On the Threshold of RIPE-58 Conference: Publication of Analytic Review "IP-Address Background. IPv4 Prospects and Switch to IPv6 Address Assigning Protocol"

The European region (RIPE-58) will host 58th Conference of the RIPE Network Coordination Center to be held in Amsterdam (Netherlands) on May 4 - 8. This event will traditionally unite Internet providers, network operators and other concerned parties from Europe and adjacent regions.

This conference will be attended by RIPN experts to address technical, administrative and political issues as regards the state-of-the-art and development of Internet in the European region. A focal point is - peaceful coexistence of IPv4 and IPv6 with a gradual transfer to IPv6.

Thirty years ago it was hard to believe that four billion IPv4 addresses would be insufficient for Internet. Today's forecasts show that IPv4 free address pool will be exhausted by mid 2012, in three years. In fact, each unit in global network has its unique IP-address. How will it affect development of Internet that is overwhelmingly based on IPv4 addresses? What will be the changes in network architecture?

A later version of Internet protocol - IPv6 was intended to solve these and some other challenges. This intention was called for to ensure full IPv6 substitution for IPv4. This was not done due to a number of technical and economical reasons. But IPv6 is still considered as a main protocol for future Internet, and a transfer to IPv6 - as a key factor for further global network development.

However, it is highly probable that this process will take years, during which Internet will be developed on the background of coexistence of the two protocols. For quick reduction in IPv4 free address pool and IPv6 all-round implementation, please read the analytical review of Andrey Robachevsky, RIPE NCC Technical Director "IP-Address Background. IPv4 Prospects and Switch to IPv6 Address Assigning Protocol".