How do IDC, CDN, and cloud service providers upgrade to IPv6?

With the rapid development of the Internet, IPv4 addresses are almost exhausted. Ipv6, the full name of Internet Protocol Version 6, is the next generation IP protocol designed by IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) to replace the current version of IP protocol (IPv4). It is said that it can encode a URL for every grain of sand in the world and is commonly known as the "next generation Internet."

On April 16, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's official website released the "Notice on Launching a Special Action for IPv6 Network Readiness in 2019" (hereinafter referred to as the "Notice"), proposing key tasks for IPv6 networks in 2019 and major year-end goals, continuously promoting the deployment and application of IPv6 in all aspects of the network, comprehensively improving user penetration and network traffic, and accelerating the development of IPv6 in my country's Internet.

Goal: China’s IPv6 network will be ready by 2019

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology stated that the special action for China's IPv6 network readiness launched in 2019 is to thoroughly implement the "Action Plan for Promoting Large-Scale Deployment of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)".

By the end of 2019, the special action will achieve the following main goals:

• (i) The proportion of LTE terminals that have obtained IPv6 addresses has reached 90%, and the proportion of fixed broadband terminals that have obtained IPv6 addresses has reached 40%.
• (II) The number of active IPv6 connections on LTE networks reached 800 million, of which China Telecom Group Co., Ltd. reached 160 million, China Mobile Communications Group Co., Ltd. reached 480 million, and China Unicom Group Co., Ltd. reached 160 million.
• (III) Complete IPv6 transformation of all 13 Internet backbone direct connection points.

According to China IDC Circle, as of November 2018, the mobile broadband access (LTE) networks of 30 provinces of my country's three major basic telecommunications companies have completed end-to-end IPv6 transformation and enabled IPv6 service bearing functions. All backbone network equipment supports IPv6. Five of the 13 backbone direct connection points in the country have opened IPv6 interconnection. The total international entry and exit IPv6 bandwidth has reached 100Gbps. The total number of LTE and fixed broadband access network users to which basic telecommunications companies have allocated IPv6 addresses exceeds 865 million.

Promoting the large-scale deployment of IPv6 is a huge and arduous systematic project. In addition to proposing that the network infrastructure of the three major basic telecommunications companies is ready for IPv6 capabilities, the Notice also lists the names of specific companies and proposes the main tasks of large-scale deployment of IPv6 in 2019 for almost all Internet-related fields, including data centers (IDCs), cloud service platforms, content distribution network (CDN) providers, terminal equipment brands and manufacturers, websites, mobile apps, and Internet application ecosystems.

The Notice points out that the key tasks for 2019 are:

1. Network infrastructure IPv6 capabilities are ready

The backbone network, metropolitan area network and access network have fully completed IPv6 transformation, and opened the IPv6 service bearing function; by the end of 2019, the eight Internet backbone direct connection points in Wuhan, Xi'an, Shenyang, Nanjing, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Guiyang, Gui'an and Fuzhou have completed IPv6 upgrade and transformation, supporting IPv6 traffic exchange between Internet networks.

Basic telecommunications companies allocate IPv6 addresses to all mobile and fixed terminals that support IPv6; improve the IPv6 dedicated line product activation process, quickly open IPv6 dedicated line access for government and enterprise customers and support the allocation of IPv6 addresses. Starting from June 2019, IPv6 addresses will be allocated to government and enterprise customers who have signed new or renewed service contracts based on customer needs.

2. Application infrastructure improves IPv6 service carrying capacity

The data centers of basic telecommunications enterprises have fully completed IPv6 transformation and provide users with IPv6-based Internet data center services; by the end of 2019, data center operators such as 21Vianet, Pengbo, Qinhuai Technology, Xinnet, Founder Information, West Digital, GDS, and Guanghuan New Network will complete the IPv6 transformation of internal networks and export equipment of large and above data centers.

Wangsu Technology, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, ChinaCache, Kingsoft Cloud, 21Vianet, UCloud, Baishan Cloud, Qiniu Cloud, and China Mobile have completed the IPv6 transformation of their content distribution networks (CDNs), providing IPv6 traffic optimization and dispatching capabilities nationwide. By the end of 2019, CDN's IPv6 local coverage will reach more than 85% of its IPv4 local coverage, and the IPv6 bandwidth will reach 10% of its IPv4 bandwidth.

Alibaba Cloud, Tianyi Cloud, Tencent Cloud, Wo Cloud, Huawei Cloud, Mobile Cloud, Baidu Cloud, Kingsoft Cloud, JD Cloud, UCloud, QingCloud and other cloud service companies have completed the dual-stack transformation of cloud platforms. By the end of 2019, 70% of public cloud products including IPv6 cloud hosts, load balancing, content distribution, domain name resolution, cloud desktops, object storage, cloud databases, API gateways, Web application firewalls, DDOS high defense, elastic IPS, etc. will be transformed to IPv6; according to customer needs, government cloud products that support IPv6 will be provided.

(III) Enhanced IPv6 support capabilities of terminal devices

(IV) Websites and Internet application ecosystems are accelerating their upgrade to IPv6

Developers should consider supporting IPv6 access when developing apps, software development kits (SDKs), and server-side programs.

Typical industries and key industrial enterprises are encouraged to actively carry out pilot demonstrations of industrial Internet network and application transformation based on IPv6, and promote the integration and application innovation of IPv6 in emerging fields such as the industrial Internet and the Internet of Things.

(V) IPv6 network and service performance continues to improve

We will continue to optimize IPv6 network transmission performance and enhance the IPv6 service capabilities of data centers, content distribution networks, and cloud service platforms. By the end of September 2019, IPv6 network infrastructure and application infrastructure will provide users with services of similar quality to IPv4, with average packet loss rate, latency, and other indicators not deteriorating by more than 10% compared to IPv4 performance.

(VI) Further strengthening of IPv6 network security

All enterprises should further improve their network security management system to cover IPv6 security protection and management requirements; simultaneously upgrade IPv6 network security protection measures such as firewalls/WAF, IDS/IPS, and 4A systems; simultaneously transform network security monitoring and disposal systems such as zombie and worm monitoring and disposal systems, mobile Internet malicious program monitoring and disposal systems, Internet log retention systems, and IDC/ISP information security management systems; by the end of 2019, complete the upgraded and transformed basic networks, business systems, CDN/IDC, cloud service platforms, domain name systems, and other network and system units’ classification filing, conformity assessment, and risk assessment and other network security protection work.

Relevant institutions shall carry out the formulation and revision of standards related to IPv6 network security protection, such as IP bearer networks, CDN/IDC, core routers, and security protection equipment. Set up an IPv6 test environment and verify the effectiveness of network security protection measures deployed by relevant enterprises through methods such as network security vulnerability crowd testing. Through network security pilot demonstrations and other methods, support relevant enterprises and institutions to carry out research on IPv6 network security threat prevention and response in emerging fields such as industrial Internet, Internet of Things, Internet of Vehicles, cloud computing, big data, and artificial intelligence.

Large-scale deployment of IPv6 in China: although it is difficult, it will be successful if we do it

At present, IPv6 is globally recognized as the next generation Internet commercial solution. Compared with IPv4, IPv6 can provide massive network addresses and stronger network carrying capacity, which can solve the problem of global Internet network address exhaustion. At the same time, IPv6 reserves a wide space for innovation in the protocol, providing a new basic platform for the long-term upgrade and evolution of the Internet.

In recent years, the deployment of IPv6 has accelerated globally, with the number of IPv6 users increasing by more than 100% annually, and the Internet has gradually entered the IPv6 era. my country has also recognized the importance of promoting IPv6 and has incorporated the development of IPv6 into its national strategy.

In November 2017, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council issued the Action Plan for Promoting the Large-Scale Deployment of Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), which clearly put forward the overall goal, roadmap, timetable and key tasks for the development of China's next-generation Internet based on IPv6 in the next five to ten years. The plan points out that by the end of 2018, the number of active IPv6 users will reach 200 million, accounting for 20% of Internet users; by the end of 2020, the number of active IPv6 users will exceed 500 million, accounting for more than 50% of Internet users; by the end of 2025, China's IPv6 network scale, user scale, and traffic scale will be among the best in the world, and the network, applications, and terminals will fully support IPv6, and the balanced evolution and upgrade to the next-generation Internet will be fully completed.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's 2019 China IPv6 Network Readiness Special Action is carried out to implement the "Action Plan for Promoting Large-Scale Deployment of Internet Protocol Version 6 (Ipv6)".