Nt1330 Unit 3 Assignment 1

COMP09022 Network Design

BSc COMPUTER NETWORKING
COMP09022

ICMPv6

Prepared by
B00270675
13-03- 2015
WORD COUNT (0000)

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE……………………………………………... 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS…………………………………..2
INTRODUCTION TO THE REPORT……………………. 3
TABLE OF FEATURES.......................................................4
FEATURES NEW TO ICMPv6........................................4
Neighbor Discovery ….........................................................5
Anycast Address ….............................................................6

Autoconfiguration….............................................................7
Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)......................................8
Mobility Support....................................................................9
Router Fragmentation ….......................................................10
.4 Multicast Scoping...........................................................................

.5 Security Support...........................................................................
.8 Multicast

Membership................................................................

Introduction

As part of our Network Design Module (COMP09022) we were asked to research and write a report describing the range of operations which ICMPv6 supports, explaining how it uses the functionality provided by its predecessor as well as other functions used with IPv4.
With my research I have found the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) ICMP is one of the main protocols of the IP suite. It is a protocol that is mainly concerned with routing issues, upgraded from the IPv4 version for use with IPv6 and able to be used with in IPv4, the protocol has a number of changes and new and upgraded from those used in IPv4. The resultant protocol is called ICMPv6. [1]
ICMPv6, is a more complex version than that of ICMPv4 some protocols that were self-reliant in version 4 are now part of ICMPv6 and new messages have been added to make it more useful. [1]
The objective of the report is to introduce ICMPv6 to list new functions in ICMPv6 and upgraded functions taken from the original IPv4 and compare it with ICMPv4.
With a word count limit my report will focus on certain features within ICMPv6 and compare those features to those in IPv4 which have a relationship or closely related to each other for this reason I have chosen from my findings to compare
To complete the report the research materials chosen are Handbook of IPv4 to IPv6 Transition by John J.Amoss and Daniel Minoli and IPv6 Essentials by Silvia Hagen also the internet will be used for research materials.

FEATURES NEW TO ICMPv6 AND UPDATED FROM IPV4
Router Discovery Security Support
Router Fragmentation Mobility Support
Anycast Address Autoconfiguration
Multicast Scoping Multicast Membership
Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)
[1]
Feature
IPv4
IPv6
Anycast Address
No
Yes
Multicast Scoping
No
Yes
Security Support
No
Yes
Mobility Support
No
Yes
Autoconfiguration
No
Yes
Router Discovery
No
Neighbor Discovery
Multicast Membership
IGMP
Multicast Listener Discovery
Router Fragmentation
Yes
Source only

[1],[2]

Router Discovery

Router Discovery Protocol or Neighbor Discovery uses Internet Control Message Protocol router advertisements and router messages to allow a host to discover addresses of other routers, used for discovering local routers that can forward messages, to register which routers are functioning and those that are not the protocol is used to discover neighboring routers, also to show their presence, to inform of a better routes to forward to the selected destination to Discover addresses, and configurations to notify of address changes neighbors and whether a neighbor is still reachable. [3]

Similar or updated from or related to IPV4 version of ARP The following is a list of comparisons of the Neighbor Discovery protocol and that of IPv4.
Router discovery is a feature within ICMP IPv6. In IPv6 it is not necessary to check through the routing protocols to find a router. With IPv4 ARP, ICMP router discovery, and ICMP redirect is used for discovering routers.
With IPv4 the use of the netmask prefix is used for site recognition. IPv6 site prefixes are held within the header advertisement.
With IPv6 autoconfiguration is allowed through router advertising, there is no autoconfiguration used with IPv4
With IPv6 neighbor discovery an MTU to the same value must be used by all with IPv4 the use of MTU value may differ across the network.[4],[5]

Anycast Address
With IPv6 the use of the anycast address a single address may be used on many devices with the same service, and is used in many communications, which deliver to one device. With the appropriate routing topology, not dependent on distance the closest device with the known address recieves the data or request.
If you have three servers placed around any area with anycast address the closest in distance will be accessed for the services.
“for example, a server with one anycast IP address somewhere in US and other server with same service and same IP address somewhere in Europe”[6] and data is requested from UK the address in Europe will be accessed.

in IPv6 Anycast has replaced the use of Broadcast from the IPv4 in use on IPv4 are Unicast Multicast and Broadcast and in IPv6 in use on are Unicast Multicast and Anycast
IPv4 Broadcast One-to-All type of communication. A network device send an IPv4 data packet and it will be delivered all devices in that LAN Segment. Problem with broadcast traffic is, broadcasts disturb all devices in LAN and cause bandwidth wastage. IPv6 Anycast IPv6 Anycast type of communication is used to identify an interface from a group of interfaces, which provide the same service, but near to the client in routing distance (we can compare routing distance similar to geographical distance). Anycast is possible only with the help of routing protocols.[7]

Autoconfiguration
Host autoconfiguration: with host autoconfiguration is achieved when host addresses can be assigned to network interfaces. This can be done in two different ways, with stateful and stateless autoconfiguration.checking for addresses already in use is also done with the use of Duplicate Address Detection (DAD).
Router autoconfiguration: router configureing is done with the help of the protocol Neighbor Discovery at this point the router is automatically configured allowing the router to know the exact part of the subnet and organization that it belongs to which allows for the correct prefixes to be attached to the headers for the interface the router has a connection.

IPv6 autoconfiguration may have some similarities to the use of DHCP in version 4 although a more versatile tool when used in version 6 not updated from version this is a new feature for ICMPv6.

IPv4 must be configured manually when a new network is installed to communicate with other systems addresses and address routes manually configured for communication.
IPv6 has the option to manually configure routes or to learn routes automatically with the use of autoconfiguration

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_ibm_i_61/rzai2/rzai2compipv4ipv6.htm

https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc2462/?include_text=1

Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD)
Within ICMP IPv6 groups that wish to receive the same data will be controlled with the use of Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD) these would have no known boundaries they could be placed anywhere on the internet and still receive the same packet structure as long as they where within the same multicast address when interested in receiving data intended for a specific group the device must first request to join the group is done through MLD
Similar to IGMP used with IPV4 used to locate hosts that want Data from a set multicast group, was replaced by Multicast Listener Discovery for IPv6 only with some minor changes for use within IPv6 noticeable only within header of the IPv6 packet which is simpler than that of the IPv4 packet with IPv4 it is necessary to manually configure the settings or for it to set through the DHCP server as with the use of IPv6 no special configuration is necessary.[8]
When introduced to IPv6 MLD is not a stand alone protocol as IGMP is a protocol in version 4 MLD is a feature with in ICMPv6 whilst working alongside other features makes it easier to adapt to newer additions.

https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc2710/?include_text=1

Mobility Support
With the growing mobile connections as nodes move around from network to network we would assume IP addresses would change as we connect to the network, without disruption to the mobile connection, here mobility support helps with the seamless reconnection. With mobility support the mobile node is issued with a home address this IP address never changes from network to network a secondary IP address is issued can be known as the care address here the care address registers with the home address each time a new care address is issued to the node.

With both IPv4 and IPv6 being similar with IPv6 based on version 4 with the IPv6 mobility using other features within IPv6 protocols to better adapt to the function of mobility and allowing for more flexibility with the feature.

Silvia Hagen (2002). IPv6 Essentials. USA: O'Reilly. p131-134.
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/rfc3775/?include_text=1

Router Fragmentation
With IPv6 fragmentation is done at the source node sending the data packet and attached is a fragmentation header when the packet to be sent is to large each fragmented section of the packet has a seperate number header to distinguish each fragment , and is reassemled on the receiving node according to header value.
With IPv6 fragmentation is with the source node
With IPv4 fragmentation can be achieved by source node or router

John J.Amoss and Daniel Minoli (2008). Handbook of IPv4 to IPv6 Transition. 13th ed. USA: Auerbach Publications. p73-74.

http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/ssw_ibm_i_61/rzai2/rzai2compipv4ipv6.htm