An IPv6-only Grid uses IPv6 as the communication protocol and it includes an IPv6 Grid Master and the Grid members, which can be either IPv6 or dual mode (IPv4 and IPv6). In order to configure an IPv6-only Grid, you have to first create an IPv6 Grid Master and then join the Grid members using their IPv6 addresses.
The process of configuring an IPv6-only Grid involves the following steps:

1. Make a console connection to the Grid Master and configure an IPv6 address for the Grid Master using the CLI command set network. For information, see Method 2 – Using the CLI.

2. Open a web browser and make an HTTPS connection to the IPv6 address of LAN1 port of the Grid Master.

3. Log in using the default user name and password admin and infoblox. For detailed information about logging in to the GUI, see Logging on to the NIOS UI.

4. The Grid Setup Wizard appears when you first log in to the appliance. You can use it to create an IPv6 HA Master or IPv6 single Grid Master. For information about creating an HA Master, see Creating an HA Grid Master and for information about creating a single Grid Master, see Creating a Single Grid Master.
   The type of network connectivity for the Grid Master should be set to IPv6. To verify, navigate to the Grid tab -> Grid Manager tab -> Members tab -> member checkbox -> Edit icon. In the Grid Member Properties editor, select the Network tab -> Basic tab, check that the Type of Network Connectivity is set to IPv6. The Grid members can join the Grid Master using IPv6 only.
   Note:

   • You can add additional IPv4 and IPv6 addresses for LAN2 and MGMT ports for the Grid services, in the Additional Ports and Addresses table. But for an IPv6-only Grid, you can configure IPv6 address for the VLAN port.

   • Legacy Data Connector virtual machines are not supported on IPv6-only Grids.

5. Add IPv6 single members and HA members to the Grid. For information, see Adding Grid Members.
   To add a discovery member to an IPv6-only grid, add the member first and then install its discovery license. If the system displays the "Cannot configure IPv6-only settings on member because it has a discovery license installed." in the Grid Member Properties Editor dialog box of the discovery member, disregard the error message.

6. You can use the Grid Setup Wizard or access the Join Grid dialog box to join appliances to a Grid. see Joining Appliances to the Grid.

You can also configure IPv6 address for the MGMT interface of the appliance and join the Grid through the MGMT interface.

Transforming to an IPv6-only Grid

After an upgrade from a previous NIOS release to NIOS 7.0 or later, each node in the Grid is set to either IPv4 or dual mode (IPv4 and IPv6). Transforming an IPv4-only Grid to an IPv6-only Grid may take a longer duration. Hence, before removing the IPv4 addresses from each Grid member, you have to configure additional IPv6 Grid communication protocol for each Grid member so that all the services function properly using IPv6.
Note the following before converting an IPv4-only or a dual mode Grid to an IPv6-only Grid:

• If a Grid member is designated as a Master Candidate, the Grid manager does not allow you to change the type of network connectivity of the Grid Master or the Grid Master Candidate. Therefore, you must disable the Grid member from being a Grid Master Candidate before changing the type of network connectivity of the Grid Master or the Grid Master Candidate. You can deselect the Master Candidate option in the General tab of the Grid Member Properties editor to disable a member from being a Master Candidate. Note that at this point, the Grid will not have a Grid Master Candidate and this may result in an unrecoverable condition, if the Grid Master goes down.

• You must stop all services on the Grid Master and Grid members that uses IPv4.

• If external servers like authentication servers, forwarders, root name servers, backup servers, etc. is configured with IPv4 addresses, then it will not work after converting the Grid to an IPv6-only Grid. Hence, make sure that you change the IPv4 address of the external server to IPv6 address before converting the Grid to an IPv6-only Grid.
  Infoblox recommends that you backup the configuration after you convert a Grid to IPv6-only mode. Restoring the old backup by performing a forced restore, may prevent the Grid members from rejoining the Grid Master after the restore.

The process of transforming an IPv4-only or dual mode Grid to an IPv6-only Grid involves the following steps:

1. If the Grid Master is in IPv4 mode, convert it into dual mode (IPv4 and IPv6) as follows:

   • Login to the Grid Master, from the Grid tab -> Grid Manager tab -> Members tab -> select the Grid Master and click the Edit icon.

   • In the Grid Member Properties editor, select the Network tab -> Basic tab.

   • In the Type of Network Connectivity field, select IPv4 and IPv6 from the drop-down list and enter the network information for LAN1 (IPv6) address in the Ports and Addresses table.
     For HA Master, select IPv4 in the Send HA and Grid Communication Over field, and enter the network information for VIP (IPv6), Node1 LAN1 (IPv6), Node2 LAN1 (IPv6) in the Ports and Addresses table.

   • Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

2. Similarly, convert all the Grid members into dual mode (IPv4 and IPv6) if it is in IPv4 mode. All the members will rejoin the Grid using IPv4.

3. Force each Grid member to rejoin the Grid using IPv6, as follows:

   • From the Grid tab, select the Grid Manager tab -> Members tab -> member checkbox -> Edit icon.

   • In the Grid Member Properties editor, select the Network tab -> Basic tab.

   • In the Always Force or Prefer this Communications Protocol field, select IPv6 from the drop-down list and also select IPv6 in the Send HA and Grid Communication over field if the member is an HA pair.
     This setting will force the Grid member to rejoin the Grid using IPv6 and it uses IPv6 for all the services.

   • Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

4. Configure each Grid member to provide DNS service using IPv6, as follows:

   • From the Data Management tab, select the DNS tab -> Members tab -> member checkbox -> Edit icon.

   • In the Member DNS Properties editor, select the General tab -> Basic tab.

   • Enable the IPv6 checkbox for the desired interface (LAN1, LAN2, or MGMT) under DNS Interfaces.

   • Ensure that the primary and secondary servers are configured with an IPv6 address for each zone, before disabling the IPv4 checkbox for LAN1, LAN2, or MGMT interface.

   • Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.
     Note that when you transform an IPv4-only or dual mode Grid to an IPv6-only Grid, the LAN1 port for IPv4 is always enabled. The LAN1 port is disabled only when the Grid is configured using IPv6 from the beginning.

5. Configure each Grid member to provide DHCP service using IPv6, as follows:

   • From the Data Management tab, select the DHCP tab -> Members tab -> member checkbox -> Edit icon.

   • In the Member DHCP Properties editor, select the General tab -> Basic tab.

   • Disable the IPv4 checkbox for LAN1 and LAN2 interface under DHCP Interfaces.

   • Enable the IPv6 checkbox for the desired interface (LAN1 or LAN2) under DHCP Interfaces.
     If IPv6 network is not configured, you can create an IPv6 network. For information, see Managing IPv6 Networks.

   • Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

6. Enable each Grid member and the Grid Master to use IPv6 for all the services, as follows:

   • From the Grid tab, select the Grid Manager tab -> Members tab -> member checkbox -> Edit icon.

   • In the Grid Member Properties editor, select the Network tab -> Basic tab, and select Customized Settings and specify the following:

     • Always Force this Communication Protocol for: Select IPv6 from the drop-down list for the Grid and reporting service.

     • Always Prefer this Communication Protocol for: Select IPv6 from the drop-down list as the preferred communication protocol for the listed services which has two types of resolution (A and AAAA records). The appliance uses the preferred protocol first for the service.

     • Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

7. When all the services are functioning using IPv6, you can remove the IPv4 addresses from all the Grid members by converting the Grid member from dual mode (IPv4 and IPv6) to IPv6 mode, as follows.

   • From the Grid tab, select the Grid Manager tab -> Members tab -> member checkbox -> Edit icon.

   • In the Grid Member Properties editor, select the Network tab -> Basic tab.

   • In the Type of Network Connectivity field, select IPv6 from the drop-down list.

   • Save the configuration and click Restart if it appears at the top of the screen.

8. Similarly, you can convert the Grid Master from dual mode (IPv4 and IPv6) to IPv6 mode after converting all the Grid members to IPv6 mode.
   Note that you must remove the IPv4 addresses from the Grid Master only after you remove the IPv4 addresses from all the Grid members.