We are excited to announce a significant update to our WinCollect 10 agent: support for IPv6! Previously, our WinCollect agent was limited to collecting and sending Windows event logs over IPv4. However, we have recognised the growing need for IPv6 capabilities in modern networks and have added support for IPv6 communication to meet this demand.
Why IPv6 Support Matters -
As more organisations transition to IPv6, it is crucial for tools and agents like WinCollect to keep pace. IPv6 not only addresses the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses but also offers enhanced security features and improved routing efficiency. By enabling IPv6 support in our WinCollect 10 agent, we ensure that our solution remains relevant and effective in diverse network environments.
How to Enable IPv6 in WinCollect 10?
To take advantage of this new feature, users can configure their WinCollect 10 agent to communicate over IPv6. There are two settings in the agent that controls the protocol used for communication. By default, both IPv4 and IPv6 are enabled, providing flexibility and ease of use (see Figure 1).
Customers can now provide either an IPv6 address directly or a hostname/FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) that resolves to an IPv6 address in their network. This seamless integration ensures that our users can smoothly transition to using IPv6 without any disruptions.
Figure 1: Option to enable IPv4 and IPv6 in WinCollect
Benefits of having IPv6 Support
Future-Proofing: As IPv6 adoption continues to grow, ensuring compatibility with IPv6 networks is critical for future-proofing your infrastructure.
Enhanced Security: IPv6 includes native support for IPsec (Internet Protocol Security), providing an additional layer of security.
Better Performance: With improved routing capabilities, IPv6 can lead to more efficient and faster network performance.
You want more? Here's more -
Along with IPv6 support, this release comes with the ability for WinCollect destinations to use specific versions of Syslog Protocol RFC (see Figure 2). In particular, RFC 3164 and RFC 5424 both are supported, however, it is recommended to use RFC 5424 for all destinations parsing logs that may contain IPv6 addresses. Furthermore, RFC 5424 utilises a much more intricate header format which in turn provides reliable log parsing for all logs sent from an IPv6 agent.
Figure 2: Setting for destinations to use specific Syslog Protocol RFC
Get, Set, Go!
To start using the new IPv6 feature, ensure your WinCollect 10 agent is updated to the latest version. Configuration can be easily managed through the agent's settings, allowing you to specify the desired protocol.
We are committed to continuously improving our products to meet the evolving needs of our customers. With the addition of IPv6 support and configuring Syslog RFC, we are proud to offer a more versatile and robust solution for collecting and sending Windows event logs.