Sebastopol, CA--When Vinton Cerf and Bob Kahn figured out the original workings of IP, it was for a network of fewer than a hundred hosts, but their work has continued to serve the Internet well for many years. Today, however, the sheer number of devices to be connected means that we are fast running out of address space. This is just one of the problems that IPv6 has been designed to address. IPv6 offers scalability, increased security features, real-time traffic support, and auto-configuration, but what does this mean for IT professionals? Having learned all the strengths and weaknesses of the old protocol, do they abandon that knowledge and start afresh with the new? In the new second edition of her book, IPv6 Essentials (O'Reilly, US $44.99), author Silvia Hagen provides a succinct, in-depth tour of everything IT professionals will need to know to plan for, design, and integrate IPv6 into their current IPv4 infrastructure.
Hagen covers all the new features and functions in IPv6, discussing everything readers will need to understand to get started, including how to configure IPv6 on hosts and routers, and which applications currently support IPv6.
Hagen says "The IPv6 wave is approaching. Many people don't see it yet and believe it is far away, if it will ever come. The fact is, deployments are increasing and it is in use far more than people are aware. It is true, that right now there may not be an imperative reason for an organization to deploy right now, but applications and address demands will soon demand IPv6. Those that have already done their homework and have an idea of how to integrate it into their networks will have an easier time and save money."
Aimed at system and network administrators, engineers, network designers, and IT managers, IPv6 Essentials, Second Edition will help readers prepare for the next chapter in the future of the Net.
Beginning with a short history of IPv6, Hagen provides an overview of new functionality and market situations, and discusses why we need IPv6. Hagen also includes exhaustive discussions of the new IPv6 header format and extension headers, IPv6 address and ICMPv6 message formats, security, QoS, mobility, and, last but not least, offers a Quick Start Guide for different operating systems. Hagen covers the following topics and more:
"The book is very thorough and explains the protocol from the packet level, which is a great way to learn about how a protocol works," says Hagen. "After explaining all the new and cool features of IPv6, I explain how IPv6 will grow into our networks peacefully with all the interoperability and transition mechanisms that have been carefully designed by the developers. I give readers an idea of how they can plan for deployment and at what point they should start using IPv6. Finally, the last chapter explains how to get started on different operating systems. It explains where to get IPv6 stacks, the IPv6 tools that are available, and shows some common tasks that can be done in a test environment."
Whether you're ready to start implementing IPv6 today or are planning your strategy for the future, IPv6 Essentials, Second Edition will provide the solid foundation you need to get started.
Additional Resources:
IPv6 Essentials, Second Edition
Silvia Hagen
ISBN: 0-596-10058-2, 418 pages, $44.99 US
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.