Our ARIN XXIX Public Policy and Members Meeting in Vancouver is only weeks away, and we can’t wait! This year’s event promises to be chock-full of opportunities to network with individuals from across the ARIN region, reconnect with peers and make new friends. We will be doing a lot of serious work to help shape the future of the Internet (just look at our full agenda for ARIN XXIX!), but we’ll also have some time for attendees to get to know each other outside of the meeting doors. Here’s a rundown of the official social activities on the agenda.

What: Welcome to ARIN XXIX Happy Hour
When: Sunday, 22 April from 5:00 – 6:30pm
Where: Chartwell Room (lobby level), Four Seasons Hotel
Why: Cocktails, networking and an opportunity to meet the ARIN Board, Advisory Council and NRO Number Council members, and ARIN staff
*Please RSVP on your meeting registration form

What: ARIN Social
When: Monday, 23 April from 6:30 – 11:00pm
Where: Grouse Mountain
Why: Open bar and dinner buffet, breathtaking views of the Burrard Inlet, Downtown Vancouver and English Bay, an impressive Lumberjack Show, and a chance to spot local wildlife on a walk with a Grouse Mountain ranger. Thanks to the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) for sponsorship of this event.

For those of you who might find free time for sightseeing or plan to extend your stay, there are plenty of additional options to make the most of your time in Vancouver.

• Stanley Park – Home to the Vancouver Aquarium, this park has more than dolphins, sea lions and beluga whales; walk along its famous seawall for scenic ocean and city views or take a hike through the woods without ever leaving the city.
• Capuano Suspension Bridge – Located in nearby North Vancouver, this bridge offers a one-of-a-kind treetop adventure.
• Downtown Vancouver – Robson Street and Gastown offer world-class shopping, restaurants and nightlife and Granville Island hosts a public market seven days a week.
• Museums – The Vancouver Art Gallery and the University of British Columbia’s Museum of Anthropology, which is renowned for its collection of First Nation’s art and artifacts, make for a wonderful cultural experience.

Do you have any recommendations for things to do while we’re in Vancouver? Tell us below.

Last January, ARIN traveled to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas to encourage attendees to take steps toward IPv6. While at the show, ARIN President and CEO, John Curran, appeared on several live broadcasts to spread the word.

In an interview on TPN: Tech Podcast Network with Jeffrey Powers from Geekazine and Andy Smith from Geocaching World, John examines the global impact of IPv4 depletion, why mobile carriers should roll out native IPv6 networks, and the necessity for content providers to make content available over both IPv4 and IPv6 in the coming years.

Considering the number of people who need to access the Internet at home, at work, and on their smartphones and tablets (not to mention mobile hotspot connectivity), the bottom line is IPv4 address space is too small for a pervasive Internet.

Watch the full broadcast segment below. What do you think of John’s comments?

There are 4,294,967,296 IPv4 addresses.  At first glance 4,294,967,296 seems like a large number.  Could you imagine how long it would take to travel 4.3 billion miles? The total weight of 4.3 billion elephants? Or the cost to throw a party for 4.3 billion friends? However, when it comes to IPv4 addresses, that number is just not large enough to satisfy the needs of the ever growing and changing Internet.

We are inching closer to the point where Regional Internet Registries will not be able to distribute IPv4 addresses to everyone who needs and qualifies for the address space. The global free pool of IPv4 reached empty when IANA distributed a final /8 to each of the RIRs in February of last year. APNIC reached their final /8 of IPv4 space in April 2011, and other RIRs, such as the RIPE NCC and  ARIN, are expected to soon follow suit.

Ever wondered where all the IPv4 went? Well let’s take a look :

The graphic above, prepared by the NRO in December 2011, explains just where all of the IPv4 address space has gone. The IPv4 address pool is made up of 256 /8s (read slash eights).  Each /8 contains 16,777,216 addresses.  From the graphic above you can see the status of each of the 256 /8s that IPv4 contains.

• 130 /8s, by far the largest block of /8s, have been distributed to the RIRs for allocation in their respective regions.
• 91 /8s are contained in the central registry
• 35 /8s are not available for a variety of reasons, including experimental, local identification, loopback, private use, and multicast.

The most notable piece of information on the graphic shows that the IANA reserved space is at zero.  There are no more new /8s to distribute to the RIRs around the world and therefore supplies of available IPv4 space at each Regional Internet Registry is steadily depleting.

You might be wondering how we could go through so many addresses so fast.  There are many reasons the Internet has expanded rapidly.  One recent example is the increasing popularity and adoption of mobile technologies. How big is mobile?

• There are now 1.2 billion mobile Web users worldwide, based on the latest stats for active mobile-broadband subscriptions worldwide
• A recent report from Cisco predicts that mobile-connected devices will outnumber people by the end of this year.
• The Cisco report also forecasts that there will be over 10 billion mobile-connected devices by 2016
• Ericsson reports the Internet of Things will greatly expand over the next 10 years, projecting that there will be 50 billion internet connected devices by 2020

So next time you think to yourself “Where have all the IPv4 addresses gone?” look no further than the cell phone in your pocket.

We’re continuing to track the final /8s of available IPv4 address space at ARIN. Check our depletion counter at https://www.arin.net/ for the latest updates. 

Guest blog post by Megan Kruse

There are two kinds of people in this world – those who have already deployed the latest and greatest technologies, and those who need to.

Lots of folks (ARIN and the Internet Society included) have been touting the joys of IPv6 and DNSSEC for a long time, so I won’t bore you with the details of why they are so vitally important. Maybe you’ve already done it, in which case you have tons of hard-earned knowledge to share with the rest of the world. Or maybe you haven’t done it yet, and you’ve just been waiting for someone to ask you what you need and then cater to those needs.

We’re here to play matchmaker. Launched in January, the Internet Society Deploy360 Programme provides real-world IPv6 and DNSSEC deployment information to continue the conversation from “why do I need to do this” to “how, specifically, do I do this?” We cover both IPv6 and DNSSEC topics in a web portal with detailed, technical how-to documents, tutorials, case studies, etc., and follow that up with four ION Conferences a year, speaking engagements around the world, and constant social media interaction.

Through all of these channels, industry experts answer your specific questions and we, the Deploy360 team, then turn these real-world issues into guidance and technical resources for others to follow. We encourage direct feedback on what resources need to be added to the Deploy360 web portal and continue the ongoing dialogue about IPv6 and DNSSEC deployment.

And YOU can help!

If you’ve already deployed IPv6 or DNSSEC on your network, we’d love to chat with you to link to, or create, the following types of information:

1. Case Studies – We’d be happy to work with you on a written and/or video case study on how you deployed the new technology, your challenges, the business case you presented to management, results, benefits, etc.
2. Tutorials – Do you have a tutorial you made for your systems administrators/network engineers/etc. to walk them through the process? We’d love to share it to help others on their path.
3. Other Resources – Do you have training documents, best practices guidelines, videos, websites, or anything else you’d like to share to help others deploy new technologies faster?

If you haven’t deployed IPv6 or DNSSEC on your network yet, we’d love to chat with you, too! We already have a lot of in-depth resources for you to view and put into practice, but only you can tell us what’s missing.

1. Still need the basics, why these new technologies are important, and why you need to start today?
2. What do you need to get started? Is there a knowledge gap we can fill to help you on your way?
3. Are you stuck somewhere in the middle of the process? What technical how-to resources would get you moving again?

You’re busy. We get it. This industry moves fast and you’ve got your hands full keeping your networks updated and secure from the threat of the day. But these standards are the future of the Internet, and your organization must prepare if it wants to stay competitive in tomorrow’s IT world. Join us to help define how the global, nonprofit Internet Society can best serve your deployment information needs. We are here to listen and WILL produce the resources you need.

Talk to us in the comments below, talk to us on social media, talk to us at an ION Conference, talk to us in person … just let us know how we can help!

Today we kick off our first guest blog of the year.  Thanks Anurag.  Enjoy!

Guest blog post by Anurag Bhatia

The Domain Names System (DNS) remains one of the most central and essential parts of the Internet because of the simple and efficient way in which it converts domain names that we can read (like teamarin.net) into machine-friendly IP addresses (like 65.49.79.131).

This blog post discusses about how DNS works in the case of next version of Internet Protocol i.e IPv6.

As many of you already know, there are address records known as “A records” in DNS which help to connect a host-name with an IPv4 address. Just like A records in IPv4, IPv6 features quad A records which are written as AAAA records.

One core feature of a contemporary IPv6 site is its ability to “dual stack” (to connect to both IPv4 & IPv6 networks). In dual stack mode, IPv6 is preferred if it’s available, but if it isn’t, the connection will fall back to IPv4. What this means is that each domain or sub-domain name with dual stack support will need both an A record and AAAA record.

IPv6 has been available from quite some time, and most DNS hosting services offered by registrars, hosting companies and independent players support AAAA records. If you try adding a new record, you will very likely find AAAA record in the “record type” list.

If you are running your own DNS server (say on BIND), you can add an AAAA record in the host’s file just like you add an A record.

For example:

teamarin.net. 3600 IN AAAA 2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83


These components are the host-name, the TTL for record, followed by class (IN), type of record – AAAA, and IPv6 Address of the host.

Once setup, you can also look these records up using “AAAA” with dig or nslookup.

Using dig:

anurag@laptop:~$ dig teamarin.net aaaa +short
2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83

Using nslookup:

anurag@laptop:~$ nslookup
> set type=aaaa
> teamarin.net
Server: 8.8.8.8
Address: 8.8.8.8#53

Non-authoritative answer:
teamarin.net has AAAA address 2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83

This gives the IPv6 address associated with domain name TeamARIN.net.

There is no difference in the way the CNAME records work. If you have the www.domain.com CNAME as domain.com – creating AAAA records for domain.com will also support IPv6 for www.domain.com because it acts like an alias for the main domain. You can still, however, create an AAAA record for www.domain.com if you’d like. TeamARIN.net has created a record for both.

anurag@laptop:~$ dig teamarin.net aaaa +short
2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83

anurag@laptop:~$ dig www.teamarin.net aaaa +short
2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83

So far this blog post has looked at forward DNS in IPv6.

Reverse DNS can be set up in a similar manner. If you are running your own email server, you must setup reverse DNS that points IP address to host-names used by an email server. This plays an important part in SMTP authentication.

Just like in IPv4 reverse DNS, an in-addr.apra. zone is used, in IPv6, an ip6.arpa. zone is used. Therefore, the IPv6 address 2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83 rDNS PTR record points to TeamARIN.net.

This is accomplished by simply adding an entry for ipv6.arpa. zone:

3.8.f.4.1.3.1.4.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.7.9.0.0.1.0.0.0.0.7.4.0.1.0.0.2.ip6.arpa. PTR teamarin.net.


You can do a reverse DNS lookup for IPv6 address by using dig -x, just like in IPv4.

Using dig:

anurag@laptop:~$ dig -x 2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83 +short
teamarin.net.

Using nslookup:

anurag@laptop:~$ nslookup
> set type=ptr
> 2001:470:1:97::4131:4f83
Server: 8.8.8.8
Address: 8.8.8.8#53

Non-authoritative answer:
3.8.f.4.1.3.1.4.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.7.9.0.0.1.0.0.0.0.7.4.0.1.0.0.2.ip6.arpa name = teamarin.net.

This is how forward and reverse DNS works in IPv6. I hope you will find this post useful.

Anurag Bhatia,
System & Network Administrator
Cloudaccess.net
http://anuragbhatia.com

Any views, positions, statements or opinions of a guest blog post are those of the author alone and do not represent those of ARIN. ARIN does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or validity of any claims or statements made by a guest blog post. ARIN shall not be liable for any representations, omissions or errors contained in a guest blog post.

February 29^th is a day that only comes around once every four years, so how are you planning to take advantage of the extra day this Leap Year permits?

One idea is to use the day to advance your IPv6 deployment. How, you ask? We’ve pulled together a list of a few fun ideas that can help you spend your time taking additional steps toward IPv6 adoption.

Introduce yourself to IPv6. To those of you who are just now becoming familiar with IPv4 depletion and IPv6 adoption, 6DISS has a great web tutorial that outlines everything you need to know.

Take a free IPv6 certification test. Do you want to certify your ability to configure IPv6 and validate your IPv6 server’s configuration? This free tool from Hurricane Electric will help you do just that.

Learn the fundamentals of deploying IPv6. Want to know about the features and benefits of IPv6? The addressing structure? Basic configurations? My IPv6 tutor, a free video-based self-trainer, is a great place to start.

Read a case study. This interesting use case from the University of Pennsylvania explores how the university not only laid the groundwork for, but also deployed a wide-scale effort and ongoing support for IPv6 adoption.

Enable your DNS for IPv6. It is best to phase in the use of IPv6 records in your DNS so that you can deal with the various issues that arise step by step. The process isn’t too complex, but there are a variety of things you should consider. Consult our IPv6 Wiki’s DNS and Naming Issues Page to learn about best practices for enabling your DNS for IPV6.

Read about IPv6 and enterprise deployment. Because IPv4 and IPv6 will coexist for the foreseeable future, companies will need to maintain business continuity for all IPv4 and IPv6 customers after IPv4 depletion. This working group paper defines a small set of basic enterprise scenarios and includes pertinent questions to allow enterprise administrators to further refine their deployment scenarios.

Take a deeper dive into IPv6 security. Helpful tutorials from 6deploy explore several issues like privacy extensions, ND threats, IPv4 vs. IPv6 Threat Analysis and firewalling IPv6. Security issues from transition and coexistence point of view are also provided.

Share your IPv6 knowledge with others.  Contribute to ARIN’s IPv6 Wiki, and be part of the community. Take part in developing a great resource for everyone interested in learning more about IPv6.  Did you know most of the links shared in this post came from our IPv6 Wiki’s Educating Yourself about IPv6 Page or IPv6 Presentations and Documents Page?  The only thing missing on our IPv6 Wiki is your IPv6 deployment experience, so add it today.

How do you plan to spend your extra day this year? Will you be “leaping” toward IPv6?

Will you be in the Brooklyn, NY or Chicago, IL area in March?  If so, join us for the ARIN on the Road closest to you.

On Tuesday, 6 March 2012, we will be heading to the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn, New York for ARIN on the Road Brooklyn.  

On Thursday, 22 March 2012, we will be heading to the Palmer House Hilton Hotel in Chicago, Illinois for ARIN on the Road Chicago.

Why should you attend?

First things first, registration is FREE.  There is no cost to attend ARIN on the Road.  We want you to join us so you can learn more about who ARIN is and how we operate.  We are providing these ARIN on the Road events as a service to you.  Come learn and ask questions while networking with new and old friends.

Next, we have an awesome line up of topics for the day.  We’ll be covering subjects like ARIN’s technical services, the status of IPv6 adoption, current ARIN policy developments, and updates about ARIN and the RIR system. Check out our full itinerary.  We’ll even give you the opportunity to speak one-on-one with an ARIN staff member about requesting and managing Internet number resources during an optional Ask ARIN session at the end of the day.

Take advantage of this interactive event where ARIN staff will seek to answer all your questions. So what are you waiting for? Register now! Invite your friends and co-workers too.  Attending ARIN on the Road is a great first step to learn how you can help steer the future of the Internet.  See you in Brooklyn or Chicago!

IPv6 has many advantages over its counterpart, IPv4.  We’re going to share a few of things we love the most about IPv6 and welcome you to share your favorite aspects of IPv6 in the comments as well.

IPv6 is vast.  There are 340,282,366, 920,938,463,463,374, 607,431,768,211,456 addresses in this 128 bit numbering scheme.

IPv6 has many addresses available for everyone who needs them.  Conversely, the global free pool of IPv4 reached depletion last February and regional pools are either at or nearing depletion as well.

IPv6 helps support the underlying elements of the Internet routing infrastructure.  Contiguous blocks of IP address space are necessary for activities like building out new large networks and adding new customers to existing networks without causing additional burden on the Internet routing infrastructure. IPv6 is able to provide plenty of these larger contiguous address space blocks.

IPv6 networks preserve true end-to-end connectivity.  IPv6 helps to avoid adding another layer of address translation that could create network inefficiencies, scalability issues, or other potential problems

IPv6 makes network configuration easier.  IPv6 networks have address auto-configuration built into them.  Larger networks especially are more easily managed through this simplified network configuration.

IPv6 should meet the world’s IP addressing needs far into the foreseeable future.  We think IPv6 is going to be around for a looooong time.

With IPv6, we’re all in it together.  IPv6 was deployed in 1999, and since then, we’ve all had a lot to learn.  Today, there are many resources available to help you to begin your IPv6 transition.  Check out our IPv6 Info Center and IPv6 Wiki to get started.

Do you love IPv6 too?  Tell us why below!

On the second Friday of every month for the next six months, we plan to embark on an exploration of what lies beneath the surface of the Internet. Today, we will start off by looking at the mysterious Internet Protocol (IP) address—what is it exactly, and how many different types of IP addresses are there?

An IP address is a number that uniquely identifies a device on a computer network and, using transport protocols, moves information on the Internet. Every device with an Internet connection, from cell phones and computers, to toasters and cars, must have a unique IP address, which enables communication between these devices.

There are two well-known standard types of IP addresses that are used today:

IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) is the first widely used standard defining how the Internet and its connected devices operate and communicate with one another. With 4.3 billion IP addresses, it is simply no longer enough to support the growth of the global commercial Internet. The world is running out of IPv4 addresses, which means Internet stakeholders need to adopt a new kind of IP address.

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is a more robust numbering system than IPv4 that allows for far more IP addresses. About 340,282,366,920,938,463,463,374,607,431,768,211,456 IP addresses to be exact. Many organizations around the world are now deploying IPv6 in an effort to keep up with the growth of the Internet. For an in-depth look at the technical aspects of IPv6, take a look at this presentation.

But wait, IPv4 to IPv6?  What ever happened to IPv5? There never was an official IPv5 protocol. In the late 1970’s, a protocol named ST (The Internet Stream Protocol) was created for the experimental transmission of voice, video, and distributed simulation. It was abandoned before it could become an official standard.  IPv6 however, was developed by the IETF and deployed in 1999 as the official standard protocol to meet the needs of a rapidly growing Internet.  At the time it was also known as IP Next Generation or IPng.  Today, we just call it IPv6.

If you want to investigate a little deeper into IP addresses, feel free to check out ARIN’s knowledge page, a one-stop shop for all your Internet number resources needs. Additionally, for some more in depth coverage of IPv6, be sure to visit the ARIN IPv6 wiki

Now that you know the different types of IP addresses, we bet you’re wondering where all of the IPv4 addresses have gone, don’t forget to tune in next month to learn more!

Did you hear?  Registration for ARIN XXIX has opened!  Our first ARIN Public Policy and Members Meeting of 2012 will take place on the 22^nd through 25^th of April at the Four Seasons Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia. To register and find out more information visit the ARIN XXIX page.

Not sure if you want to attend?  Watch our meeting movie to help make up your mind.  Sure you want to attend?  Watch our meeting movie anyway to get a taste for what to expect.  Either way watch our new meeting movie (after you’ve read our warnings below)!

Caution:

• Movie will not cause drowsiness.
• Do not operate heavy machinery while watching movies. Bad idea.
• May cause a sudden urge to register for ARIN XXIX directly after watching.

Now what are you waiting for?  Watch the meeting movie and then register for ARIN XXIX.