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Re: IPv6 prefixes longer then /64: are they possible in DOCSIS networks?


From: Dmitry Cherkasov <doctorchd () gmail com>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:59:53 +0200

John,

I am determining technical requirements to IPv6 provisioning system
for DOCSIS networks and I am deciding if it is worth to restrict user
to use not less then /64 networks on cable interface. It is obvious
that no true economy of IP addresses can be achieved with increasing
prefix length above 64 bits.

As for using EUI-64, unlike random or sequential generation it
provides predictable results that may be desired, e.g. for tracking
some device migration between different networks.

Dmitry Cherkasov



2011/11/29 Brzozowski, John <John_Brzozowski () cable comcast com>:
Dmitry,


You could consider the use of prefixes longer than the /64 on CMTS
interfaces, however, it is not clear to me why this would be done.
Further, most DHCPv6 implementations do not require that the generated
IPv6 address be eui-64 based.  A randomized algorithm could also be used.
Another consideration is what happens after IPv6 is used for addressing
cable modems.  What happens when you want to address CPE or CPE routers?
You are right back to /64 or shorter depending on the type of device being
provisioned.

FWIW - we have found that there are distinct benefits to using IPv6 beyond
the amount of addresses that are available.  The use of /64 is tightly
coupled with these benefits.

Can you elaborate as to why one would want to or need to use prefixes
longer than /64?

John

On 11/28/11 6:37 AM, "Dmitry Cherkasov" <doctorchd () gmail com> wrote:

Hello everybody,

It is commonly agreed that /64 is maximal length for LANs because if
we use longer prefix we introduce conflict with stateless address
autoconfiguration (SLAAC) based on EUI-64 spec. But  SLAAC is not used
in DOCSIS networks. So there seems to be no objections to use smaller
networks per cable interfaces of CMTS. I was not able to find any
recommendations anywhere including Cable Labs specs for using
prefixes not greater then /64 in DOCSIS networks. Some tech from ISP
assumed that DHCPv6 server may generate interface ID part of IPv6
address similarly to EUI-64 so MAC address of the device can easily be
obtained from its IPv6 address, but this does not seem like convincing
argument. What do you think?


Dmitry Cherkasov




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