IPv6
- Introduction
The main purpose of the HEPIX IPv6 working group is to investigate the readiness of the WLCG collaboration for the deployment of IPv6 against its current software stacks.
Additional information on what is currently deployed can be found here:
https://w3.hepix.org/ipv6-bis/doku.php?id=ipv6:testbed
David Kelsey is the primary point of contact for the HEPIX programme. The primary focus this year for the programme will be component testing of software for various Experiments throughout the collaboration. How far we get on this is partially down to how much feedback we get from the Experiments on what software components are critical to current and near future operations.
- IPv6 Basic Requirements
There are several mechanisms for the delivery of IPv6 to a server or Cluster.
A basic overview can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6#Transition_mechanisms
This entry includes many of the relevant RFCs and delivery mechanisms for IPv6 into a cluster.
The Glasgow implementation utilises SLAAC as the primary method for addressing the test cluster.
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4862
Also AAAA (Quad A) DNS records are required:
More information can be found here:
http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4472
A basic recommendation is that the IPv6 network and associated servers are separate from the production cluster environment, to start with, at least.
There are multiple security and operational loop holes currently with IPv6 and these have not yet been fully explored by the HEPIX working group in relation to Grid Middleware.
To limit a potential number of problems and issues further testing is required prior to testing this on full production environments.
Anyone running an ARC production instance can run IPv6 and should be completely ok as this has been tested in NorduGrid. Cream CEs still require testing.
- Sites
The plan at Glasgow is to re-image the test cluster shortly to allow for the testing of DPM. Glasgow has installed a limited number of nodes in a dual stack configuration, running both IPv6 and IPv4 as part of the distributed test but we wish to further test Puppet, DPM and CVMFS hence the re-imaging work.
It is envisaged that Glasgow should have a fully functioning dual stack test cluster which will hopefully show up issues with the current software implementations as we will try to emulate the production cluster as closely as possible. Certain pieces of software such as AFS do not support IPv6 presently and may not in the future.
