Build an IPv6 test environment on the Linux platform and IPv4 environment

Article title: Build an IPv6 test environment on the Linux platform and IPv4 environment. Linux is a technology channel of the IT lab in China. Includes basic categories such as desktop applications, Linux system management, kernel research, embedded systems, and open source.

With the development of Internet technology, the traditional IPv4 address cannot meet the needs of users. The next generation of IPv6 protocol is also widely accepted and used. more and more software systems require support for IPv6 network protocols. However, the existing network environment still has limited support for IPv6, which brings some difficulties to software development and testing. This article describes how to use Apache to build a simulated IPv6 environment in an existing IPv4 network.

Build an IPv6 test environment on the Linux platform and IPv4 environment

1 IPv6 introduction

IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6) is an upgraded Version of IPv4. it is installed on devices and

Operating system. The most direct answer to why IPv6 is needed is that IPv4, which is widely used, cannot provide enough IP addresses to meet the needs of rapidly growing networks. IPv4 uses a 32-bit address with only about 4.3 billion addresses and will soon be allocated. IPv6 uses a 128-bit address length, which is almost unrestricted. Of course, expanding the address space is only an important part of IPv6's many advantages. In addition, IPv6 can also improve the overall network throughput and quality of service (QoS) and provides better security, support for plug-and-play and mobility, and better implement multicast functions.

Since the establishment of the IPNG working group in 1992, it has experienced more than a decade of development. Although IPv6 is still far from reaching the same level as IPv4, more and more devices support IPv6 have been put into use, more and more software systems are beginning to support IPv6. IPv6 can now provide basic services such as DNS, Web, Email, Ftp, and Telnet. Windows, Sun, Apple, and other operating systems have or are about to support IPv6. IBM has been committed to the development of IPv6. as early as 1997, IBM released the AIX supporting IPv6. Currently, DB2, Lotus, Rational, Tivoli, and WebSphere are gradually supporting IPv6 applications.

2. simulate an IPv6 network in an IPv4 environment

As described in the previous section, many software related to network applications have been added to IPv6 support, and a large number of software are in the development stage of IPv6 support. However, in terms of development, many development environments do not provide good support for IPv6, especially when the developed applications need to go through older routes or even public networks. If you want to upgrade the network device to support the development environment, it will be a great deal of money, sometimes even unrealistic (for example, upgrading the public network to support IPv6 in the short term ).

It is particularly important to study how to model the IPv6 environment in the existing IPv4 network environment so that the development and testing work can proceed smoothly. The following describes how to simulate the HTTP/HTTPS network development and testing environment of IPv6 through the Apache server on the Linux platform.

2.1 IPv6 network requirements and existing network environment

It shows typical HTTP network applications. If IPv6 support is required for such network applications, developers and testers may encounter the following three situations:

The client and server run in the same LAN, 1-a

The client and server run in the same Intranet, and the network path between them needs to be routed, 1-B

The client and server are in different regions, and they are connected by the Internet, 1-c.

Figure 1. three typical HTTP network applications

 

In these three different situations, the IPv6 network environment requirements are different. In case 1, only the operating system running on the client and server supports IPv6 to communicate with each other through the IPv6 protocol, it can be supported by running a software IPv6 route on a machine in the LAN. Therefore, it is relatively simple to develop and test IPv6. In case 2, because the routes between the client and the server run on the IP layer, all the routers that pass through the network must support IPv6. This may be a major challenge because many Intranet environments do not provide IPv6-supported routes. In case 3, this requires the Internet to provide IPv6 support. in the short term, it is unlikely that the Internet will provide comprehensive IPv6 support.

Therefore, in circumstances 2 and 3, network hardware support will become the biggest obstacle for development and testing of network applications supporting IPv6, in section 2.2, we will show how to use the existing IPv4 network to develop and test IPv6 applications. at the same time, we will ensure that IPv6 applications run normally in a real IPv6 environment.

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