8-23
Classifier-Based Software Configuration
Traffic Classes
Example of How IPv6 Mask Bit Settings Define a Match.  Figure 8-4 
shows an example in which an IPv6 prefix-length of 126 is used to select four 
IPv6 addresses in a match statement. The specified source IPv6 address is: 
2001:DB8:0000:0000:244:17FF:FEB6:D37D. The IPv6 prefix-length (/126) results in 
the IPv6 mask: FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:FFFC. 
 
Figure 8-4.  Example: Mask for Matching Four IPv6 Devices 
Figure 8-5 shows the “on” and “off” settings in the last block of the resulting 
IPv6 mask that determine the matching IPv6 addresses. In this mask, all bits 
except the last two are set to 1 (“on”) and must be the same in an IPv6 address. 
The binary equivalent of hexadecimal C is 1100, which allows the last two bits 
to differ.
Figure 8-5.  Example: How a Mask Determines Four Authorized IPv6 Manager Addresses 
1st 
Block
2nd 
Block
3rd 
Block
4th 
Block
5th 
Block
6th 
Block
7th 
Block
8th 
Block
Manager- or Operator-Level Access
IPv6 mask for 
/126 prefix
FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFF FFFC The “F” value in the first 126 bits of the 
mask specifies that only the exact 
value of each corresponding bit in an 
IPv6 address is allowed. However, the 
binary equivalent (1100) of the “C” 
value in the mask allows four possible 
combinations (D37C, D37D, D37E, and 
D37F) in the last block of a matching 
IPv6 address. 
IPv6 address 2001 DB8 0000 0000 244 17FF FEB6 D37D
Last block in mask: FFFC
Last block in IPv6 address: D37D
Bit Numbers Bit
 15
Bit
 14
Bit
 13
Bit
 12
Bit
 11
Bit 
10
Bit
 9
Bit
 8
Bit
 7
Bit
 6
Bit
5
Bit
 4
Bit
 3
Bit
 2
Bit
 1
Bit
 0
 FF F
 C 
FFFC: Bit settings in 
last block of mask 
D37D: Bit settings in 
last block of IPv6 
address
1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1
Mask-bit settings: = 1 (On) =  Corresponding bit in IPv6 address must be the same binary value.
= 0 (Off) =  Corresponding bit in IPv6 address can be either binary value (0 or 1).