(multi6) Ease of re-numbering

["Michel Py" <michel@arneill-py.sacramento.ca.us>]

Iljitsch and Brian--

You are both right, but the point that Tim and I are trying to make is
that the pain of renumbering is not reachability (and to that regard
IPv6 will be easier) but all the associated host, server and security
configuration.

In Iljitsch's example, the small ISP does not provide much services,
let's say connectivity, pop/smtp mail and news. These are not a big deal
(besides, the size and geographical location would still be manageable).

What I have to deal with is dozens of frame-relay and point-to-point
circuits to third-party entities including high-inertia ones such as
governments, in several time zones. We don't provide connectivity to
these guys, we provide services. Like it or not, there are still people
that configure batch files based on IP address, static entries in the
lmhosts files, that kind of stuff. And all of these guys have
access-lists all over the place, and so do we. Even in a dream world
where people would actually use DNS and quit configuring static routes,
access-lists and firewall holes are still based on IP and renumbering a
large setup is NOT an afternoon.

Michel.

From: Brian E. Carpenter
Remember that v6 renumbering can include a period of overlap between the
old
and new prefixes, when both will work and neither of them is deprecated.
For
a large site with the kind of issues you describe, I would expect this
overlap
to be quite long - at least a month, why not longer? This will greatly
simplify 
the coordination problem. 

In fact, a single homed site changing to a new provider would become
multihomed during the overlap period; and an n-homed site would become
(n+1)-homed during the overlap period. A good multi6 solution *is* a
renumbering mechanism.
  Brian


From: Iljitsch van Beijnum [mailto:iljitsch@muada.com]
 I disagree. I have personally renumbered two relatively small ISPs
(including customers!) a total of three times. That would be 5 - 20
routers and 10 - 40 servers.

When compared to a lazy afternoon of doing nothing, renumbering is a lot
of work. When compared to the routine maintanance that happens anyway
over
a period of several months, the added trouble of renumbering is fairly
negligible.

BTW: changing domains isn't much of a problem: just register a new
address
for your name server.

Iljitsch van Beijnum