News
Microsoft Releases Plans for IPv6 Implementation in W2K
- By Scott Bekker
- 03/15/2000
Microsoft Corp., which has been cited as roadblock to a potential IPv6 implementation, has set a date for release of its IPv6 specs. Developers who plan to use IPv6 will be able to take a peek at the Windows 2000 APIs beginning March 20.
Numerical IP addresses have been in short supply since the explosion of personal computers connected to the Internet. The advent of Internet enabled wireless phones, and perhaps toasters and electric toothbrushes, only expands the need for more IP address. IPv6 is a new naming convention using 128 bit addresses, which allow more unique addresses than the 32 bits that the current IPv4 standards use.
Naysayers of IPv6 have cited kludges that allow several desktops to use the same IP address and the lack of implementation of IPv6 in Windows 2000 as roadblocks to IPv6 implementation. Today’s announcement deletes one argument from these positions.
Like enterprises that implement Windows 2000 alongside older systems, Microsoft and others expect IPv4 and IPv6 to coexist for quite some time. A group of users have already implemented IPv6 on a small scale, dubbing their implementation the 6bone (www.6bone.net).
Microsoft (www.microsoft.com) is a sponsor of the IPv6 summit March 13-16 in Telluride, Colorado. The summit includes representatives across the computer industry advocating the implementation of IPv6.
The developers specs will be available March 20 at http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/sdks/platform/tpipv6.asp. - Christopher McConnell
About the Author
Scott Bekker is editor in chief of Redmond Channel Partner magazine.