Internet Protocol (IP) Addresses are the most important for the functioning of the internet, every time when a new device is connected to the internet it requires a unique numerical label. Devices need IP Address to connect to any network.
Hosting companies completely rely on IP Address to deliver their services, IPv4 Address has become a commodity today. The universal requirement and demand for IPv4 have also increased considerably. There is a great shortage of IPV4 availability. The depletion of this resource is called “IPv4 Exhaustion”.
IPv4 exhaustion doesn’t mean the internet will stop working, there will be no new allocation of IPv4 Address in the future.
HOW HOSTING COMPANIES DEALS WITH IT?
IPv4 Leasing:
Companies can lease IPs registered with any Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). This is possible by getting a LOA from the owner of the IPv4 block and announcing it in a preferred location. This is the cost effective and easiest solution.
Control of IPv4:
One of the ways to deal with IPv4 exhaustion is to have a tight control over the wastage of IPv4 Addresses. Reclaiming and re-allocating the IPs which are not in use. By reclaiming unused larger blocks, it can be utilized by different customers. Split them into smaller blocks and assign them to multiple clients.
Virtual Hosting:
Sharing the IPv4 address for multiple services. Virtual hosting gives you options to create multiple VMs on the same server and assign IP addresses from a single block.
Implementation of IPv6 Address:
The exhaustion of IPv4 has led to adaptation of IPv6 address which was announced in 2012. The important feature of IPv6 is its vast capacity, it has 2^128 IP blocks. Transitioning to IPv6 from IPv4 is a complex and time-consuming process. The usage of IPv6 is currently low as it requires upgraded hardware. Dual Stacking is a solution that allows devices to be compatible with both IPv4 and IPv6 at the same time.
