IPv6 is one of the main underpinnings of DirectAccess. All communication between the DirectAccess client and the DirectAccess server and corporate network resources takes place using IPv6 only. DNS64 and NAT64, the protocol translators for DNS and NAT, address these concerns by translating native IPv6 traffic to IPv4, allowing the DirectAccess client to communicate with systems on the corporate network that are running only IPv4. This significantly reduces the barrier to entry for the adoption of DirectAccess as a remote access solution, but it doesn’t eliminate the requirement for IPv6 altogether. When DNS64 and NAT64 are leveraged, either as part of UAG DirectAccess or the unified remote access role in Windows Server 2012, it is important to remember that the DirectAccess client still communicates with the DirectAccess server using IPv6. It is for this reason that I strongly recommend and encourage systems and network engineers to start learning IPv6 today! I realize that IPv6 looks a bit scary from the outside. The address space is 128-bit and IPv6 addresses are written in hexadecimal, which can be quite daunting for many, me included. There are some new acronyms to learn as well. However, do you recall a time when you didn’t know IPv4? I certainly do! I remember first learning it and thinking I would never get it. Subnet masks? Dotted decimal notation? CIDR? They were completely foreign concepts. Eventually you learn it, gain experience deploying and troubleshooting it, and soon thereafter it becomes second nature. That is most people’s experience with IPv4, and it will be no different with IPv6. It will just take time to learn this new technology.

So, don’t be overwhelmed by IPv6! It’s not like you have to learn an entire new networking model top to bottom. After all, the bottom line is that it is just layer 3 – IP. Begin reading books on the subject and more importantly start deploying it in a lab environment. Soon you’ll have valuable knowledge and experience with the IPv6 protocol which will make you a more complete engineer. To get started, here are a few resources I’d recommend as you begin your quest for IPv6 knowledge and experience:

Understanding IPv6 – This is an excellent book to read to start learning about IPv6. Joe Davies is an outstanding writer and the third edition of this book is due out this summer. Ed Horley, a preeminent expert in the field of IPv6 and co-chair of the California IPv6 Task Force is serving as the technical reviewer so it is sure to be outstanding.

IPv6 Essentials – Another great book about IPv6 written by Silvia Hagen.

IPv6 test lab guide – Test lab guides are essential for learning new features of the Microsoft operating system and applications. The IPv6 test lab guide provides detailed and prescriptive guidance for deploying IPv6 on a Microsoft network.

Good luck!