TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) as we all know is the basic communication language or protocol of the Internet. Many years ago the IANA or the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority was formed and was made responsible for the global co-ordination of the Internet Protocol Addressing system. Towards globalizing the IP address system, various research studies were already underway and as we know in development parlance, many versions find their way before a final, usable version is announced and launched. The most commonly known version in our generation happens to be the IPv4 or the Internet Protocol Version 4. IPv1, IPv2 and IPv3 are the three versions that were phased out when IPv4 was universally accepted and launched.
As IPv4 came into the running, both IPv5 and IPv6 developments were on. In the process of IPv5 design, developers and designers realized various difficulties in the introduction of the new version of the IP with the growth of internet usage mushrooming to levels unbelievable. With this, IPv5 was shelved and all efforts were focused towards IPv6. In mid 2010, the American Registry for Internet Numbers announced that the Internet will run out of Internet numbers in about one year’s time on the present protocol. The explosion of data, occurring, mainly due to various applications, equipment, sensors, smart-grids, RFID, bio-metric devices and a horde of such developments connecting to the Internet as well as the phenomenal user generated content growth, is seen as the key factors leading to this situation.
As some archives and articles show, with Internet growing of age and technologies hitherto unimagined, even though the IPv6 is a much, much larger platform than the IPv4, fears of the Y2K episode will have to be shelved and we will have to move on.
It is very interesting to see forces like Google, Facebook, Twitter and others with a vision, convincing market forces and organizations to start using the IPv6 platform. Google took the lead in June 2010 by holding the Google IPv6 implementer’s conference with good participation from one and all. Companies are all getting set to whole heartedly participate in the trial of the IPv6 to begin in June 2011. Google is already taking steps to educate users worldwide regarding the World IPv6 Day towards large scale adoption of the IPv6.
An estimate of IPv4 reaching the limit with technology explosion is anticipated not later than November 2011. With Google and the Android community bringing Internet TV on the convergence platform, you are the best judge, to imagine how far this could be true.
