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ScyllaDB Docs ScyllaDB Operator Management Networking IPv6 networking IPv6 configuration reference

Caution

You're viewing documentation for an unstable version of ScyllaDB Operator. Switch to the latest stable version.

IPv6 configuration reference¶

This reference documents IPv6-specific configuration guidance for ScyllaDB clusters.

For complete field definitions and schemas, see the ScyllaCluster API Reference.

Overview¶

IPv6 networking in ScyllaDB is configured through the spec.network section of the ScyllaCluster resource. The key concepts:

  1. IP family selection: The first IP family in spec.network.ipFamilies determines which protocol ScyllaDB uses internally

  2. Service dual-stack: Kubernetes services can support both IPv4 and IPv6 simultaneously

  3. Automatic configuration: The operator configures ScyllaDB settings automatically based on your network configuration

Network configuration¶

Configure IPv6 through the spec.network section of your ScyllaCluster resource.

Field reference¶

See the ScyllaCluster API Reference for complete field definitions:

  • spec.network.ipFamilyPolicy - Service IP family policy

  • spec.network.ipFamilies - List of IP families to use

  • spec.network.dnsPolicy - DNS policy for pods

IP family order significance¶

The first IP family in spec.network.ipFamilies determines which protocol ScyllaDB uses for all internal communication:

  • [IPv6] → ScyllaDB uses IPv6

  • [IPv4, IPv6] → ScyllaDB uses IPv4, services support both

  • [IPv6, IPv4] → ScyllaDB uses IPv6, services support both

Example configurations:

# IPv6-only ScyllaDB
network:
  ipFamilyPolicy: SingleStack
  ipFamilies:
    - IPv6
  dnsPolicy: ClusterFirst
# IPv4 ScyllaDB with dual-stack services (recommended)
network:
  ipFamilyPolicy: PreferDualStack
  ipFamilies:
    - IPv4  # ScyllaDB uses this
    - IPv6  # Services also accessible via IPv6
  dnsPolicy: ClusterFirst
# IPv6 ScyllaDB with dual-stack services
network:
  ipFamilyPolicy: PreferDualStack
  ipFamilies:
    - IPv6  # ScyllaDB uses this
    - IPv4  # Services also accessible via IPv4
  dnsPolicy: ClusterFirst

DNS policy requirement¶

For IPv6 configurations, spec.network.dnsPolicy must be set to ClusterFirst to ensure proper AAAA record resolution.

Automatic operator configurations¶

When you configure spec.network.ipFamilies, the operator automatically applies corresponding ScyllaDB configurations. You don’t need to set these manually.

ScyllaDB configuration¶

The operator automatically configures these ScyllaDB arguments based on network.ipFamilies:

IPv6 DNS lookup¶

ScyllaDB argument: --enable-ipv6-dns-lookup=1

When applied: When the first IP family is IPv6

Purpose: Enables ScyllaDB to resolve IPv6 addresses

Listen addresses¶

ScyllaDB arguments:

  • --listen-address=::

  • --rpc-address=::

When applied: When the first IP family is IPv6

Default values:

  • IPv6: ::

  • IPv4: 0.0.0.0

Purpose: Sets which network interface ScyllaDB listens on

Broadcast addresses¶

ScyllaDB arguments:

  • --broadcast-address=<pod-ip>

  • --broadcast-rpc-address=<pod-ip>

When applied: Always (IP family determined by first entry in spec.network.ipFamilies)

Configured via: spec.exposeOptions.broadcastOptions (see ScyllaCluster API Reference)

Purpose: Addresses that ScyllaDB advertises to other nodes and clients

Note

Broadcast addresses are configured through spec.exposeOptions.broadcastOptions, not by directly setting ScyllaDB arguments. The operator ensures they use the correct IP family based on your network configuration.

Configuration validation¶

The operator validates IPv6 configurations in ScyllaCluster resources:

Requirements for IPv6¶

When using IPv6 (first IP family is IPv6 in spec.network.ipFamilies):

  • spec.network.dnsPolicy should be ClusterFirst

  • spec.network.ipFamilies must include IPv6

Consistency requirements¶

  • All datacenters in a multi-datacenter deployment must use the same IP family

  • The first IP family determines ScyllaDB’s internal protocol

  • Service IP families must be compatible with cluster networking

Unsupported configurations¶

These configurations are not supported:

  • Different IP families across datacenters

  • Mixing IPv4 and IPv6 within a single datacenter

  • Changing IP family of an existing cluster (requires recreation)

Configuration examples¶

See complete ScyllaCluster configuration examples in the repository:

  • Dual-stack configuration - Full production-ready dual-stack setup

  • Minimal dual-stack configuration - Simple dual-stack example

  • IPv6-only configuration - IPv6 single-stack setup

Version requirements¶

Minimum versions¶

  • ScyllaDB: 2024.1 or newer

  • ScyllaDB Operator: 1.20 or newer

Production readiness¶

Production-ready configurations¶

The following configurations are production-ready:

  • IPv4-only single-stack: Fully supported (default Kubernetes behavior)

  • IPv4-first dual-stack: Fully supported and recommended for IPv6 adoption

  • IPv6-first dual-stack: Fully supported

Experimental configurations¶

The following configurations are experimental and not recommended for production use:

  • IPv6-only single-stack: Currently under development

Note

Experimental status: IPv6-only configurations work but have not undergone the same level of testing and validation as dual-stack configurations. For production IPv6 deployments, use dual-stack configurations instead.

Track progress on productionizing IPv6-only: #3211

Related documentation¶

  • IPv6 networking concepts

  • How to configure IPv6

  • Getting started with IPv6

  • ScyllaCluster API Reference

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On this page

  • IPv6 configuration reference
    • Overview
    • Network configuration
      • Field reference
      • IP family order significance
      • DNS policy requirement
    • Automatic operator configurations
      • ScyllaDB configuration
        • IPv6 DNS lookup
        • Listen addresses
      • Broadcast addresses
    • Configuration validation
      • Requirements for IPv6
      • Consistency requirements
      • Unsupported configurations
    • Configuration examples
    • Version requirements
      • Minimum versions
    • Production readiness
      • Production-ready configurations
      • Experimental configurations
    • Related documentation
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