IPv6 Private Network

What Is an IPv6 Private Network?

IPv6 private networks are specialized networks built on IPv6 infrastructure, tailored for industries and medium to large enterprises. IPv6 private networks offer reliable connectivity, quality assurance, flexible network slicing, intelligent operation, and robust security. These networks are also service- and application-aware, supporting the growth of innovative technologies and aiding digital transformation across industries.

An IPv6 private network can be divided into three layers based on the network scale: the access layer, aggregation layer, and core layer. Traffic is aggregated layer by layer. In practical applications, not only the network protocol stack is unified, but also the optimal scheduling of different levels can be realized, and the end-to-end automatic configuration and optimization can be achieved.

Architecture and Key Technologies of an IPv6 Private Network

An IPv6 private network consists of an intelligent network management system, a transport network, and an access terminal. The transport network can be divided into multiple logical network slices by slicing technology to meet the resource isolation requirements of some services on industrial private networks. From the perspective of technical architecture, IPv6 private network can be divided into four layers: basic protocol, service guarantee, network service, and intelligent management and control, to achieve network flexibility and scalability.

Layer 1: Basic Protocols

IPv6 private networks can provide large-scale networking, and SRv6 simplifies and unifies network protocols, which is the basis for building intelligent IP networks. Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) inserts segment identifiers (SIDs) into IPv6 extension headers, eliminating the need for Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) labels, reducing device complexity, providing a unified forwarding plane for all services, and simplifying network modeling and operation and maintenance.

Layer 2: Service Assurance

The router supports several OAM detection protocols. SRv6 can achieve 50ms convergence in any fault scenario, greatly improving network reliability and providing highly reliable service support for IPv6 private networks.

SRv6 Service Function Chaining (SFC) technology integrates secure cloud service capabilities to quickly customize security policies for each service, and dynamically adjust policy execution for cloud security services through the management and control platform, providing flexible customization and elastic expansion of value-added security services.

Layer 3: Network Service

The network service layer is based on the rich IPv6 extension headers and innovative IPv6 enhancement technologies to provide different network service guarantees for IPv6 private networks. For example:

Efficient service provisioning: Uses IPv6 reachability and route summary capabilities to achieve efficient and fast end-to-end cross-domain service provisioning.

Accurate operation and maintenance: Application-aware Networking 6 (APN6) carries application information (including application ID and service requirement information) to the network through the IPv6 extension header, so that the network can sense the application and its requirements, and provide SLA protection for it.

Differentiated services and security isolation: Network slicing can provide multiple logical networks on the same shared network infrastructure to achieve resource isolation and on-demand allocation. Each logical network serves a specific service type or industry user. The logical topology, SLA requirements, reliability, and security level of each network slice can be differentiated according to the needs. At the same time, the cost of constructing multiple private networks can be reduced and profitability can be improved.

Real-time visualization: In-situ Flow Information Telemetry (IFIT) enables stream-level real-time quality monitoring of specific services, end-to-end Service Level Agreement (SLA) visualization, and automatic demarcation and fault location. IFIT adds specific headers to real service packets, marking key packet features and allowing measurement of critical network performance metrics such as delay, packet loss, and jitter. IFIT uses Telemetry technology to deliver measurement data in real time and displays the measurement results on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) interface of the network controller, making the network features such as high precision, strong real-time, and visualization.

Layer 4: Intelligent Management and Control

The network electronic map provides network status perception, network risk prediction, automatic fault analysis, automatic closed-loop problems, and other capabilities to realize intelligent network operation and maintenance and automatic network quality management. Network electronic map adopts a human-computer interaction mode based on a navigation map to reconstruct network operation and maintenance experience.

Holographic visualization: Network state fusion perception, holographic visualization, through a unified visual map, real-time display of IP network layer (physical layer, network layer, slice layer, routing layer, service layer, application layer) data, help customers easily understand the network status.

Automatic network fault analysis: Advanced network risk prediction, automatic network fault analysis, in-depth analysis of network layer data, including network impact analysis before configuration change, Border gateway protocol (BGP) routing security analysis, network fault root analysis, and provide network handling suggestions.

Automatic optimization: automatic closure of network problems, process automation, network state change detection, closure optimization. For example, route adjustment is implemented when network traffic is congested, SLA protection is implemented for VPN services with poor quality of experience (QoE), and route acceleration is implemented to meet users' requirements for private line acceleration.

Applications of IPv6 Private Network

IPv6 private networks provide continuous innovation and enhanced capabilities, driving digital transformation and economic growth across industries. Currently, IPv6 private networks are widely used in various industries, including government, education, healthcare, electricity, and transportation. Below is an introduction to the IPv6 private networks in these industries.

IPv6 Government Private Network

IPv6 technology aids digital governments in deploying services via the internet, enabling vertical integration, interdepartmental collaboration, and creating a future-ready, secure, and intelligent multi-plane government network based on IP network slicing. IPv6 technology helps eliminate business barriers, realize connectivity and collaboration between governments at all levels and departments, and improve the work efficiency of departments. Citizens can make appointments online to speed things up and save public resources.

IPv6 Education Private Network

Education private network needs to carry the Internet, financial management, electronic inspection, video security, physical and chemical examination, and other services, for high-value businesses, IPv6 hard slice isolation can help to ensure the safe transmission of data, SRv6 a jump into the cloud to ensure access to the private cloud real-time reliable.

IPv6 Healthcare Private Network

The IPv6 private network provides a network with low bandwidth, low latency, high reliability, and high security for remote medical operations, ensuring that medical accidents are not caused in surgery and first aid scenarios. At the same time, in order to provide online image inspection appointments, online report queries, and other services, the intelligent management control layer of the IPv6 private network can visualize and manage business experience, so as to share hospital image data and support telemedicine.

IPv6 Electric Power Private Network

Intelligent power data network with SRv6 to achieve a business jump into the cloud, network automatic distribution, to help deploy intelligent connection. Network slicing helps the power private network realize differentiated carrying of production services and key office services, and hard isolation of services. IFIT enables rapid fault location and network-wide visualization to help smart grids achieve intelligent operation and maintenance. IPv6 private network based on SRv6, network slicing, IFIT, and other IPv6 enhancement technologies is the best choice for the next generation of intelligent power data networks.

IPv6 Transportation Private Network

IPv6 traffic private network uses SRv6 to achieve refined service management and intelligent route calculation. In terms of service isolation, the IPv6 traffic private network uses FlexE network slices to carry railway services, achieving rigid isolation between services. The slice bandwidth can be flexibly changed according to service development, meeting SLA requirements, and ensuring the experience of the private network. IFIT technology can accurately obtain SLA information of service packets on each node or link, visualize the network in real-time in multiple dimensions, and realize intelligent operation and maintenance of the traffic operation network.