Re: IPv6 support in WebDAV and HTTP

> RFC2616 says: "http_URL = "http:" "//" host [ ":" port ] [ abs_path [
> "?" query ]]"
>
> I can't find a definition of the host part.  It does however say "The
> use of IP addresses in URLs SHOULD be avoided whenever possible (see RFC
> 1900 [24])."
>
> So:
>  - Does the wording in RFC2616 require support for IPv6 for HTTP
> servers? Or does it merely skirt the issue?

It doesn't say anything about it.

>  - Does anybody have any idea how HTTP servers and clients handle IPv6
> addresses in practice?

Origin servers don't see them in practice.  I think we enabled IPv6 
literals
for Apache httpd's mod_proxy in 2.0, but I haven't verified.  I don't
know about clients -- check the Mozilla port to IPv6.

> I assume RFC2518bis should update its references to RFC2396 to RFC2616,
> which results in removing the restriction to IPv4 addresses only.

2616 defines the http URI scheme (poorly).  2396 defines all URI.
You will need both references.

....Roy

Received on Tuesday, 20 August 2002 19:00:04 UTC