IPv6 Configuration

Overview

Machines use IP addresses to communicate over a network, and IONOS has introduced Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) to its compute instances, offering a significantly larger pool of unique addresses. This upgrade enables support for the ever-growing number of connected devices.

At IONOS, we recognize the significance of IPv6 configuration in virtual environments and offer a flexible and scalable infrastructure that accommodates IPv6 configuration, allowing our customers to take advantage of the latest features.

One of the primary requirements is to ensure that VMs in the VDC can access services on the internet over IPv6. IONOS allows you to do the necessary provisions to provide seamless service access.

In addition to being a client to an IPv6 service, a Virtual Machine (VM) in the IONOS Virtual Data Center (VDC) can provide a service, such as a simple REST API, over IPv6. In this case, it is essential to ensure that the IPv6 address assigned to the VM is static. If DHCPv6 is enabled, the NICs can receive their static IPv6 address(es) using DHCPv6. You do not need to log in every server and hardcode the IPv6 address. A Network Interface Card (NIC) has a Media Access Control address (MAC) and it sends a DHCPv6-Discover request to every user asking for a configuration for its MAC address. DHCPv6 shares configuration information with NIC, containing the IPv6 address. Our DHCPv6 has the information on which MAC address gets which IPv6 address(es). This is a critical requirement to allow you to access the service continuously, without any interruptions.

Concepts

IONOS supports the internet standard IPv6. Following are a few concepts associated with it:

• IPv6 or Internet Protocol version 6, is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol (IP) that provides a new generation of addressing and routing capabilities. The IPv6 is designed to replace the older IPv4 protocol, which is limited in its available address space.

• IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses, providing an almost limitless number of unique addresses. This allows for a much larger number of devices to be connected to the Internet.

• IPv6 defines several types of addresses, including unicast, multicast, and anycast addresses. Unicast addresses identify a single interface on a device, multicast addresses identify a group of devices, and anycast addresses identify a group of interfaces that can respond to a packet.

• IPv6 addresses are divided into two parts: a prefix and an interface identifier. The prefix is used for routing and can be assigned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or network administrator, while the interface identifier is typically generated by the device.

• As IPv6 adoption continues, transition mechanisms are used to ensure compatibility between IPv6 and IPv4 networks. These mechanisms include dual-stack, tunneling, and translation methods. For more information about IPv6 see our latest blog on IPv6: Everything about the New Internet Standard.