17 6NET

The nternational project 6NET is a part of the 5th EU Framework Programme. Its main goal is the development and popularisation of the IP version 6 protocol. The project was scheduled to end in 2004 but it was extended till June 2005. By the end of 2004, the core network infrastructure of the project was dismantled; during 2005, project activities should focus on result publication and dissemination. The remaining development work that still requires the network - mainly in the area of IPv6 multicast - will utilise the Géant2 network which already offers production IPv6 multicast service.

In 2004, CESNET was involved mainly in the continuing development of the Liberouter (PC-based IPv6 router with hardware acceleration, see section). In cooperation with the CzechLight project, we deployed a Liberouter prototype equipped with the COMBO6 card and COMBO-4SFP interface card (Gigabit Ethernet). Since March 2004, this router has been connected to the 6NET core router (Cisco GSR) through the Praha-Amsterdam optical lambda circuit. This premiere semiproduction deployment of Liberouter ran the NetBSD operating system and the BIRD routing daemon which was successfully ported to NetBSD for this purpose. After correcting several bugs in the COMBO6 driver, the router operated from May 2004 till the end of that year without any major problem. Of course, this was a relatively gentle test since the traffic volume on that line was very low.

CESNET also continued IPv6 dissemination activities. On June 1 we repeated the successful seminar "IPv6 - development and implementation". We also contributed to the 6NET deliverable [d223] and published an overview article on Liberouter in the 6NET Newsletter.

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