Release 5.2 is now available

[Pedro Marques]

>>>>> "Bertrand" == Bertrand Buclin <Bertrand.Buclin@ch.att.com> writes:


    >>  Pedro: The new addressing scheme has no relation at all with
    >> the low 64bits of the Pedro: address.
    Bertrand> [BB ] Sort of... The IPv6-over-Ethernet (draft-ietf-ipngwg-
    Bertrand> trans-ethernet-02.txt) is pretty clear: stateless
    Bertrand> autoconfiguration is based on the EUI-64 ID of the interface
    Bertrand>  (built from the 48 bits ID). How do you exchange packets on
    Bertrand> the link when two implementations are not using the same
    Bertrand> conventions to build link-local addresses ?

Bertrand,
IPv6 communication is still possible if different hosts are using different
autoconfiguration schemes. Autoconfiguration just creates address,
packets can flow between hosts regardsless of the mechanism used for
creating the address (manual conf, DHCP, 802.3 based statless or 802.3 +
some bits)

    >> 
    >> Pedro: So regardless of the changes in addressing you can still
    >> use 48-bit 802.3 Pedro: link tokens.

    Bertrand> As long as you are ready to manually configure your boxes...

Those are different issues: configuration and communication. Yes if you
only have new format routers old format hosts you have to manually configure
the global addresses (and vice-versa). But you may find that some vendors
are quite cooperative on this issues :-)

    >>  Pedro: Also, as Bill Manning has pointed out the two
    >> addressing formats will Pedro: co-exist in the 6bone for a
    >> while.

    Bertrand> On my site, I want to move to the 3FFE... addresses as soon
    Bertrand> as I can, and as of October 1st, get rid of the previous
    Bertrand> addresses.

That is even a separate issue. You can configure 3ffe address and still
use the previous autoconfiguration format. At the moment cisco is annoucing
both it's 3ffe prefix and it's 5f00::.../32 prefix and we are still using
the previous autoconf format.

    Bertrand> This is my choice. I agree that the two kinds of addresses will
    Bertrand> coexist on the 6Bone for a while, but as far as I am concerned,
    Bertrand>  I plan to not anymore use and advertise my current 5F... 
    Bertrand> prefix in a few weeks from now.

Then don't. BGP which is what actually gets the job done doesn't attribute any
special meaning to the prefix. Things will still work.

    Bertrand> So if other sites are still using their 5F... addresses,
    Bertrand> this is their choice, and indeed I can expect to still be able
    Bertrand> to communicate with those sites.

And you will.

    Bertrand> Bottom line, I still find Sun's decision very unfortunate...

With all due respect, some of the arguments you first presented are not
really acurate and you will probably find your vendor more responsive
if you bring the issue with them privatly instead of in a public forum.

   Pedro.