IPv6: Is your web site ready for it?

Today is World IPv6 Day. Major organisations such as Google, Facebook and Yahoo are offering their content over IPv6 for a 24-hour test. The aim of celebrating June 8, 2011 as IPv6 Day is to motivate organisations across the Internet industry such as web service providers, hardware makers, operating system makers and other key players to prepare themselves for successful transition from IPv4 to IPv6 platform.

IPv6 stands for Internet Protocol Version 6 which is the next generation of Internet Protocol and will eventually succeed Internet Protocol Version 4 (IPv4).

IPv4 provides for only 2^32 addresses which is approximately 4.3 billion addresses.

Our planet's human population being significantly higher than that we need a new generation of Internet Protocol that could provide for a higher number of addresses.

IPv6 does exactly that. It provides 2^128 addresses which is many times larger than what IPv4 could provide.

If you would like to test the readiness of your website or your organisation's website for IPv6, please visit the website of world IPv6 Day http://www.worldipv6day.org/.

Abhay K. is an author-diplomat and currently handles Digital Diplomacy at the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.