Set up and Demo an IPv6 Test Lab with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft is providing guidance to help customers Demonstrate IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) using machines running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

And fact is that with the rapid depletion of IPv4 public addresses, now is an excellent opportunity to at least start exploring IPv6, if not already beginning planning for the transition.

The free resource from the software giant available via the Microsoft Download Center is designed to allow customers to set up and demonstrate an IPv6 Test Lab.

The Redmond company is offering the necessary guidance to put together an IPv6 Test Lab using products such as Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

“This paper contains instructions for setting up a test lab based on the Base Configuration test lab and deploying IPv6 using four server computers and one client computer.

“The resulting IPv6 test lab demonstrates default and configured IPv6 connectivity across an intranet and a simulated IPv4-only Internet,” Microsoft reveals.

In addition to demonstrating the default behavior of IPv6 and connectivity on an IPv4-only intranet, the Test Lab can also help customers demo IPv6-based intranet connectivity in the context of the Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol (ISATAP), but also IPv6-based intranet connectivity with native IPv6 addressing and also simulated IPv4-only Internet via 6to4.

Here are the solutions that customers will need to deploy IPv6 connectivity:

“- One computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition named DC1 that is configured as an intranet domain controller, Domain Name System (DNS) server, DHCP server, enterprise root certification authority (CA), and an IPv6 router.

- One intranet member server running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition named EDGE1 that is configured as a 6to4 relay.

- One intranet member server running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition named APP1 that is configured as a general application server.

- One standalone server running Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition named INET1 that is configured as an Internet DHCP server, DNS server, and Web server.

- One roaming member client computer running Windows 7 Ultimate Edition named CLIENT1.
The IPv6 test lab consists of three subnets that simulate the following:

- The Internet (131.107.0.0/24).

- An intranet subnet named Corpnet (10.0.0.0/24), separated from the Internet by EDGE1.

- An additional intranet subnet named Corpnet2 (10.0.1.0/24), separated from the Corpnet subnet by DC1,” Microsoft said.