When everything will be connected to the internet
Despite the success of 'internet protocol version 4' (IPv4), at the age of 30, it is due for a significant technological makeover. The original design of IP wasn't intended for many of today's internet uses. Fathers of the internet simply couldn't foresee today's typical users having an array of devices, aside from computers, that need an IP address. An IP address is a string of numbers that identifies devices connected to the internet so that they can receive and send data. These include cell phones and other mobile devices that surf the web, 'smart' household appliances, and remotely controlled security cameras. In contrast, the next generation IP (IPv6) uses 128-bit long addresses and can support a virtually limitless number of uniquely identified systems. Furthermore, it offers a set of mechanisms to manage the use of network resources. The 6QM project has recently developed a technology to measure the quality of service (QoS) provided in IPv6 networks. This measurement system is a lightweight software solution that observes traffic flowing through the networks to give an accurate image of the service being delivered. Measurement results are displayed graphically so it is easy for internet service providers to see if the quality of service meets the service level agreement. Interestingly, the beginning of the 6QM project coincided with the deployment of IPv6 in two pan-European networks. The Euro6IX and 6NET networks served as test-beds to demonstrate the viability of the measurement approach. In addition, the operational results formed the basis for a set of guidelines on how to meet the client demands for advanced services with guaranteed QoS. The adoption of IPv6 may hold many challenges, and uptake to date has been slow, partly due to the fact that too many industry players are taking a wait-and-see attitude. The high performance of IPv6 end-to-end communications demonstrated during the 6QM project should, however, encourage them to play their part in the deployment of IPv6.