Session

Could an IPv6-Only Kernel Be a Reality? An Architectural and Performance Evaluation

Chairs

Fernando Fernandez Mancera

Label

Nuts and Bolts

Session Type

Bof

Description

Currently, compiling the Linux kernel with IPv6 support strictly requires the IPv4 network stack. After seeing the interest on the support for an IPv6-only kernel during the IPv6 de-modularization series earlier this year, we decided to give it a try.

In this workshop, we explore the technical feasibility and performance impact of a standalone IPv6 kernel. We present an experimental implementation and analyze its impact across three vectors: architectural changes, performance and changeset scope.

The goal of this workshop is to share our initial findings and listen to questions, suggestions, possible pain points or blockers we may have overlooked.

  • To facilitate a productive discussion, the implementation and results will be submitted upstream as an RFC before the conference takes place.