6REN Overview Information

[Bob Fink]

To all parties interested in IPv6:

I've been talking about the formation of the 6REN for several months now,
and have established a domain and web site at <http://www.6ren.net>. Many
of you have been asking me for more information so this is a kickoff message.

Please address any messages to me at <fink@es.net>.


Thanks,

Bob Fink
ESnet

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6REN - IPv6 Research & Education Networks


Overview and Introduction

In October of 1998, the Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) established a
"6REN" initiative for promoting the introduction of IPv6 services into the
production Internet. As ESnet is a US national-level "Research & Education
Network", the focus was set on encouraging and helping Research & Education
Networks worldwide to start providing IPv6 services.

Thus the 6ren is a voluntary coordination initiative of Research and
Education Networks that provide production IPv6 transit service to
facilitiate high quality, high performance, and operationally robust IPv6
networks.

Participation is free and open to all Research and Education Networks that
provide IPv6 service. Other for-profit and not-for-profit IPv6 networks are
also encouraged to participate.


Primary Goals

The primary goals of the 6REN are:

1. provide production quality IPv6 packet delivery services

2. developing operational procedures for IPv6 networks

3. promoting the deployment of IPv6 networks

4. enabling early IPv6-ready application testing and deployment


Who May Participate

Any network providing, or planning to provide, IPv6 production services can
participate. This includes service providers (i.e., those carrying IPv6 for
other networks) as well as end user (leaf) sites (i.e., those carrying IPv6
for their own site's use). The only condition is that the network/site is
using production IPv6 addresses (as soon as they are available) and
provides production quality IPv6 service.

There are no fees or costs to participation other than the time, equipment
and good will that the participant contributes for the provision of the
production IPv6 service.


How to Participate

The 6REN has a mail list at <6ren@es.net> that requires you to join the
list to submit mail to it. Just send "subscribe" in the body of the message
to 6ren-request@es.net.


First Step for the 6REN

Starting in October, 1998, production native IPv6 over ATM interconnections
were established between ESnet, Internet2/vBNS, Canarie, Cairn and WIDE.
Though these connections were done using testing (6bone) IPv6 addresses,
the participants will convert to their production IPv6 addresses as soon as
they are issued by the address registries, hopefully by the end of the 1st
quarter of 1999 (currently promised by ARIN, APNIC and RIPE-NCC).

Also, ESnet will provide transit for all 6bone connected networks to all
6REN networks to guarantee early continuity for early application and
operational testing.


A Next Step for the 6REN - the 6TAP

In order to facilitate the easy interconnection of 6REN participants in the
US, Canarie and ESnet are jointly sponsoring an IPv6 Exchange "6TAP"
project to provide routing and route serving services at the StarTAP in
Chicago. The 6TAP will provide an IPv6 capable router and route server
colocated at StarTAP to experiment with early route administration and
peering services to assist in the development of IPv6 operational procedures. 


What's Next

Getting the word about the 6REN to the 6bone networks able to run
production IPv6 networks is a first order of business. In addition, ESnet
is helping carry the message to those networks not yet IPv6 experienced to
help them understand the value of 6REN participation.

Another important effort is to promote production Internet traffic to be
moved over 6REN networks in native IPv6 wherever and whenever possible.

Anyone with questions are encouraged to contact Bob Fink of ESnet
(fink@es.net).

-end