IPv6 in Cable

SCTE Rocky Mountain Chapter

Meeting
April 12, 2012
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Agenda

IPv6 in DOCSIS
IPv6 Quick Refresher
IP Transition Alternatives
IPv6 in the Home
Standards and IPv6 working groups you can follow
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IPv6 and DOCSIS

IPv6 was added to the DOCSIS Specification for DOCSIS

3.0
At the same time, a parallel effort was started for
PacketCable 2.0
- IPv6 with PacketCable 1.x was ruled out at the time
DOCSIS 2.0 devices were also addressed with a Technical
Report which was converted to a DOCSIS 2.0+IPv6
Specification.
- It was felt that a significant number of currently deployed DOCSIS 2.0
devices would have the needed memory and capability to be
managed and support IPv6 CPE.
- It should also be noted that many current 2.0 modems have issues
supporting IPv6 CPE due to being MDF incapable.
The eRouter Specifications also define IPv6 routing
native/ no NAT with IPv4 NAT-PT
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Management vs Forwarding/Routing

In DOCSIS 3.0, the CM can be provisioned with an IPv4, IPv6 or

Dual-Stack management address
- This does not affect or change the ability of a subscriber to run IPv6 in
the home, It only means that the modem can be managed using a
specific address family

DOCSIS 2.0+IPv6 modems can also be provisioned to do single

stack IPv4 or IPv6.
- However, some modems still have issues related to the IPv6 Multicast
forwarding (lack of support for Multicast DSID Forwarding)

Likewise, some CMTS can provide a dual stack management

stack, while others are still only IP4
- Again, the ability to manage a device with a specific address family has
little to do with the forwarding of IPv4 or IPv6 based Subscriber Traffic.
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CM Provisioning

It all starts with the MAC Domain Descriptor (MDD)

message and the IP Provisioning mode
- Allows the MSO to control if the CM should provision a single
IPv4/IPv6 Stack, Dual Stack (both v4 and v6) or Alternate
Provisioning mode (attempt v6 and fallback to v4 if that does not
work.
- When the CM sees this TLV on a primary capable DS, it will initiate
obtaining the specified in the MDD.
CM will then use this address for all management activities TFTP, ToD,
SNMP
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CM Provisioning

In 2010/11, we added in an MDD Override TLV for the CM

- Allows the MSO to control what devices are moved to a given
address family regardless of the IP Provisioning Mode
- The original intent was to force IPv4 operation when IPv6 was
mandated in the MDD, but now also used to say IPv6 when the MDD
says IPv4
- CMTS in all cases must be dual stack on the MAC Domain so that
IPv4 and IPv6 devices can be supported
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IPv6 Provisioning

CM CMTS DHCP TFTP ToD

NS (DAD)
Link-local
address No response expected
assignment to DAD

Router RS
discovery RA

SOLICIT
RELAY-FORW
DHCPv6
RELAY-
ADVERTISE
REQUEST Optional if Rapid Commit not used
RELAY-FORW
RELAY-
REPLY
NS (DAD)
No response expected
to DAD

ToD Request
Response

TFTP TFTP-GET
TFTP-RSP (config file)
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CPE Provisioning

DOCSIS 3.0 CM
- When a DOCSIS 3.0 CM is provisioned, the CM can then support CPE
devices with either a single IPv4/IPv6 stack or dual stack hosts as long
as the MAC domain is configured for both address families
- For this to work, Multicast DSID Forwarding must be enabled so that the
IPv6 Stack maintenance (which is performed over IP Multicast e.g.
Solicited Node/ Neighbor Discovery), can be forwarded properly to and
from the CMTS.
DOCSIS 2.0+IPv6
- There are generally 2 types of modems here
GMAC Explicit
MDF Incapable
- To support IPv6 based CPE behind the Cable Modem, the GMAC
Explicit CM needs both the DSID for the labeled traffic as well as the
MAC address for the filtering
- MDF incapable CMs must rely on other methods to support IPv6 CPE
(e.g. Allow all 33:33 based multicast through the CM)
 IPv6 Quick Refresher

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Address Types and Scopes

Unicast
Multicast
Anycast

Scopes
- Global Unicast
- Link-Local (fe80::/64)
- Unique Local Addresses

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How Addresses are Acquired

StateLess Address AutoConfiguration

DHCPv6
Interface ID generation

EUI-64 uses the mac address and an algorithm

to generate interface ID
Windows7/Vista randomly generates interface
ID by default
Servers and LINUX/UNIX mostly use EUI-64

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DHCPv6 vs DHCPv4 messages

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Reconfigure

IPv6 allowed for the ability for Network

Managers to easily renumber the IPv6
nodes that were operational
The DCHPv6 server can send reconfigure
messages to clients to update their
addresses.
The clients do have to signal their ability to
support the DHCP reconfigure message at
the time they first send a DHCP SOLICIT
DOCSIS Mandates that 3.0 and 20+IPv6
devices support this message. CPE support
is not perfect
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Prefix Delegation

In DOCSIS, we provide for the DHCP Server

to delegate a prefix to a device
We also provide for the ability to inject that
new prefix in the Routing Tables using Prefix
delegation route injection.
DOCSIS also specifies a feature for Prefix
Stability for when the home gateway
changes Nodes and moves from one CMTS
to another and we want to have the
delegated prefix move with the gateway
- In some cases, this may require an IGP to help maintain
who routes for the prefix.

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 IP Transition Alternatives

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Pathway to Deployment

There is a huge list of things that need to be done to get to

the point where IPv6 can be turned on for CM or CPE
- Address Space
- Address Space planning for core services, peering points, regional
data centers, provisioning servers, routes switches, management
stations, etc.
- Address Space deployment and testing inside and out
- Oh Yeah dont forget the CMTS and CM
- Trial, test, re-trial, re-test, re-work plans because you know more and
your vendors have fixed brokenness.
- Pick markets to trial
- Configure markets
- Trial
- Expand trial, start looking at IPv6 into the home?
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Transition Toolkit

Operators today, like enterprises, have a large number of

tools that can be used to manage the IP connectivity needs
of their subscribers
These tool kits fall into three general categories
- Dual Stack hosts and routing
- Tunneling/Encapsulation (IPv4 in IPv6, IPv6 in IPv4)
- Translation

Dual-Stack Encapsulation Translation

Dual-Stack Encapsulation Translation
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Dual Stack (IPv6 / IPv4)

IPv4 and IPv6 protocol stacks implemented on the same

device. Dual stack devices interoperate
- with IPv6-only devices using IPv6 and with IPv4-only devices using
IPv4
Most simple and recommended approach, network is the
same
IPv4-only cannot communicate with IPv6-only, need to
maintain 2 routing tables,
need to maintain 2 firewall rule sets, requires additional
memory and power
MSOs looking first to use Dual Stack in the home for
deployment purposes.
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Tunneling (6-in-4 or 4-in-6)

One transport protocol is encapsulated as the payload of

the other
- Connect Islands of IPv6 or IPv4 (compatible nodes across
incompatible networks)
- recommended for site-to-site
Security issues with tunneled protocols, reduced
performance, complicated
Management & troubleshooting can be cumbersome
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DS-Lite - Topology

IPv4 Content

IPv6 Content

IPv4 Core
Network /
Internet DS-Lite ISP
IPv6 Network
Device
Native IPv4 / Internet
(AFTR)
Packets

Native IPv6
IPv4-in-IPv6
Packets
Tunneled Packets Provider
Network IPv6

IPv6
Address

Native IPv4
Packets
IPv4
Clients IPv6
Clients
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Translation (NAT-PT, NAT64/DNS64)

Translates IPv6 names & addresses into IPv4 names &

addresses (and vice versa).
- Enables IPv6-only host to communicate with IPv4-only hosts (and
vice versa),
No modification to IPv4 or IPv6 end nodes, only
adjustments at boundary routers
- Application incompatibilities (e.g. VoIP), need for ALG, all NAT
drawbacks
Increased complexity in network topology, Reduced
Performance (dep. on HW),
Complicated troubleshooting
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NAT64/DNS64 Deployment Topology

DNS Server Farm

IPv6
Internet

IPv6/v4
IPv6 Servers

IPv6 IPv4
Provider Internet
IPv6 Client

NAT64 + DNS64 Synthesis

IPv4 Servers
Address Family Translation
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Carrier Grade NAT Topology (NAT444)

Two Layers of NAT
- Customer Premise Equipment NAT (Traditional NAT)
- Service Provider NAT (CGN)

Public IPv4 Internet

Carrier Grade NAT

Provider Private IPv4

Network

CPE NAT CPE NAT

Consumer
Private IPv4

Slide used with permission from CableLabs

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Carrier Grade NAT Topology (NAT44)

Single Layer of NAT

- Provider provisioned end devices
- Ideal for mobile handsets

Public IPv4 Internet

Carrier Grade NAT

Provider Private IPv4

Network
Photo by Jason Fesler - http://flic.kr/p/bhDoxg
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Network Address Translation (NAT)

Slide used with permission from CableLabs

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PAT and Address Overloading

Slide used with permission from CableLabs

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NAT and the End to End Principle

Slide used with permission from CableLabs

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NAT444

NAT Table
10.1.0.2:1025<->192.168.0.2:1025
NAT Table DHCPv4 Server
76.121.26.3:2001<->10.1.0.2:1025
Changes DA
and forwards Changes SA of packet,
CGN builds NAT IPv4 packet to
mapping using public sends upstream
host
and private IPv4

IPv4 Internet

Home Router
CGN changes DA IPv4 Host
CGN of packet, sends ISP Router
packet to HGW 192.168.0.2
IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet
SA 76.121.26.3:2001 SA 10.1.0.2 SA 192.168.0.2

IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet

DA 76.121.26.3:2001 DA 10.1.0.2 DA 192.168.0.2

Slide used with permission from CableLabs

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Dual-Stack Lite

NAT Table Modified DHCP

76.121.26.3:2001<-> 2001::1|192.168.0.2:1025
Server Removes IPv6
CGN builds NAT DHCP header, Encapsulates packet
mapping using IPv6, forwards IPv4 Host obtains
with IPv6 header, sends
lease
IPv4, and port, then packet to host it to CGN address from
contains
performs NAT Router
IPv6 addr,
CGN
IPv4 Internet

CGN translates DA, Home Router

CGN adds IPv6 tunnel ISP Router IPv4 Host
header, sends 192.168.0.2
IPv4 Packet packet to HGW IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet
SA 76.121.26.3:2001 IPv6 Header SA 192.168.0.2
SA 192.168.0.2

IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet IPv4 Packet

IPv6 Header
DA 76.121.26.3:2001 DA 192.168.0.2 DA 192.168.0.2

Slide used with permission from CableLabs

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IPv6 Offers a Better Experience than Shared IPv4

IPv4 traffic passes through Web, email (normal)

ISP NAT, resulting in a Video streaming (degraded)
diminished experience P2P (dropped)
IPv6 traffic goes directly to
the Internet, offering a ISP NAT IPv4
better experience Device Internet

Home Dual-Stack IPv4/IPv6

Router IPv4/IPv6 Remote
(IPv4 & IPv6) Network
Device
Dual-Stack ISP
Customer Device Network
(e.g. PC, TV) IPv6 Internet
All IPv6 traffic
(normal)
Requires Dual-Stack (IPv4 & IPv6) PC and Home Gateway
Slide used with permission from CableLabs
 IPv6 in the Home

Slide used with permission from CableLabs 33

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Can you Spot the IPv6 devices?

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IPv6 in the home Challenges

There are a number of challenges in just getting IPv6 to the

home, but many more challenges exist inside the home.
Hosts that only support IPv4
Hosts that support IPv6, but not DHCPv6
Hosts that support Dual Stack
Cool wiring challenges
- Powerline, Zigbee, Wireless, Ethernet, MoCA, etc.
Multiple routers in the home
- With and without NAT for IPv4
DNS serve in the home our outside the home?
Multiple ISPs or get your MSO video over CM and your
internet from Telco, but use 1 router/gateway to do/manage
everything.
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IPv6 Address Planning for the Home

Today, operators are deep in discussion over how much

space to allocate to an in-home network.
First steps for some will be to allocate a /64 to the home
- This equates to 18,446,744,073,709,551,616 IPv6 addresses
- By contrast, the entire IPv4 space is 4,294,967,296 addresses

Next steps will be to delegate enough space that you can

have a /64 for each interface on a gateway as well as
delegate additional /64 to subtended routers and other
network segments.

On the IPv4 side, still plan on NAT at the gateway with

some internal IPv4 routing.
 Standards and IPv6 working
groups you can follow

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CableLabs
- DOCSIS 3.0 and eRouter
- DOCSIS 2.0+IPv6
- OpenCable HN
IETF
- V6ops IPv6 Network Operations
- Homenet Ceated in 2011 to address the CPE router and networks
in the home
- Behave TCP and UDP protocol behaviors
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Thanks
Dan Torbet
Dir. Media Technologies and Architecture Strategies
Office of the CSO
ARRIS