IPv6 Anycast Address

An IPv6 anycast address is an address that is assigned to a set of interfaces that typically belong to different
nodes. Anycast addresses are syntactically indistinguishable from unicast addresses, because anycast addresses
are allocated from the unicast address space.

• Finding Feature Information, page 1

• Information About IPv6 Anycast Address, page 1
• How to Configure IPv6 Anycast Address, page 2
• Configuration Examples for IPv6 Anycast Address, page 3
• Additional References for IPv6 Source Guard and Prefix Guard, page 4
• Feature Information for IPv6 Anycast Address, page 5

Finding Feature Information

Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature
information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information
about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported,
see the Feature Information Table at the end of this document.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support.
To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Information About IPv6 Anycast Address

IPv6 Address Type: Anycast

An anycast address is an address that is assigned to a set of interfaces that typically belong to different nodes.
A packet sent to an anycast address is delivered to the closest interface (as defined by the routing protocols
in use) identified by the anycast address. Anycast addresses are syntactically indistinguishable from unicast
addresses, because anycast addresses are allocated from the unicast address space. Assigning a unicast address

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How to Configure IPv6 Anycast Address

to more than one interface makes a unicast address an anycast address. Nodes to which the anycast address
is assigned must be explicitly configured to recognize that the address is an anycast address.

Note Anycast addresses can be used only by a device, not a host, and anycast addresses must not be used as the
source address of an IPv6 packet.

The figure below shows the format of the subnet device anycast address; the address has a prefix concatenated
by a series of zeros (the interface ID). The subnet device anycast address can be used to reach a device on the
link that is identified by the prefix in the subnet device anycast address.

Figure 1: Subnet Device Anycast Address Format

How to Configure IPv6 Anycast Address

Configuring IPv6 Anycast Addressing

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable
2. configure terminal
3. interface type number
4. tunnel mode ipv6ip [6rd | 6to4 | auto-tunnel | isatap]
5. tunnel source { ip address | ipv6-address | interface-type interface-number }
6. ipv6 address { ipv6-prefix/prefix-length | prefix-name sub-bits/prefix-length }
7. ipv6 address ipv6-prefix/prefix-length anycast

DETAILED STEPS

Command or Action Purpose

Step 1 enable Enables privileged EXEC mode.
• Enter your password if prompted.
Example:
Device> enable

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Command or Action Purpose

Step 2 configure terminal Enters global configuration mode.

Example:
Device# configure terminal

Step 3 interface type number Specifies an interface type and number, and places the
device in interface configuration mode.
Example:
Device(config)# interface tunnel0

Step 4 tunnel mode ipv6ip [6rd | 6to4 | auto-tunnel | isatap] Configures a static IPv6 tunnel interface.

Example:
Device(config-if)# tunnel mode ipv6ip 6to4

Step 5 tunnel source { ip address | ipv6-address | interface-type Sets the source address for a tunnel interface. The
interface-number } address used here is the one assigned to Ethernet
interface 1.
Example:
Device(config-if)# tunnel source GigabitEthernet1

Step 6 ipv6 address { ipv6-prefix/prefix-length | prefix-name Configures an IPv6 address and enables IPv6
sub-bits/prefix-length } processing on an interface.

Example:
Device(config-if)# ipv6 address 2001:db8:A00:1::1/64

Step 7 ipv6 address ipv6-prefix/prefix-length anycast Specifying the ipv6 address anycast command adds
an IPv6 anycast address.
Example:
Device(config-if)# ipv6 address 2002:db8:c058::/128
anycast

Configuration Examples for IPv6 Anycast Address

Example: Configuring IPv6 Anycast Addressing

interface tunnel0
tunnel mode ipv6ip 6to4
tunnel source ethernet1
ipv6 address 2001:0db8:1::1/64
ipv6 address 2002:0db8:6301::/128 anycast
!

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Additional References for IPv6 Source Guard and Prefix Guard

interface gigabitethernet1
ip address 10.0.0.1 255.255.255.0
ip address 192.88.99.1 255.255.255.0 secondary

Additional References for IPv6 Source Guard and Prefix Guard

Related Documents

Related Topic Document Title

IPv6 addressing and connectivity IPv6 Configuration Guide

IPv4 addressing IP Addressing: IPv4 Addressing

Configuration Guide

Cisco IOS commands Cisco IOS Master Command List,

All Releases

IPv6 commands Cisco IOS IPv6 Command

Reference

Cisco IOS IPv6 features Cisco IOS IPv6 Feature Mapping

Standards and RFCs

Standard/RFC Title
RFCs for IPv6 IPv6 RFCs

Technical Assistance

Description Link
The Cisco Support and Documentation website http://www.cisco.com/cisco/web/support/index.html
provides online resources to download documentation,
software, and tools. Use these resources to install and
configure the software and to troubleshoot and resolve
technical issues with Cisco products and technologies.
Access to most tools on the Cisco Support and
Documentation website requires a Cisco.com user ID
and password.

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Feature Information for IPv6 Anycast Address

Feature Information for IPv6 Anycast Address

The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This
table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release
train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support.
To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Table 1: Feature Information for IPv6 Anycast Address

Feature Name Releases Feature Information

IPv6: Anycast Address 12.2(25)SEA An anycast address is an address
that is assigned to a set of
12.2(25)SG
interfaces that typically belong to
12.2(33)SRA different nodes. Anycast addresses
12.2(33)SXH are syntactically indistinguishable
from unicast addresses, because
12.3(4)T anycast addresses are allocated
15.0(2)SG from the unicast address space.
Cisco IOS XE Release 2.1 The following commands were
introduced or modified: ipv6
3.2.0SG
address anycast, show ipv6
interface.

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