Analysis
Express Logic’s NetX Duo IPv6 TCP/IP Stack Passes IPv6 Ready Logo Testing
Express Logic today announced that its NetX Duo dual IPv4/IPv6 TCP/IP stack has successfully passed rigorous IPv6-Ready Logo testing. The IPv6 Forum, a world-wide consortium focused on providing technical guidance for the deployment of IPv6, does not allow companies to post the IPv6 Ready Logo until conformance and interoperability testing is complete in order to increase user confidence by demonstrating that IPv6 is available now and ready to be used.
Because NetX Duo is a dual IPv4 and IPv6 TCP/IP stack, it can handle both IPv4 and IPv6 protocols and is highly optimized for performance-critical embedded devices. Its modular architecture lets designers customizes various components based on system requirements. NetX Duo APIs are fully backward compatible with the IPv4 services. NetX Duo answers the need for expanded IP capabilities while also supporting legacy needs at the same time.
Phase-II IPv6 Ready Logo Testing
To obtain IPv6-Ready Logo certification, a network stack must pass conformance and interoperability tests, administered and validated by the IPv6 Forum. There are two phases of testing, Phase-I and Phase-II. Phase-I is relatively basic and limited to verification of select IPv6 capabilities. Phase-II is much more rigorous and extensive, and is a superset of Phase-I.
Express Logic chose to seek Phase-II approval, which required NetX Duo to pass an extremely challenging set of 373 test cases, which cover the following RFCs:
• RFC 2460 - IPv6 Specification
• RFC 4861 - Neighbor Discovery for IPv6
• RFC 4862 - IPv6 Stateless Address Autoconfiguration
• RFC 1981 - Path MTU Discovery for IPv6
• RFC 4443 - ICMPv6
These test cases make sure the implementation conforms to core IPv6 operations.
The Phase-II Interoperability tests ensure that the implementation is able to work with other devices and routers. This test requires setting up a test network with multiple routers and hosts, and to validate that NetX Duo follows the IPv6 standard and correctly interacts with other hosts and routers.
NetX Duo has successfully performed these tests and has received official IPv6-Ready Logo certification, enabling Express Logic to join a select, small group of embedded software companies who can proudly display the IPv6 Ready logo, indicating that they have completed this rigorous testing and validation process.
“The IPv6 Ready Logo signifies that our NetX Duo stack has proven itself fully compliant with IPv6 specifications and requirements, simplifying developers’ jobs by enabling them to transition from IPv4 to IPv6 seamlessly,” commented William E. Lamie, president of Express Logic. “Many government agencies require that all Internet-capable devices have IPv6 support. Our IPv6 Ready Logo validation and certification will go a long way toward ensuring that embedded devices are readily accepted and easily implemented throughout the world.”