When a windows computer starts, it initiates the stateless address autoconfiguration process, during which it assigns each interface a link-local unicast address. what is the order of steps involved in this autoconfiguration process?

The Stateless Address Autoconfiguration (SLAAC) process in IPv6, which is used by Windows computers to assign link-local addresses to interfaces, follows a specific set of steps. Here is the order of the steps involved in the SLAAC process:

1. Router Advertisement (RA): Routers periodically send Router Advertisement messages on the local network. These messages contain information about the network, including the prefix that should be used for address configuration.
2. Router Solicitation (RS): If a Windows computer wants to obtain an IPv6 address, it may send a Router Solicitation message to request Router Advertisements. However, this step is optional, and Windows machines often rely on periodic RAs.
3. Router Advertisement (RA) Processing: Upon receiving RAs, the Windows computer processes the information contained in the messages. It extracts the network prefix from the RA, which is used to create a global unicast address.
4. DAD (Duplicate Address Detection): Before assigning the address to the interface, the computer performs Duplicate Address Detection. It checks if the address is already in use on the local network. If the address is not unique, the computer modifies the address and repeats the DAD process until a unique address is found.
5. Address Configuration: Once a unique address is determined, the Windows computer configures the interface with the link-local address based on the EUI-64 algorithm (Extended Unique Identifier). This algorithm uses the MAC address of the network interface to create a modified EUI-64 identifier.
6. Valid and Preferred Lifetimes: The RA messages also include information about the valid and preferred lifetimes for the assigned addresses. These lifetimes indicate how long the address is considered valid and preferred for communication.

By following these steps, the Windows computer can automatically configure its interface with a link-local address using the Stateless Address Autoconfiguration process in an IPv6 network.