The complexities of managing v6 networks are far different from those of a v4 network. Traditional IPAM (IP Address Management) applications don’t automate subnetting, SWIPs, allocation requests, etc. Instead they merely – albeit quite effectively – turn spreadsheets into manageable, searchable databases and layer them with visual dashboards.
That won’t work in a v6 world, where managing both v4 and v6 addresses as well as managing the sheer volume of IPs will become daunting for the unprepared. Because fundamentally, IPv6 requires automation of tasks that were considered mundane and manual in a v4 network. We’re already seeing a wave of inquiries from global customers who are now facing this very issue as they begin to maintain a hybrid v4 + v6 network in their enterprise.
ISOC.org has a study written by Nakayame, et al. titled, “A Study Into a Visualization of an IPv6 Network” which we find a useful resource.
