The starting point of this thesis was the problem of the steady decrease in the space available for internet protocols in version 4 (IPv4). Despite the fact that a solution to this problem (IPv6) had already been developed towards the end of the 90s, it could not establish itself against IPv4, as IPv4 managed to hold its ground due to the constant development of new technological features. The recent increase in the demand for more address space, however, finally provided the necessary boost for IPv6.

The aim of this diploma thesis was to create a document which could help an organization decide when, where and how migration should take place.

The main focus of this project was to highlight the different aspects of migration with special consideration of the technical implementation. At the same time economic aspects also had to be taken into account. Therefore the thesis was divided into four main parts:

• Strategic: Why or when should an organization change to IPv6 and what advantages and disadvantages would result as a consequence?
• Organizational: How could a company prepare itself for migration?
• Economical: What costs could arise from migration or the avoidance of thereof?
• Technical: How could a company migrate step by step (to take an example) and how would the various technical procedures work?

Our analysis produced the reassuring result that the IPv4 address space has not yet been exhausted completely. Nevertheless, seen from a global perspective, this protocol is still in the initial stages despite its fervent supporters. In addition, there are many organizations that do not see the necessity for change as it does not have any use yet. However, based on our findings we are convinced that IPv6 will indeed succeed in the next few years. If a company is already taking the necessary measures for the approaching conversion, bad investments as well as technical problems could be reduced or even avoided altogether.