This chapter is at an early stage and is expected to grow dynamically over time.
Management and operations is a complex topic not just for IPv6, but for information technology in general. Because there are many types of networks consisting of a myriad of components, naturally operations and management will vary based on the use cases, environments, policies, and budgets of any given network ecosystem. To understand how to manage a given resource, it is imperative that there exist an understanding of that resource, and how it is to be used. Most networks can be broadly categorized into one of a small number of general types: Carrier, Personal, Enterprise, Mobile, and Data Center. There are obviously more subtle categories, but in order to maintain an element of completeness, these five categories will encompass the broad spectrum of networks in use today.
Because most networks are comprised of similar elements and that the core function of a network is to connect endpoints and to deliver data, it is expected that there is overlap of operational requirements and solutions in these categories.
Carrier
This category includes local Internet Service Providers serving a single market, national or international carriers, and a handful of backbone or international carriers who offer transit services to other carriers. Internet Exchange Points may also be considered as a special type of transit carrier. Carriers in general do not offer services direct to end users, except that they must all play a part in DNS infrastructure.
Personal
This refers primarily to domestic networks, which are often quite simple today (no internal routing) but are expected to become more complex as more and more smart devices are deployed in the home. Needless to say, they should be highly automated and should not rely on human expertise for operations.
Enterprise
This covers a wide range of networks which may have very different characteristics. At the simple end, a small office network may be little different from a domestic network, and is often referred to as SOHO (small office, home office). A small to medium enterprise network may be more complex, with internal routing and perhaps several nearby physical locations. A large enterprise network could span anywhere from a small town up to several continents. Some large enterprise networks may equal or exceed a carrier network in complexity. Enterprises of all sizes are likely to offer services to other enterprises or to the public, so will be much more concerned by transport and application layer issues than most carriers.
Data Center
Large data centers, either embedded in enterprise networks, or specialized enterprises in themsleves, have a unique set of networking and performance requirements.
Other
We do not claim that the above list is complete. For example, a fast growing category is Building Services Networks for the automation of the infrastructure of large buildings. It is expected that Vehicular Networks will be widely deployed. Other forms of industrial networks also have to be provided for. These networks (often bundled together as "Internet of Things") may not be of concern to typical network operations centers, but they will strongly influence future technical development of IPv6.
This chapter starts by describing how various management and operations tools apply to IPv6, and then continues by discussing some specific topics where IPv6 presents its own challenges. The emphasis is on carrier, enterprise and data center scenarios.