Implementation Differences Between OSPFv2 and OSPFv3

OSPFv3 is not backward compatible with OSPFv2. To use OSPF to route both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic, you must run both OSPFv2 and OSPFv3 at the same time. They coexist with each other, but do not interact with each other.

The additional features that OSPFv3 provides include the following:

• Protocol processing per link.

• Removal of addressing semantics.

• Addition of flooding scope.

• Support for multiple instances per link.

• Use of the IPv6 link-local address for neighbor discovery and other features.

• LSAs expressed as prefix and prefix length.

• Addition of two LSA types.

• Handling of unknown LSA types.

• Authentication support using the IPsec ESP standard for OSPFv3 routing protocol traffic, as specified by RFC-4552.