<s>
In	O
computer	B-Architecture
networking	I-Architecture
,	O
a	O
softwire	B-Protocol
protocol	O
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
tunneling	B-Protocol
protocol	I-Protocol
that	O
creates	O
a	O
virtual	O
"	O
wire	O
"	O
that	O
transparently	O
encapsulates	O
another	O
protocol	O
as	O
if	O
it	O
was	O
an	O
anonymous	O
point-to-point	O
low-level	O
link	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Softwires	B-Protocol
are	O
used	O
for	O
various	O
purposes	O
,	O
one	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
to	O
carry	O
IPv4	B-Protocol
traffic	O
over	O
IPv6	B-Protocol
and	O
vice	O
versa	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
support	O
IPv6	B-Protocol
transition	I-Protocol
mechanisms	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
