BKIPV6ES.RVW 20080922 "IPv6 Essentials", Silvia Hagen, 2006, 0-596-10058-2, U$44.99/C$58.99 %A Silvia Hagen %C 103 Morris Street, Suite A, Sebastopol, CA 95472 %D 2006 %G 0-596-10058-2 %I O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. %O U$44.99/C$58.99 800-998-9938 fax: 707-829-0104 nuts@ora.com %O http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596100582/robsladesinterne http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596100582/robsladesinte-21 %O http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596100582/robsladesin03-20 %O Audience i+ Tech 2 Writing 2 (see revfaq.htm for explanation) %P 418 p. %T "IPv6 Essentials" The preface states that the book is intended for anyone from network engineers to those who are simply curious about Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). (The author does note that there is not enough detail for developers, and that full appreciation of the material requires familiarity with the fundamental operations of IPv4, the current standard.) Chapter one provides some history of the foundational protocols of the Internet, and certain drivers motivating the development of the new generation. (An odd omission is the lack of any mention of versions 5 and 5.1.) The version 6 IP header has been simplified, and perhaps chapter two follows this lead too closely, giving scant background for the structure. There is some coverage of certain functions such as fragmentation. The extended address space is one of the major benefits of IPv6, and chapter three presents the address structure, some discussion of prefixes and subnets, and retails the common "grains of sand" analogy. (That analogy is actually far too small: IPv6 addresses could be granted to approximately every molecule on the surface of the earth down to a depth of one metre.) Chapter four outlines the new range of ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) structures for version 6. The secure aspects of IPv6, in chapter 5, concentrate primarily on IPSec. The requirements and provisions are not explained very well: for example, the authentication of the node, rather than the user, is not pointed out. An additional digression into firewalls contributes almost no value. Chapter six is a very terse essay on quality of service. Chapter seven mentions that IPv6 can function over various data link technologies (as did IPv4 before it). The differences for standard routing protocols under IPv6 (as opposed to v4) are noted in chapter eight, but it is surprising that the new Neighbor Discovery (ND) and stateless autoconfiguration are not explained. Chapter nine, ostensibly about the upper layer protocols, basically says that the applications will work if written for version 6. Options for version 4 and 6 co-operation and interoperability are explored in chapter ten. Chapter eleven provides a fairly detailed examination of the new functions for mobile IP. A listing of initial tools for exploring version 6 with various operating systems are given in chapter twelve. By and large, the promises of the preface are kept. Bradner and Mankin's "IPng: Internet Protocol Next Generation" (cf. BKIPNG.RVW) was an accessible but basic introduction. Thomas's "IPng and the TCP/IP Protocols" (cf. BKIPNGTP.RVW) had the conceptual explanations but not the gritty detail, while Goncalves and Niles did not provide a structured account in "IPv6 Networks" (cf. BKIPV6NW.RVW). Hagen could have created a more useful work by giving technicalities in certain areas, but she has constructed an acceptable stepping stone for those who wish to start exploring in the new protocol. copyright Robert M. Slade, 2008 BKIPV6ES.RVW 20080922