Manual Chapter : Configuring DNS64

Applies To:

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BIG-IP GTM

  • 11.6.5, 11.6.4, 11.6.3, 11.6.2, 11.6.1

BIG-IP LTM

  • 11.6.5, 11.6.4, 11.6.3, 11.6.2, 11.6.1
Manual Chapter

Configuring DNS64

Overview: Configuring DNS64

You can configure BIG-IP® Local Traffic Manager™ (LTM®) and BIG-IP® Global Traffic Manager™ (GTM™) systems to handle IPv6-only client connection requests to IPv4-only servers on your network by returning an AAAA record response to the client.
Note: When you are configuring DNS64, in addition to the BIG-IP GTM license, the system requires both CGNAT and DNS services licenses.
Mapping IPv6 addresses to IPv4 addresses

Mapping IPv6 addresses to IPv4 addresses

Task summary

Creating a custom DNS profile

Before you start, make sure that you have activated licenses for BIG-IP® Global Traffic Manager™ (GTM™), and both the CGNAT and DNS services.
You can create a custom DNS profile to configure how the BIG-IP system handles DNS queries.
  1. On the Main tab, click DNS > Delivery > Profiles > DNS or Local Traffic > Profiles > Services > DNS .
    The DNS profile list screen opens.
  2. Click Create.
    The New DNS Profile screen opens.
  3. In the Name field, type a unique name for the profile.
  4. In the General Properties area, from the Parent Profile list, accept the default dns profile.
  5. Select the Custom check box.
  6. In the DNS Features area, from the GSLB list, accept the default value Enabled.
  7. In the DNS Features area, from the DNS IPv6 to IPv4 list, select how you want the system to handle IPv6 to IPv4 address mapping in DNS queries and responses.
    Option Description
    Disabled The BIG-IP system does not map IPv4 addresses to IPv6 addresses.
    Immediate The BIG-IP system receives an AAAA query and forwards the query to a DNS server. The BIG-IP system then forwards the first good response from the DNS server to the client. If the system receives an A response first, it appends a 96-bit prefix to the record and forwards it to the client. If the system receives an AAAA response first, it simply forwards the response to the client. The system disregards the second response from the DNS server.
    Secondary The BIG-IP system receives an AAAA query and forwards the query to a DNS server. Only if the server fails to return a response does the BIG-IP system send an A query. If the BIG-IP system receives an A response, it appends a 96-bit user-configured prefix to the record and forwards it to the client.
    v4 Only The BIG-IP system receives an AAAA query, but forwards an A query to a DNS server. After receiving an A response from the server, the BIG-IP system appends a 96-bit user-configured prefix to the record and forwards it to the client.
    Important: Select this option only if you know that all your DNS servers are IPv4 only servers.
    If you selected Immediate, Secondary, or V4 Only two new fields display.
  8. In the DNS Features area, in the IPv6 to IPv4 Prefix field, specify the prefix the BIG-IP system appends to all A query responses to an IPv6 request.
  9. In the DNS Features area, from the IPv6 to IPv4 Additional Section Rewrite list, select an option to allow improved network efficiency for both Unicast and Multicast DNS-SD responses.
    Option Description
    Disabled The BIG-IP system does not perform additional rewrite.
    v4 Only The BIG-IP system accepts only A records. The system appends the 96-bit user-configured prefix to a record and returns an IPv6 response to the client.
    v6 Only The BIG-IP system accepts only AAAA records and returns an IPv6 response to the client.
    Any The BIG-IP system accepts and returns both A and AAAA records. If the DNS server returns an A record in the Additional section of a DNS message, the BIG-IP system appends the 96-bit user-configured prefix to the record and returns an IPv6 response to the client.
  10. In the DNS Features area, from the Use BIND Server on BIG-IP list, select Enabled.
    Note: Enable this setting only when you want the system to forward non-wide IP queries to the local BIND server on BIG-IP GTM.
  11. Click Finished.

Assigning a DNS profile to a DNS listener

  1. On the Main tab, click DNS > Delivery > Listeners .
    The Listeners List screen opens.
  2. Click the name of the listener you want to modify.
  3. In the Service area, from the DNS Profile list, select the profile you created to manage IPv6 to IPv4 address mapping.
  4. Click Update.
This listener can now pass traffic between an IPv6-only client and an IPv4-only DNS server.

Assigning a DNS profile to a virtual server

  1. On the Main tab, click Local Traffic > Virtual Servers .
    The Virtual Server List screen opens.
  2. Click the name of the virtual server you want to modify.
  3. From the Configuration list, select Advanced.
  4. From the DNS Profile list, select the profile you created to manage IPv6 to IPv4 address mapping.
  5. Click Update.
This virtual server can now pass traffic between an IPv6-only client and an IPv4-only DNS server.

Implementation result

You now have an implementation of DNS64 on the BIG-IP® system.