AWS Global Accelerator can optimize traffic for both IPv4 and IPv6 by using dual-stack accelerators. These dual-stack accelerators provide a pair of global static anycast IP addresses-one IPv4 and one IPv6-that serve both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic simultaneously. This allows you to route end-user traffic over both IP versions while benefiting from Global Acceleratorâs performance, availability, and security features[2][5].
Key details about AWS Global Acceleratorâs IPv4 and IPv6 support include:
- Dual-Stack Accelerators: When creating or updating an accelerator, you can choose the "Dual-stack" IP address type. This enables the accelerator to accept and route both IPv4 and IPv6 traffic to your application endpoints[2][5].
- Endpoint Requirements: To use dual-stack accelerators, all backend endpoints must be dual-stack capable. Currently, supported dual-stack endpoints include Application Load Balancers (ALBs), Amazon EC2 instances configured with dual-stack, and Network Load Balancers (NLBs) that support dual-stack. For EC2 instances without a primary IPv6 address, Global Accelerator automatically assigns one when updating to dual-stack[3][4][8].
- No Additional Cost: There are no extra fees for using dual-stack accelerators; pricing remains the same as for IPv4-only accelerators[2][8].
- Traffic Routing: Global Accelerator routes IPv6 traffic directly to dual-stack endpoints, eliminating the need for IPv6-to-IPv4 translation layers or splitting traffic between different delivery mechanisms. This improves performance for IPv6 clients, especially those on mobile networks where IPv6 adoption is higher[2][3][5].
- Protocols Supported: Both TCP and UDP protocols are supported over IPv4 and IPv6[4].
- Upgrade Path: Existing IPv4-only accelerators can be updated to dual-stack if all endpoints behind them are dual-stack. The update process is done through the AWS Management Console, CLI, or SDKs, and after provisioning, the accelerator will have static IPv6 addresses alongside the IPv4 addresses[2][3][8].
In summary, AWS Global Accelerator fully supports optimizing traffic for both IPv4 and IPv6 through its dual-stack accelerators, provided your backend endpoints are configured for dual-stack. This enables seamless, high-performance global routing for modern applications needing IPv6 connectivity alongside IPv4[2][3][5][8].
Citations:
[1] https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/introducing-aws-global-accelerator-ipv6/
[2] https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/global-accelerator-ipv6-ec2/
[3] https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/global-accelerator-ipv6-nlb/
[4] https://aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/faqs/
[5] https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/new-for-aws-global-accelerator-internet-protocol-version-6-ipv6-support/
[6] https://repost.aws/questions/QUsu3qXIKcS6GtUSekAJ_8_w/global-accelerator-dual-stack-endpoints
[7] https://repost.aws/questions/QUUu02BPd-Rye6rRIRUcNpLA/ipv6-availability
[8] https://aws.amazon.com/about-aws/whats-new/2023/11/aws-global-accelerator-ipv6-dual-stack-nlb-endpoints/
[9] https://aws.amazon.com/global-accelerator/features/