NYU Deploys Native IPv6 Multicast Network with Cisco

New York University (NYU) has established native Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) multicast connectivity between its campus network and the global IPv6 Internet, using Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches and Cisco IOS(R) 12.2 SX software. The native IPv6 connectivity is described as the first connection of its kind in North America.


NYU's native IPv6 multicast connections will replace previous "tunneling" methods and will deliver performance and service levels on par with native IPv4 multicast connectivity.


NYU plans to test a number of IPv6-enabled applications and network services using its native multicast connections including Digital Video over IP (DVIP) and multicast-conferencing capabilities. It also plans to test network-layer multicast protocols such as Source Specific Multicast (SSM) and Multicast Listener Discovery (MLD), technologies that help network administrators better direct multicast traffic to recipients who actually want to receive the data.


"This milestone event represents a significant evolutionary step in the growing deployment of IPv6 multicast," said Jimmy Kyriannis, senior technology architect at NYU's Information Technology Services group. "NYU has been an early adopter of IPv6 since its infancy and this accomplishment continues that trend."

The Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series was certified as "IPv6 Ready" in March 2004 by the IPv6 Ready organization.
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