First blog post

This blog is an experimental blog that I will use to discuss what I'm doing in terms of ongoing research and technical subject matters that are of interest to me in addition to some relevant news items that caught my attention since my last update. I'm currently transitioning onto a EU FP7 research project called EFIPSANS so I figured it would be a good time to give blogging a try. I've been wanting to do this for while.

I'm sure I'll go into EFIPSANS in more detail at a future date but take it for now that its focus is on defining an autonomic management architecture for the management of IPv6 networks.

IPv6

What are the benefits of IPv6? Better address space economics or put more dramatically IPv4 addresses are running out, simplified mobility model, simplified operations model, security – end-to-end packet integrity with integrated IPv6. I'll refrain from going into the details right now. However, I did watch an interesting IPv6 webinar that discussed the importance for network administrators for planning the deployment and migration of IPv6.

Top of the list was deciding where in the network and at what network boundary to begin the transition. Use Intra-Site Automatic Tunnelling Addressing Protocol (ISATAP) to connect IPv6 islands over exisiting IPv4 networks. Whereas Dual Stacks supports both IPv4 and IPv6 on a single interface without the need for tunnels. Cisco IPv6 Network Assessor is a standalone portable tool that scans Cisco routers and switches and then provides an easy-to-read report showing the results of the assessment and what needs to be done. Upgrade DNS server to support IPv6. Acquire IPv6 address block and create IPv6 addressing scheme. Evaluate IPv6 capable transport services available from current Service Providers. Is that it?

In the news...

Cable operators in the news this week include Comcast who according to Light Reading, are planning to expand access to its Fancast Xfinity TV online video service to customers who get high-speed access from Verizon, AT&T and others. While Cox Communications will soon be providing wireless services by utilising Sprint Nextels 3G CDMA network and its own LTE network using spectrum it won at auction so maybe the days of refering to it as a cable company is no longer apt and why cable operators are commonly referred to as Multi-Service Operators (MSOs) (See Cox: Wireless Coming in March).

In Europe, TeliaSonera AB chose equipment vendors Ericsson and Huawei Technologies last year to build initial metro networks in Stockholm and Oslo, which is now live since last December. Now it has chosen Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks for its widespread LTE rollouts (See NSN Replaces Huawei in Euro LTE Rollout).

Finally, an Amdocs survey showed that that 90% of respondents indicated new business models and partnerships are critical to their future success. The days of the "dumb pipe" strategy is limited, offering premium services is the way to generate new revenues something that has become a bit of a mantra for me recently too (See Carriers Ready for New Partners, Biz Model). A lot of my own research is in this space so expect more posts on this topic in the future.