Maybe some thought would be good. More on IPv6

On the government side, another OMB mandate might be helpful. Siegel suggested one with a deadline for when agencies must stop using IPv4. (GCN)

I have been following this issue now since the first mandate came down from OMB, a bad decision at the time. And then I see this quote "On the government side, another OMB mandate might be helpful. Siegel suggested one with a deadline for when agencies must stop using IPv4," and I have to ask myself if Siegel has any clue what he is talking about.

Let me use small words. Printers, file servers, Windows software. All of these devices cost the Fed money, a LOT of money and you don't just throw them out. IPv6 support, in most agencies, is not, and will not be possible at the end node for another decade. Microsoft only just started supporting IPv6 in their templates in Server 2008 and most agencies are still running Server 2000 or 2003. There are still devices out there that are running NT server and there is no easy upgrade path for them. And these are critical devices.

If OMB were to issue such an edict, the bulk of the Fed would either 1) laugh. 2) demand more money from Congress (you can hear them laughing, right?) or 3) ignore it. As someone in the engine room who has to keep this stuff running, 3 is the most realistic result.

You can mandate all you want, but the reality is much, much different.