HP-UX IPv6 Porting Guide (February 2007)

Introduction
Why IPv6 Now?
Chapter 12
Why IPv6 Now?
In the last five years, the Internet has transformed the way people live. The Internet’s
tremendous growth rate greatly exceeded any futurist’s predictions, including the Internet
Protocol (IP) architect’s plans from twenty years ago. IP version 4 (IPv4) provided ample
addresses for network growth throughout the 1980s, but the address-supply is now low
outside the United States. If current Internet growth rates continue, the prediction is that the
supply of unassigned IPv4 addresses will be depleted within ten years. Internet Protocol
Version 6 (IPv6) overcomes many limitations of IPv4.
For additional information on using HP-UX IPv6 transport, refer to the following
documentation as needed:
HP-UX IPv6 Transport Administrator’s Guide (HP-UX 11i v3)
Who Should Read This Guide
HP-UX BSD Sockets Application Programmers porting IPv4 network applications to IPv6.
Do Existing IPv4 Applications Require Changes?
No. Current IPv4 applications can remain unchanged. Modify applications only to take
advantage of new IPv6 features.