USGv6 Testing Program

This website describes the testing infrastructure for products seeking compliance with the USGv6 Profile. It identifies the stakeholders in the development, testing and acquisition chain and the processes required to achieve and document USGv6 compliance. The basis of the Testing Program comprises standardized test suites for conformance and interoperability, and laboratories that are accredited to execute those test methods. Test laboratories can be accredited for one or more of the test methods and these are associated with abstract test specifications, which can be downloaded from this site. Following testing, USGv6 product suppliers record test results using a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity. The SDOC is meant to enable acquisition officials to easily match IPv6 requirements expressed in terms of the USGv6 profile, with the capabilities of offered products. The testing program provides the assurance that the claimed capabilities are correct, complete and interoperable. To provide context and timing, additional pages on this site offer timelines for testing, lifecycles of profile and test program evolution and other frequently asked questions.

The menu on the right highlights the pages relevant to Agencies Suppliers who develop and sell products, Test laboratories who perform conformance, interoperability and network protection testing. Please note that this website does NOT provide an "approved products list". Product suppliers are directed to provide a Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDOC) for their tested products, and Agencies to express their requirements using the vocabulary of the profile and summarized in USGv6 capabilities requirements as described in the USGv6 Profile. Individual test laboratories are encouraged to publish their own list of tested products accessible via their websites who buy products.

March 11, 2010. Updated Network Protection test specification

• Version 1.1 of the Network Protection test specification is available for review. We are offering an extra one week review period before uploading this test specification as final.

November 30, 2009. Testing Laboratories free to seek accreditation for USGv6 testing

• The usgv6-v1.0 baseline Test Selections are established for six months from November 30th, 2009. Bugs and interoperability issues are subject to discussion in the usgv6-testing mailgroup, and updated in 6 monthly iterations.
• NIST SP 500-273 USGv6 Test Methods: General Description and Validation is updated with more detail on the interlaboratory comparison methods. Test laboratories are expected to participate in the scheme as a condition of USGv6 recognition.
• NIST SP 500-281 USGv6 Testing Program User's Guide is updated with detail and clarification of the Supplier's Declaration of Conformity.
• All previous announcements from this page have been moved to history.

NIST held a public meeting on May 27th, 2009 which was attended by representatives of accreditors, test laboratories, product vendors, government agencies and other IPv6 related organizations. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce test laboratories to the accreditation infrastructure, and the traceability path for resolving test case interpretations against the published abstract test suites. The agenda and talks are here.

Action items arising include soliciting test laboratories and accreditor intentions to participate in the USGv6 testing program, soliciting donations of tests and artifacts for interlaboratory use, and publishing the timeline of events leading to USG agency acquisition of USGv6 compliant devices.

Test laboratories, test developers and others with a need to participate in interlaboratory test resolution activities please sign up to the usgv6-testing mailgroup by sending a message to sp500-273-comments@antd.nist.gov.