With IPv6, each address on each interface has a flag associated with the IP address, detailing how it was assigned and whether it should be used.
| Name | Meaning |
| permanent | This address was configured manually (default) |
| dynamic | Thie address was learnt through RouterAdvertisement? |
| secondary | This address is not used when selecting a source address of a new IPv6 packet. |
| primary | This address is used when selecting a source address of a new IPv6 packet. |
| tentative | This address was added to an interface, but it's not yet clear if it's unique on this network segment, so the address is not used (yet). |
| deprecated | This address has expired and will not be used for further outgoing connections (but will still be around in case of connections that are still using this address) |
Each address also has a validity time, indicating how long the address should be valid for. This is usually forever for manually assigned and LinkLocal addresses.
