Network World linked to a survey conducted by the Internet Society [ISOC].  In it, ISOC claims [PDF] that there are “no concrete business drivers for IPv6” but, paradoxically, customer demand for IPv6 is on the rise. 

Ignoring for a second that “satisfying customer demand” has generally been a good business driver in general, it seems that IPv6 has been, like Duke Nukem Forever, “just around the corner” for quite some time now.  In fact, IPv6 was a Standards Track Protocol back in December 1998, and Duke Nukem Forever has been in development since 1997, which makes interesting betting between friends and technically inclined mobsters over which will happen first: IPv6 mainstream adoption or Duke Nukem Forever releasing.

The survey states in its abstract that:

“While respondents who had begun IPv6 deployment reported gaps in support for IPv6 among tools and applications, they found the process of deploying IPv6 relatively straightforward.”

This is very different from the experiences of the tech guys and gals on Slashdot, whose anecdotes sound a little something like this:

Numbski: “I *tried* to build up a new fiber network in downtown St. Louis using IPv6. I couldn't get the address space!

It's insane - I could get 3x/24 blocks (non-sequential) assigned to my ASN, but in order to get an IPv6 allotment, I had to show proof that I *already* had utilized a full /24 of IPv6 addresses (which is NOT 256. It's 256*256*256!) They said to get it from my upstream provider - they said they don't do that, get it from ARIN. I go back to ARIN, ARIN says "They're full of it, get it from your upstream provider."

Even more insane? IPv6 allotments are FREE! I had to pay per year for an IPv4 allotment, but the free stuff? Pfft...we have it, we'll never run out of it within your lifetime, but you can't have it.”

Slashdot user “Mellon” counters with the idea that providers are probably simply used to the IPv4 way of doing things, which includes fragmentation, huge routing tables, etc., all of which are different from the way things are done in IPv6.

There’s also another thing to consider, and this might make a compelling case for IPv6 – that is, virtualization makes it very easy to create (and to destroy) development platforms in a very, very short amount of time.  With all those machines being moved around, in other words, it’s nice to have a “set it and forget it” IPv6 block that’s large enough to not need to worry about fragmentation.

Finally, the most compelling business case?  It’s simple really.  It’s IPv6.  It’s two more than IPv4.  So if you liked IPv4, IPv6 is IPv4 plus two more!  Seriously, how can you say no to an extra two?