Configuring an IPv6 Interface

As an initial step to use IPv6 on a network, configure IPv6 on the system's IP interface.

During the Oracle Solaris installation process, you can enable IPv6 on one or more of a system's interfaces. If you enable IPv6 support during installation, then after the installation is completed, the following IPv6-related files and tables are in place:

The name-service/switch SMF service has been modified to accommodate lookups using IPv6 addresses.
The IPv6 address selection policy table is created. This table prioritizes the IP address format to use for transmissions over an IPv6-enabled interface.

This section describes how to enable IPv6 on the interfaces after Oracle Solaris installation has been completed.

How to Configure a System For IPv6

Begin your IPv6 configuration process by enabling IPv6 on the interfaces of all systems that will become IPv6 nodes. Initially, the interface obtains its IPv6 address through the autoconfiguration process, as described in Autoconfiguration Process. You then can tailor the node's configuration based on its function in the IPv6 network, either as a host, server, or router.

Note - If the interface is on the same link as a router that currently advertises an IPv6 prefix, the interface obtains that site prefix as part of its autoconfigured addresses. For more information, refer to How to Configure an IPv6-Enabled Router.

The following procedure explains how to enable IPv6 for an interface that was added after an Oracle Solaris installation.

Configure the IP interface by using the appropriate commands.
Refer to How to Configure an IP Interface in Connecting Systems Using Fixed Network Configuration in Oracle Solaris 11.1.
Note - When you assign the IP address, make sure to use the correct option to assign an IPv6 address:
```
# ipadm create-addr -T addrconf interface
```
To add more addresses, use the following syntax:
```
# ipadm create-addr -a ipv6-address interface
```
Start the IPv6 daemonin.ndpd.
```
# /usr/lib/inet/in.ndpd
```

(Optional) Create a static IPv6 default route.

# /usr/sbin/route -p add -inet6 default ipv6-address

(Optional) Create an /etc/inet/ndpd.conf file that defines parameters for interface variables on the node.
If you need to create temporary addresses for the host's interface, refer to Using Temporary Addresses for an Interface. For details about /etc/inet/ndpd.conf, refer to the ndpd.conf(4) man page and ndpd.conf Configuration File.
(Optional) To display the status of the IP interfaces with their IPv6 configurations, type the following command:
```
# ipadm show-addr
```

Example 4-1 Enabling an IPv6 Interface After Installation

This example shows how to enable IPv6 on the net0 interface. Before you begin, check the status of all interfaces configured on the system.

# ipadm show-addr
ADDROBJ   TYPE     STATE   ADDR
lo0/v4    static   ok      127.0.0.1/8
net0/v4   static   ok      172.16.27.74/24

Only the net0 interface is currently configured for this system. Enable IPv6 on this interface as follows:

# ipadm create-addr -T addrconf net0
# ipadm create-addr -a 2001:db8:3c4d:15:203/64 net0
# /usr/lib/inet/in.ndpd

# ipadm show-addr
ADDROBJ      TYPE       STATE   ADDR
lo0/v4       static     ok      127.0.0.1/8
net0/v4      static     ok      172.16.27.74/24
net0/v6      addrconf   ok      fe80::203:baff:fe13:14e1/10
lo0/v6       static     ok      ::1/128
net0/v6a     static     ok      2001:db8:3c4d:15:203/64

# route -p add -inet6 default fe80::203:baff:fe13:14e1

Next Steps

To configure the IPv6 node as a router, go to Configuring an IPv6 Router.
To disable address autoconfiguration on the node, see How to Turn Off IPv6 Address Autoconfiguration.
To tailor the node as a server, see the suggestions in Administering IPv6-Enabled Interfaces on Servers.

How to Turn Off IPv6 Address Autoconfiguration

You normally should use address autoconfiguration to generate the IPv6 addresses for the interfaces of hosts and servers. However, sometimes you might want to turn off address autoconfiguration, especially if you want to manually configure a token, as explained in Configuring an IPv6 Token.

Create an /etc/inet/ndpd.conf file for the node.
The /etc/inet/ndpd.conf file defines interface variables for the particular node. This file should have the following contents in order to turn off address autoconfiguration for an interface on the server:
```
interface StatelessAddrConf false
```
To turn off address autoconfiguration for all the interfaces, use the following entry:
```
ifdefault StatelessAddrConf false
```
For details about /etc/inet/ndpd.conf, refer to the ndpd.conf(4) man page and ndpd.conf Configuration File.
Update the IPv6 daemon with your changes.
```
# pkill -HUP in.ndpd
```

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