What is SLAAC - Stateless Address Auto-configuration in IPv6
There are different ways to assign a Global unique IPv6 address to a computer. SLAAC (Stateless Address Auto-configuration) is one among them. Please click next link to know about different methods to assign a Global Unicast IPv6 address to an interface .
IPv6 address configuration using SLAAC (Stateless Address Auto-configuration)
IPv6 supports both stateful and stateless address configuration. Stateful IPv6 configuration tracks and store information about the leased IPv6 addresses. Stateful IPv6 address configuration is normally done with the help of a DHCPv6 server.
To make things more easy, IPv6 supports Stateless Address Auto-configuration (SLAAC) of IPv6 addresses for the devices. In SLAAC, no DHCPv6 server is required and no IPv6 address lease is tracked or stored. SLAAC allows different IPv6 enabled computers to auto-configure unique IPv6 addresses for themselves.
In IPv6, stateful IPv6 address assignment requires a DHCPv6 server. This DHCPv6 server tracks and stores the leased IPv6 address, related MAC address, lease time etc. Hence the DHCPv6 server also acts like a database where above IPv6 address lease information are kept.
In stateless IPv6 address assignment SLAAC, no server tracks and stores the leased IPv6 address, related MAC address, lease time etc. An IPv6 enabled computer can auto-generate an unique IPv6 address with the help of messages like Router Solicitation (RS) messages, Router Advertisement (RA) messages, Neighbour Solicitaion (NS) messages, Neighbour Advertisement (NA) messages and Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) messages.
Please click the next link to learn how SLAAC works in IPv6.
Written by Jajish Thomas.
Last updated on 5th September, 2023.
