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Technical Details

Background:

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directed  [OMB-M05-22, OMB-IPv6] the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop the technical infrastructure (standards and testing) necessary to support wide scale adoption of IPv6 in the US Government (USG). In response, NIST developed the initial USGv6 Profile [SP500-267] to assist agencies in the development of acquisition requirements for IPv6 products and the USGv6 Test Program [SP500-281] to provide the means to assess product compliance to such requirements. In subsequent years additional USG policies [OMB-IPv6, FAR-2005-041, OMB-M17-06] have referenced various aspects of the USGv6 program [USGv6-Web].

In November 2020, OMB published memorandum [OMB-M-21-07] that outlines the Federal government's strategic intent "to deliver its information services, operate its networks, and access the services of others using only IPv6".   This policy also instructed NIST to update and expand its USGv6 standards profile and test program to support this government wide initiative.

In anticipation of this request NIST undertook a significant revision of the USGv6 Profile and Test Program to update their technical specifications and to streamline their use in Federal procurement processes. The USGv6 Program was developed collaboratively with, and aligned to, industry led product test programs [IPv6-Ready, NIST-IPv6F].


Related References:

Citation

Reference

[FAR-2005-041]

"Federal Acquisition Regulation: FAR Case 2005-041, Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)", December 2009.
Online at:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2009/12/10/E9-28931/federal-acquisition-regulation-far-case-2005-041-internet-protocol-version-6-ipv6

[IPv6-Ready]

"IPv6 Ready Logo Program", The IPv6 Forum, ongoing.
Online at:
https://www.ipv6ready.org/

[NIST-IPv6F]

"Grant of Use Rights: IPv6 Test Specifications", MOU between NIST and the IPv6 Forum, April 2008.
Online at:
https://www.nist.gov/document/ipv6forumnistmoupdf

[OMB-IPv6]

V. Kundra, "Transition to IPv6: Memorandum for Chief Information Officers of Executive Departments and Agencies", September 2010.
Online at:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/assets/egov_docs/transition-to-ipv6.pdf

[OMB-M21-07]

R. Vought, "Completing the Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6): Memorandum for The Chief Information Officers", November 2020.
Online at:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/M-21-07.pdf

[OMB-M05-22]

K. Evans, "Transition Planning for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6): Memorandum for The Chief Information Officers", August 2005.
Online at:
https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/omb/memoranda/fy2005/m05-22.pdf

[OMB-M17-06]

S. Donovan, H. Shelanski, T. Scott, "Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services: Memorandum for The Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies", November 2016.
Online at:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/memoranda/2017/m-17-06.pdf

[RFC8504]

Chown, T., Loughney, J., and T. Winters, "IPv6 Node Requirements", BCP 220, RFC 8504, DOI 10.17487/RFC8504, January 2019.
Online at:
https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8504

[SP500-267]

D. Montgomery, S. Nightingale, S. Frankel, M. Carson, "A Profile for IPv6 in the U.S. Government - Version 1.0", NIST SP-500-267, July 2008.
Online at:
https://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267

[SP500-267Ar1]

D. Montgomery, M. Carson, T. Winters, M. Newcombe, T. Carlin, "NIST IPv6 Profile", NIST Special Publication 500-267A revision 1, National Institute of Standards and Technology, November 2020.
Online at:
https://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-267Ar1

[SP500-281]

S. Nightingale, D. Montgomery, "USGv6 Testing Program User's Guide", November 2009.
Online at:
https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-281-v1.0

[SP500-281Ar1]

D. Montgomery, S. Nightingale, E. Johnson, M. Newcombe, T. Winters, "USGv6 Test Program Guide", NIST Special Publication 500-281A revision 1, National Institute of Standards and Technology, November 2020.
Online at:
https://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-281Ar1

[SP500-281Br1]

D. Montgomery, S. Nightingale, E. Johnson, M. Newcombe, T. Winters, "USGv6 Test Methods: General Description and Validation", NIST Special Publication 500-281B revision 1, National Institute of Standards and Technology, November 2020.
Online at:
https://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.500-281Br1

[USGv6-Web]

"NIST USGv6 Program", website, ongoing
Online at:
https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/usgv6-program

 

 

Created April 7, 2020, Updated September 13, 2023