IPv6 Addressing Overview
IPv6 Addressing Overview
IPv6 addresses are assigned to interfaces, rather than to nodes, in recognition that a node can
have more than one interface. Moreover, you can assign more than one IPv6 address to an
interface.
Note – For complete technical information about the IPv6 address format, go to RFC 2374, IPv6
Global Unicast Address Format (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2374.txt?number=2374)
IPv6 defines three address types:
unicast Identifies an interface of an individual node.
multicast Identifies a group of interfaces, usually on different nodes. Packets that are sent to
the multicast address go to all members of the multicast group.
anycast Identifies a group of interfaces, usually on different nodes. Packets that are sent to
the anycast address go to the anycast group member node that is physically
closest to the sender.
Parts of the IPv6 Address
An IPv6 address is 128 bits in length and consists of eight, 16-bit fields, with each field bounded
by a colon. Each field must contain a hexadecimal number, in contrast to the dotted-decimal
notation of IPv4 addresses. In the next figure, the x's represent hexadecimal numbers.
FIGURE 3–2 Basic IPv6 Address Format
X:X:X :X X:X:X:X
Prefix Interface
ID
Subnet
ID
Example:
2001:0db8:3c4d:0015:0000:0000:1a2f:1a2b
Site Subnet Interface
Prefix ID ID
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IPv6 Addressing Overview
The leftmost three fields (48 bits) contain the site prefix. The prefix describes the public topology
that is usually allocated to your site by an ISP or Regional Internet Registry (RIR).
The next field is the 16-bit subnet ID, which you (or another administrator) allocate for your
site. The subnet ID describes the private topology, also known as the site topology, because it is
internal to your site.
The rightmost four fields (64 bits) contain the interface ID, also referred to as a token. The
interface ID is either automatically configured from the interface's MAC address or manually
configured in EUI-64 format.
Consider again the address in Figure 3–2:
2001:0db8:3c4d:0015:0000:0000:1a2f:1a2b
This example shows all 128 bits of an IPv6 address. The first 48 bits, 2001:0db8:3c4d, contain
the site prefix, representing the public topology. The next 16 bits, 0015, contain the subnet ID,
representing the private topology for the site. The lower order, rightmost 64 bits,
0000:0000:1a2f:1a2b, contain the interface ID.
Abbreviating IPv6 Addresses
Most IPv6 addresses do not occupy all of their possible 128 bits. This condition results in fields
that are padded with zeros or contain only zeros.
The IPv6 addressing architecture allows you use the two-colon (::) notation to represent
contiguous 16-bit fields of zeros. For example, you might abbreviate the IPv6 address in
Figure 3–2 by replacing the two contiguous fields of zeros in the interface ID with two colons.
The resulting address is 2001:0db8:3c4d:0015::1a2f:1a2b. Other fields of zeros can be
represented as a single 0. You can also omit any leading zeros in a field, such as changing 0db8 to
db8.
So the address 2001:0db8:3c4d:0015:0000:0000:1a2f:1a2b can be abbreviated as
2001:db8:3c4d:15::1a2f:1a2b.
You can use the two colon notation to replace any contiguous fields of all zeros in the IPv6
address. For example, the IPv6 address 2001:0db8:3c4d:0015:0000:d234::3eee:0000 can be
collapsed into 2001:db8:3c4d:15:0:d234:3eee::.
Prefixes in IPv6
The leftmost fields of the IPv6 address contain the prefix, which is used for routing IPv6
packets. IPv6 prefixes have the following format:
Chapter 3 • Introducing IPv6 (Overview) 75
IPv6 Addressing Overview
prefix/length in bits
Prefix length is stated in classless inter-domain routing (CIDR) notation. CIDR notation is a
slash at the end of the address that is followed by the prefix length in bits. For information on
CIDR format IP addresses, refer to “Designing Your CIDR IPv4 Addressing Scheme” on
page 60.
The site prefix of an IPv6 address occupies up to 48 of the leftmost bits of the IPv6 address. For
example, the site prefix of the IPv6 address 2001:db8:3c4d:0015:0000:0000:1a2f:1a2b/48 is
contained in the leftmost 48 bits, 2001:db8:3c4d. You use the following representation, with
zeros compressed, to represent this prefix:
2001:db8:3c4d::/48
Note – The prefix 2001:db8::/32 is a special IPv6 prefix that is used specifically for
documentation examples.
You can also specify a subnet prefix, which defines the internal topology of the network to a
router. The example IPv6 address has the following subnet prefix.
2001:db8:3c4d:15::/64
The subnet prefix always contains 64 bits. These bits include 48 bits for the site prefix, in
addition to 16 bits for the subnet ID.
The following prefixes have been reserved for special use:
2002::/16 Indicates that a 6to4 routing prefix follows.
fe80::/10 Indicates that a link-local address follows.
ff00::/8 Indicates that a multicast address follows.
Unicast Addresses
IPv6 includes two different unicast address assignments:
■ Global unicast address
■ Link-local address
The type of unicast address is determined by the leftmost (high order) contiguous bits in the
address, which contain the prefix.
The unicast address format is organized in the following hierarchy:
■ Public topology
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IPv6 Addressing Overview
■ Site (private) topology
■ Interface ID
Global Unicast Address
The global unicast address is globally unique in the Internet. The example IPv6 address that is
shown in “Prefixes in IPv6” on page 75 is a global unicast address. The next figure shows the
scope of the global unicast address, as compared to the parts of the IPv6 address.
FIGURE 3–3 Parts of the Global Unicast Address
Public Site
Topology Topology
2001.0db8:3c4d:0015:0000:0000:1a2f:1a2b
Site Subnet Interface
prefix ID ID
Public Topology
The site prefix defines the public topology of your network to a router. You obtain the site prefix
for your enterprise from an ISP or Regional Internet Registry (RIR).
Site Topology and IPv6 Subnets
IN IPv6, the subnet ID defines an administrative subnet of the network and is up to 16 bits in
length. You assign a subnet ID as part of IPv6 network configuration. The subnet prefix defines
the site topology to a router by specifying the specific link to which the subnet has been
assigned.
IPv6 subnets are conceptually the same as IPv4 subnets, in that each subnet is usually associated
with a single hardware link. However, IPv6 subnet IDs are expressed in hexadecimal notation,
rather than in dotted decimal notation.
Interface ID
The interface ID identifies an interface of a particular node. An interface ID must be unique
within the subnet. IPv6 hosts can use the Neighbor Discovery protocol to automatically
generate their own interface IDs. Neighbor Discovery automatically generates the interface ID,
based on the MAC or EUI-64 address of the host's interface. You can also manually assign
interface IDs, which is recommended for IPv6 routers and IPv6-enabled servers. For
instructions on how to create a manual EUI-64 address, refer to RFC 3513 Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) Addressing Architecture.
Chapter 3 • Introducing IPv6 (Overview) 77
IPv6 Addressing Overview
Transitional Global Unicast Addresses
For transition purposes, the IPv6 protocol includes the ability to embed an IPv4 address within
an IPv6 address. This type of IPv4 address facilitates the tunneling of IPv6 packets over existing
IPv4 networks. One example of a transitional global unicast address is the 6to4 address. For
more information on 6to4 addressing, refer to “6to4 Automatic Tunnels” on page 276.
Link-Local Unicast Address
The link-local unicast address can be used only on the local network link. Link-local addresses
are not valid nor recognized outside the enterprise. The following example shows the format of
the link-local address.
EXAMPLE 3–1 Parts of the Link-Local Unicast Address
Format: Link-local prefix 0 interface ID
10 bits 64 bits 54 bits
Example: fe80::123e:456d
A link-local prefix has the following format:
fe80::interface-ID/10
The following is an example of a link-local address:
fe80::23a1:b152
fe80 Hexadecimal representation of the 10-bit binary prefix 1111111010. This
prefix identifies the type of IPv6 address as link local.
interface-ID Hexadecimal address of the interface, which is usually derived from the 48-bit
MAC address.
When you enable IPv6 during Oracle Solaris installation, the lowest numbered interface on the
local machine is configured with a link-local address. Each interface requires at least one
link-local address to identify the node to other nodes on the local link. Therefore, you need to
manually configure link-local addresses for additional interfaces of a node. After configuration,
the node uses its link-local addresses for automatic address configuration and neighbor
discovery.
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IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Protocol Overview
Multicast Addresses
IPv6 supports the use of multicast addresses. The multicast address identifies a multicast group,
which is a group of interfaces, usually on different nodes. An interface can belong to any
number of multicast groups. If the first 16 bits of an IPv6 address is ff00n, the address is a
multicast address.
Multicast addresses are used for sending information or services to all interfaces that are
defined as members of the multicast group. For example, one use of multicast addresses is to
communicate with all IPv6 nodes on the local link.
When an interface's IPv6 unicast address is created, the kernel automatically makes the
interface a member of certain multicast groups. For example, the kernel makes each node a
member of the Solicited Node multicast group, which is used by the Neighbor Discovery
protocol to detect reachability. The kernel also automatically makes a node a member of the
All-Nodes or All Routers multicast groups.
For detailed information about multicast addresses, refer to “IPv6 Multicast Addresses in
Depth” on page 248. For technical information, see RFC 3306, Unicast-Prefix-based IPv6
Multicast Addresses (ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc3306.txt), which explains
the multicast address format. For more information about the proper use of multicast addresses
and groups, RFC 3307, Allocation Guidelines for IPv6 Multicast Addresses
(ftp://ftp.rfc-editor.org/in-notes/rfc3307.txt).
Anycast Addresses and Groups
IPv6 anycast addresses identify a group of interfaces on different IPv6 nodes. Each group of
interfaces is known as an anycast group. When a packet is sent to the anycast address, the
anycast group member that is physically closest to the sender receives the packet.
Note – The Oracle Solaris implementation of IPv6 does not support the creation of anycast
addresses and groups. However, Oracle Solaris IPv6 nodes can send packets to anycast
addresses. For more information, see “Considerations for Tunnels to a 6to4 Relay Router” on
page 279.
IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Protocol Overview
IPv6 introduces the Neighbor Discovery protocol, which uses messaging as the means to handle
the interaction between neighbor nodes. Neighbor nodes are IPv6 nodes that are on the same
Chapter 3 • Introducing IPv6 (Overview) 79
IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Protocol Overview
link. For example, by issuing neighbor discovery-related messages, a node can learn a
neighbor's link-local address. Neighbor Discovery controls the following major activities on the
IPv6 local link:
■ Router discovery – Aids hosts in locating routers on the local link.
■ Address autoconfiguration – Enables a node to automatically configure IPv6 addresses for
its interfaces.
■ Prefix discovery – Enables nodes to discover the known subnet prefixes that have been
allocated to a link. Nodes use prefixes to distinguish destinations that are on the local link
from those destinations that are only reachable through a router.
■ Address resolution – Helps nodes to determine the link-local address of a neighbor, given
only the destinations's IP address.
■ Next-hop determination – Uses an algorithm to determine the IP address of a packet
recipient one hop that is beyond the local link. The next-hop can be a router or the
destination node.
■ Neighbor unreachability detection – Aids nodes to determine if a neighbor is no longer
reachable. For both routers and hosts, address resolution can be repeated.
■ Duplicate address detection – Enables a node to determine if an address that the node
wants to use is not already in use.
■ Redirection – Enables a router to inform a host of a better first-hop node to use to reach a
particular destination.
Neighbor Discovery uses the following ICMP message types for communication among nodes
on a link:
■ Router solicitation
■ Router advertisement
■ Neighbor solicitation
■ Neighbor advertisement
■ Redirection
For detailed information on Neighbor Discovery messages and other Neighbor Discovery
protocol topics, refer to “IPv6 Neighbor Discovery Protocol” on page 265. For technical
information on Neighbor Discovery, see RFC 2461, Neighbor Discovery for IP Version 6 (IPv6)
(http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2461.txt?number=2461).
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