IPv6 Rapid Deployment

The IPv6 rapid deployment feature allows a service provider to provide a unicast IPv6 service to customers over its IPv4 network by using encapsulation of IPv6 in IPv4.

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest caveats and feature information, see Bug Search Tool and the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the feature information table.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/​go/​cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Information About IPv6 Rapid Deployment

IPv6 Rapid Deployment Tunnels

The 6RD feature is an extension of the 6to4 feature. The 6RD feature allows a service provider (SP) to provide a unicast IPv6 service to customers over its IPv4 network by using encapsulation of IPv6 in IPv4.

The main differences between 6RD and 6to4 tunneling are as follows:

  • 6RD does not require addresses to have a 2002::/16 prefix; therefore, the prefix can be from the SP’s own address block. This function allows the 6RD operational domain to be within the SP network. From the perspective of customer sites and the general IPv6 internet connected to a 6RD-enabled SP network, the IPv6 service provided is equivalent to native IPv6.

  • All 32 bits of the IPv4 destination need not be carried in the IPv6 payload header. The IPv4 destination is obtained from a combination of bits in the payload header and information on the router. Furthermore, the IPv4 address is not at a fixed location in the IPv6 header as it is in 6to4.

The 6RD SP prefix was selected by the SP for the IPv6 deployment shown in the figure below. The 6RD delegated prefix is derived from the SP prefix and the IPv4 address bits, and is used by the CE for hosts within its site.

Figure 1. 6RD Deployment

The figure below shows how 6RD prefix delegation works.

Figure 2. 6RD Prefix Delegation Explanation

The figure below shows a 6RD prefix delegation topology.

Figure 3. 6RD Prefix Delegation and Explanation

How to Configure IPv6 Rapid Deployment

Configuring 6RD Tunnels

SUMMARY STEPS

    1.    enable

    2.    configure terminal

    3.    interface tunnel tunnel-number

    4.    tunnel source {ip-address| interface-t ype interface-number}

    5.    tunnel mode ipv6ip [6rd | 6to4 | auto-tunnel | isatap]

    6.    tunnel 6rd prefix ipv6-prefix / prefix-length

    7.    tunnel 6rd ipv4 {prefix-length length} {suffix-length length}


DETAILED STEPS
     Command or ActionPurpose
    Step 1 enable


    Example:
    Router> enable
     

    Enables privileged EXEC mode.

    • Enter your password if prompted.

     
    Step 2 configure terminal


    Example:
    Router# configure terminal
     

    Enters global configuration mode.

     
    Step 3 interface tunnel tunnel-number


    Example:
    Router(config)# interface tunnel 1
     

    Specifies a tunnel interface and number, and enters interface configuration mode.

     
    Step 4 tunnel source {ip-address| interface-t ype interface-number}


    Example:
    Router(config-if)# tunnel source loopback 1
     

    Specifies the source interface type and number for the tunnel interface.

     
    Step 5 tunnel mode ipv6ip [6rd | 6to4 | auto-tunnel | isatap]


    Example:
    Router(config-if)# tunnel mode ipv6ip 6rd
     

    Configures a static IPv6 tunnel interface.

    • The auto-tunnel keyword is not supported on Cisco ASR 1000 series routers.

     
    Step 6 tunnel 6rd prefix ipv6-prefix / prefix-length


    Example:
    Router(config-if)# tunnel 6rd prefix 2001:B000::/32
     

    Specifies the common IPv6 prefix on IPv6 rapid 6RD tunnels.

     
    Step 7 tunnel 6rd ipv4 {prefix-length length} {suffix-length length}


    Example:
    Router(config-if)# tunnel 6rd ipv4 prefix-length 16 suffix 8
     

    Specifies the prefix length and suffix length of the IPv4 transport address common to all the 6RD routers in a domain.

     

    Configuration Examples for IPv6 Rapid Deployment

    Example: Configuring 6RD Tunnels

    The following example shows the running configuration of a 6RD tunnel and the corresponding output of the show tunnel 6rd command: 

    interface Tunnel1
 ipv6 address 2001:B000:100::1/32
 tunnel source loopback 1
 tunnel mode ipv6ip 6rd 
 tunnel 6rd prefix 2001:B000::/32 
 tunnel 6rd ipv4 prefix-len 16 suffix-len 8
end 
Router# show tunnel 6rd tunnel 1
Interface Tunnel1: 
  Tunnel Source: 10.1.1.1 
  6RD: Operational, V6 Prefix: 2001:B000::/32 
  V4 Common Prefix Length: 16, Value: 10.1.0.0
  V4 Common Suffix Length: 8, Value: 0.0.0.1

    Additional References

    Related Documents

    Related Topic

    Document Title

    IPv6 addressing and connectivity

    IPv6 Configuration Guide

    Cisco IOS commands

    Cisco IOS Master Commands List, All Releases

    IPv6 commands

    Cisco IOS IPv6 Command Reference

    Cisco IOS IPv6 features

    Cisco IOS IPv6 Feature Mapping

    Standards and RFCs

    Standard/RFC

    Title

    RFCs for IPv6

    IPv6 RFCs

    Technical Assistance

    Description

    Link

    The Cisco Support and Documentation website provides online resources to download documentation, software, and tools. Use these resources to install and configure the software and to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support and Documentation website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password.

    http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​cisco/​web/​support/​index.html

    Feature Information for IPv6 Rapid Deployment

    The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.

    Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/​go/​cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
    Table 1 Feature Information for IPv6 Rapid Deployment

    Feature Name

    Releases

    Feature Information

    IP Tunneling: 6RD IPv6 Rapid Deployment

    Cisco IOS XE Release 3.1S

    The 6RD feature allows a service provider to provide a unicast IPv6 service to customers over its IPv4 network by using encapsulation of IPv6 in IPv4.

    The following commands were introduced or modified: tunnel 6rd ipv4, tunnel 6rd prefix, tunnel mode ipv6ip, tunnel source.