Multi-Link Support for IPv6 Networks

Abstract

The common practice for IPv6 network configuration is to assign a unique subnet prefix for each physical link in the network. This process not only demands multiple subnet prefixes, but also requires manual administration and configuration. An alternative configuration method is to bridge all links at the IPv6 layer and assign a single subnet prefix for the entire network, thus the name multi-link subnet. In this paper we address the auto-configuration of a multi-link subnet for IPv6 networks. We first describe how multi-link subnet support can be implemented in a single-router network, and extend the methods to multirouter networks. We believe that the proposed auto-configuration methods complement the standard host auto-configuration protocol, and enable true plug-and-play networking necessary for ubiquitous deployment of IPv6 networks.