IPv6 Deployment in LAN

[limlayhin]

There is a requirement from customer to implement IPv6 in LAN. 

We have a set of /56 IPv6 address assigned to us by our ISP. 

My consideration: If we will to stop using the Internet bandwidth from the ISP, ISP has the right to take back the IPv6 address range.

What are the options available for me to have IPv6 independent from ISP? 

[limlayhin]

After some research, I found there is something call ULA. 

In the IPv6 world, the ULA space is fc00::/7, or basically anything that starts with FD in the IPv6 address, so fdxx:xxxx:xxxx…There’s a Website that will generate a unique group of ULAs for you - http://www.simpledns.com/private-ipv6.aspx. 

This is equivalent to IPv4 Private Address. 

Next Questions:

ULA address is not publicly accessible. As there is no NAT in IPv6, how can I "NAT" ISP assigned IPv6 Address to Internal ULA IPv6 address? 

One way I can think of is to use Reverse Proxy. 

Anybody has any other option? 

[limlayhin]

Below is a valid comment from one of the Internet forum: 

Quote:

"In our company we have a few sites around the country, connected by various ISPs through IPSEC tunnels back to corporate. We often, once every few years, will update our regional site internet links to greater bandwidth and change ISPs depending on who has the best deal running at the time and whats available. If IPv6 you are at the mercy of the local ISP to alot your network block, this seems like it'd be a nightmare in regards to switching ISPs. You'd have to re-IP your local servers, switches, etc..."

I basically have the same issue as the comment above. 

[johnd2310]

Hi,

You can apply for a portable address range(provider independent address range). You will need to justify the need for a Provider independent address. You will need to contact your regional registry  for allocation.

Thanks

John

[James Leinweber]

Note that the longest routable IPv6 prefix is likely to be /48, and it is easy to get PI space if you can justify a /32.  The other unsolved issue with PA space is dual-routing with two uplinks from different ISPs.

Note that renumbering IPv6 subnets, while a still a pain, is less of a pain than renumbering IPv4 subnets, since you can generally keep both your subnet design and your host parts in a v6 plan.  Plus you can get new v6, whereas getting new v4 is increasingly unlikely.

-- Jim Leinweber, WI State Lab of Hygiene

[James Leinweber]

Older operating systems tend to badly mess up address selection in the presence of both ULA IPv6 addresses (fc00::/7) and the usual global scope addresses (2000::/3).  Which is one of the several reasons that production deployments tend to avoid ULA.

-- Jim Leinweber, WI State Lab of Hygiene