www.example.com. IN A 10.1.1.1
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If www.example.com resolves to an IPv6 address, connect to the IPv6 address.
www.example.com. IN AAAA 3ffe:501:ffff::1234
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If www.example.com resolves to multiple IPv4/v6 addresses, IPv6 addresses
will be tried first, and then IPv4 addresses will be tried. For example, with the
following DNS records, we will try connecting to 3ffe:501:ffff::1234, then
3ffe:501:ffff::5678, and finally 10.1.1.1.
www.example.com. IN AAAA 3ffe:501:ffff::1234
www.example.com. IN AAAA 3ffe:501:ffff::5678
www.example.com. IN A 10.1.1.1
Since we assume that IPv6 nodes will be able to use IPv4 as well, the Internet will
be filled with IPv4/v6 dual stack nodes in the near future, and the use of IPv6 will
become dominant.
1.2.2 Tunneling
Even when we have IPv4/v6 dual stack nodes at two locations (e.g., home and office),
it may be possible that the intermediate network (ISPs) are not IPv6-ready yet. To
circumvent this situation, RFC 2893 defines ways to encapsulate an IPv6 packet into
an IPv4 packet. The encapsulated packet will travel IPv4 Internet with no trouble,
and then decapsulate at the other end. We call this technology “IPv6-over-IPv4
tunneling.”
For example, imagine the following situation (see Figure 1.1):
■
We have two networks: home and office.
■
We have an IPv4/v6 dual stack host and router at both locations.
■
However, we have IPv4-only connectivity to the upstream ISP.
In this case, we can configure an IPv6-over-IPv4 tunnel between X and Y. An IPv6
packet from A to B will be routed as follows (see Figure 1.2):
■
The IPv6 packet will be transmitted from A to X, as is.
■
X will encapsulate the packet into an IPv4 packet.
■
The IPv4 packet will travel the IPv4 Internet, to Y.
■
Y will decapsulate the packet and recover the original IPv6 packet.
■
The packet will reach B.
Chapter 1
1.2 Transition from IPv4-Only Internet to IPv4/v6 Dual Stack Internet 5