OSPFv3 Multiprotocol

[SIMMN]

If my memory serves me right, I think I read somewhere saying "OSPFv3 multiprotocol will only use IPv6 address for updates and keepalive." Is this still valid? If so, can someone give me some detailed explanation on why IPv4 address can not be used for updates and keepalive under OSPFv3?

[Harold Ritter · Accepted solution]

Hi,

> If my memory serves me right, I think I read somewhere saying "OSPFv3

> multiprotocol will only use IPv6 address for updates and keepalive." Is this still

> valid?

That is correct. Although OSPFv3 can be used for both IPv4 (RFC5838) and IPv6 (RFC5340), communication between the routers is uniquely done via IPv6 using link local addresses (LLA).

> If so, can someone give me some detailed explanation on why IPv4 address

> can not be used for updates and keepalive under OSPFv3?

This is how the protocol was built. Here's what RFC5838, section 2 states:

 It should be noted that OSPFv3 runs on top of IPv6 and uses IPv6 link
   local addresses for OSPFv3 control packets.  Therefore, it is
   required that IPv6 be enabled on an OSPFv3 link, although the link
   may not be participating in any IPv6 AFs.

Regards,

[SIMMN]

Thanks for the info.