NASA OIG: Status of NASA’s Transition to Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6)
Results NASA has taken preliminary steps to meet OMB requirements for IPv6 transition and integration, including assigning a lead official in November 2005 to coordinate NASA’s efforts, developing inventories of IP-aware devices and an impact analysis, and in June 2008 demonstrating IPv6 capability of one NASA network.
However, as of March 2010 the Agency did not have an updated or complete IPv6 transition plan as required by OMB. This occurred, in part, because the Agency has ample IPv4 addresses to meet its current and future requirements and because the individual who was leading the IPv6 transition effort left NASA in November 2006 and no one has been assigned to replace him.
As a result, the Agency does not have adequate assurance that it has considered all necessary transition elements or that the security and interoperability of its systems will not be affected as other Government agencies and entities transition to IPv6. Accordingly, even if NASA can continue meeting its communication needs using IPv4 addresses, it should ensure that its systems are prepared as other Internet users transition to IPv6.
