Status  of  IPv6

John Sweeting Time Warner Cable November 14, 2011

Outline

•  About Time Warner Cable •  Current Status •  How we got here •  Left to do •  Future Networking Thoughts

Time  Warner  Cable •  Second largest MSO (Multi Systems

Operator) in the United States •  Providing high definition television,

Enhanced TV features, high-speed data and Digital Phone services to over 14 million customers

•  Major service areas are New York City, Los Angeles, Texas, Upstate New York, Ohio, the Carolinas and Hawaii

Current  Status •  National Backbone

o Dual Stack o  Supports IPv6 Services o  IPv6 Peering enabled with several Peers

•  Regional Backbones o Dual Stack o  Supports IPv6 Services o Connects to National Backbone

Current  Status •  Access Networks

o  IPv6 enabled o Commercial Dedicated IPv6 Internet Access o  Residential cable modems in trial

•  Data Centers o  IPv6 Network connectivity o  Supports some IPv6 Services o Connects to Regional backbone

Current  Status •  Systems

o  40 plus unique systems o Over 90% IPv6 enabled o Minor bugs and some interoperability issues

•  Services o Commercial DIA launched September 2011 o  Residential trials gearing up

•  http://www.timewarnercable.com/Corporate/support/IPv6_volunteerform.html

o  Peering

How  We  Got  Here •  Lots of hard work

o Vendor Management was tough o  Internal planning and coordination meetings (lots

of them)

•  Internal IPv6 Program o  Launched in late 2008 o  Lee Howard heads up the program o Over 20 Project Managers involved o  Lots of internal education required

How  We  Got  Here •  Network Upgrade

o  Coordinated effort of Architecture, Engineering, Quality Assurance and Operations

o  Four phase roll out •  National Backbone to Regional Networks •  Data Centers •  Regional Networks to Metros •  Access networks – CMTS’s

•  Systems Upgrade o  3 year process o  OSS/BSS systems o  DHCP, TFTP, DNS, several internal systems o  Again lots of hard work and coordination

Left  to  Do •  Major Issues

o Home Networking •  Routers, Game Systems, Home Gateways •  Cable Modems and E-MTA’s •  Computer systems

o Vendor Management •  Mainly CPE Vendors •  Edge and Access Vendors

o  Replacement of incompatible hardware

Future  Networking •  Home Networking

o  Increase in the number of isolated networks in the home (think more 802.11 SSIDs)

o Home security and automation o Multi-router including support for arbitrary

topology o Multi-connected (e.g. separate wireless and wire

line provider) o  Smart Energy Applications and Appliances

Future  Networking •  IPv6 Deployment in the home will bring

about the following: o Massive public address space (capable of

supporting every device with a unique IP) o Multiple routed segments – move away from flat

VLAN-type model to multiple routed interfaces presumably separated by firewall functionality

o  Exponential increase in complexity will have to be balanced with auto-configuration of the home network

Thank  You !