Abstract: IPv6 Neighbor Discovery relies on periodic multicast Router
Advertisement messages to update timer values and to distribute new
information (such as new prefixes) to hosts. On some links the use of
periodic multicast messages to all host becomes expensive, and in some
cases it results in hosts waking up frequently. Many implementations
of RFC 4861 also use multicast for solicited Router Advertisement
messages, even though that behavior is optional. This specification
provides an optional mechanism for hosts and routers where instead of
periodic multicast Router Advertisements the hosts are instructed (by
the routers) to use unicast Router Solicitations to request refreshed
Router Advertisements. This mechanism is enabled by configuring the
router to include a new option in the Router Advertisement in order to
allow the network administrator to choose host behavior based on
whether periodic multicast are more efficient on their link or not.
The routers can also tell whether the hosts are capable of the new
behavior through a new flag in the Router Solicitations.
Publication Year: 2014
Publication Date: 2014-10-27
Language: en
Type: article
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