NetworkWord is reporting that the U.S. government has reportedly launch a comprehensive product testing program for IPv6. The new program, USGv6 Test Program , will be run by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will require all network hardware and software vendors to pass IPv6 compliance and interoperability tests before they can sell their products to the U.S. federal government market. The NIST IPv6 test plan covers basic IPv6 functionality as well as related standards such as: IP Security (IPsec), Internet Key Exchange (IKEv2 ), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCPv6), Open Shortest Path First (OSPFv3), Border Gateway Protocol (BGP4+) and multicast requirements in MLDv2 .

The USGv6 program will allow vendors to run IPv6 compliance tests in their own labs as long as the labs are accredited by NIST, but they must run IPv6 interoperability testing in someone else’s lab. Erica Johnson, Director of the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory told NetworkWorld, “The way that the NIST profile is going to work is that conformance testing can be done in an accredited first-party [vendor], second-party [buyer] or third-party [independent] lab…But the interoperability testing must be done in a second-party or third-party lab.”

The time-frame for the USGv6 Test Program is tight. NIST is expected to publish this week [July 31] the final version of its IPv6 test specifications  aka Special Publication 500-273 and to finalize its test plan in November 2009. Testing labs are to be accredited before the end of the calendar year. Network vendors will have six months to get their routers, operating systems, firewalls and other security systems through IPv6 testing prior to the federal government’s July 2010 acquisition deadline.

By July 2010, federal agencies will be required to purchase only hosts, routers and network security systems that have been tested for IPv6 compliance. Vendors must issue a “Suppliers’ Declaration of Conformity” that states host and router products have been tested for IPv6 compliance and interoperability, while security products must undergo functional IPv6 testing. All of the testing must be done in NIST-accredited labs.

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It’s about time – I have been including IPv6 requirements in RFP’s for over 6 years. It is amazing to watch the vendors tap-dance arounf what IPv6 compatibility means. Only some of these products from Cisco or Foundry Brocade are IPv6 compatible depending on the image you buy. I guess the real trick will be to get a”Suppliers’ Declaration of Conformity” if you are not a Fed.