Chapter 3 Configuring Ipv6; Information About Ipv6 - Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Configuration Manual

S e n d d o c u m e n t c o m m e n t s t o n e x u s 7 k - d o c f e e d b a c k @ c i s c o . c o m .
Configuring IPv6
This chapter describes how to configure Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), which includes addressing,
Neighbor Discovery Protocol (ND), and Internet Control Message Protocol version 6 (ICMPv6), on the
device.
This chapter includes the following sections:
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Information About IPv6

IPv6, which is designed to replace IPv4, increases the number of network address bits from 32 bits (in
IPv4) to 128 bits. IPv6 is based on IPv4 but it includes a much larger address space and other
improvements such as a simplified main header and extension headers.
The larger IPv6 address space allows networks to scale and provide global reachability. The simplified
IPv6 packet header format handles packets more efficiently. The flexibility of the IPv6 address space
reduces the need for private addresses and the use of Network Address Translation (NAT), which
translates private (not globally unique) addresses into a limited number of public addresses. IPv6 enables
new application protocols that do not require special processing by border routers at the edge of
networks.
IPv6 functionality, such as prefix aggregation, simplified network renumbering, and IPv6 site
multihoming capabilities, enable more efficient routing. IPv6 supports Routing Information Protocol
(RIP), Integrated Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF)
for IPv6, and multiprotocol Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).
This section includes the following topics:
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OL-20002-02
Information About IPv6, page 3-1
Licensing Requirements for IPv6, page 3-18
Prerequisites for IPv6, page 3-18
Guidelines and Limitations for IPv6, page 3-18
Configuring IPv6, page 3-18
Verifying the IPv6 Configuration, page 3-24
IPv6 Example Configuration, page 3-24
Default Settings, page 3-24
Additional References, page 3-24
IPv6 Address Formats, page 3-2
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