDATORY").
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Phase 3
Planned in the year 2006, the Phase 3 will be the same as the Phase 2 in terms of content, except that the IPSec (security) extension support will be compulsory.
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References
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