- IPv6 address are
classified as follows:
- Unicast addresses
- Anycast addresses
- Multicast addresses
- Unicasting:
- Unicast transmission =
sending of
messages to a
single network destination
(that is identified
by a unicast address)
(This is the normal way to transmit a message)
- Unicast transmission =
sending of
messages to a
single network destination
(that is identified
by a unicast address)
- Anycasting:
- Anycast transmission =
sending of
(datagram) messages to
any one member
of a group of
network destinations
(that is identified
by an anycast address)
Example:
- Google/Yahoo/Facebook uses
anycasting to
direct your
requests to:
- The nearest server or
- Their lightly loaded server...
- Anycast transmission =
sending of
(datagram) messages to
any one member
of a group of
network destinations
(that is identified
by an anycast address)
- Multicasting:
- Multicast transmission =
sending of
(datagram) messages to
all members
of a group of
network destinations
(that is identified
by a multicast address)
(This is the group communication method developed by Steve Deering)
- Multicast transmission =
sending of
(datagram) messages to
all members
of a group of
network destinations
(that is identified
by a multicast address)
- IPv6
multicast
address format:
8 bits 4 bits 4 bits 112 bits +----------+-------+-------+--------------------------------+ | 11111111 | flags | scope | <---- multicast group ID ----> | +----------+-------+-------+--------------------------------+
- IPv6
unicast/anycast
address format:
<------- 64 bits -------> <------- 64 bits -------> +-------------------------+-------------------------+ | network prefix | interface ID (host ID) | +-------------------------+-------------------------+
- Wikipedia: click here