About 6NET
6NET is a three-year European project to demonstrate that continued growth of the Internet can be met using new IPv6 technology. It also aims to help European research and industry play a leading role in defining and developing the next generation of networking technologies.
6NET involves thirty-five partners from the commercial, research and academic sectors and represents a total investment of EUR 18 million; EUR 7 million of which will come from the project partners themselves, and EUR 11 million from the Information Society Technologies Programme of the European Commission. The project started on 1 January 2002 and runs until 31 December 2004.
Objectives
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Install and operate an international pilot IPv6 network with both
static and mobile components in order to gain a better
understanding of IPv6 deployment issues. This network will
primarily use native IPv6 links (initially running at 155 Mbps and
increasing to 2.5 Gbps in the second year), although encapsulation
over IPv4 infrastructure may be necessary in some cases.
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Test the migration strategies for integrating IPv6 networks with
existing IPv4 infrastructure.
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Introduce and test new IPv6 services and applications, as well as
legacy services and applications on IPv6 infrastructure.
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Evaluate address allocation, routing and DNS operation for IPv6
networks.
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Collaborate with other IPv6 activities and standardisation bodies.
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Promote IPv6 technology.
Work Packages
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WP0: Project and Technical Management
This work package is responsible for the administrative, financial and technical aspects of the project.
Lead Partner: Cisco -
WP1: Build and Operate Network
This work package will define and implement the network infrastructure, the addressing and naming scheme, the initial routing architecture, and the peering policies. Once the network has been implemented, it will be responsible for daily operations. Additional tasks include interoperability tests and facilitating interconnection with other networks.
Lead Partner: DANTE -
WP2: IPv4-IPv6 Coexistence, Interworking and Migration
This work package will investigate how to transition IPv4-based networks to IPv6 at backbone, regional and campus levels.
Lead Partner: University of Southampton -
WP3: Basic Network Services
This work package will design, implement and test IPv6-enabled network services such as routing (both inter-domain and intra-domain), DNS, DHCP, registry procedures, quality-of-service (QoS) and multicasting. It will also focus on interoperability between IPv6 and IPv4 network services.
Lead Partner: ACONET -
WP4: Application and Service Support
This work package will identify and implement applications and services that support network mobility. These include autoconfiguration, handoff, multihoming, renumbering, virtual private networks (VPNs) and quality-of-service (QoS).
Lead Partner: University of Lancaster -
WP5: IPv6 Middleware and User Application Trials
This work package will trial IPv6-enabled middleware and user applications. These include real-time videoconference and media streaming applications, online gaming, relational databases, transaction processing systems, and portal services.
Lead Partner: IBM -
WP6: Network Management Architecture and Tools
This work package will consider configuration, performance, fault, security and availability management issues. It will also develop and test appropriate management tools.
Lead Partner: RENATER -
WP7: Dissemination and Exploitation of Results
This work package will maintain the 6NET web server, organise workshops, present papers at conferences and other events, liaise with standardisation bodies, and develop business models. It will also provide training to the project partners.
Lead Partner: TERENA