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-- Louis Lee Sr. Network Architect New Service Development Equinix, Inc. louie@equinix.com Global Policy for IPv4 Allocations by the IANA Post Exhaustion Rationale: This policy defines the process for the allocation of IPv4 addresses post "Exhaustion Phase"[1]. In order to fulfill the requirements of this policy, the IANA must set up a reclamation pool to hold addresses in and distribute from in compliance with this policy. This policy establishes the process by which IPv4 addresses can be returned to and re-issued from the IANA post Exhaustion Phase. The intent of this policy is as follows: * Includes all post Exhaustion Phase address space returned to the IANA. * Allows allocations by the IANA from the Reclamation Pool once the Exhaustion Phase has been completed. * Defines "need" as the basis for further IPv4 allocations by the IANA. * Does not differentiate any class of IPv4 address space unless defined by RFC 1918. * Encourages the return of IPv4 address space by making this re-allocation process available. * Disallows transfers of addresses sourced from the Reclamation Pool in the absence of an IPV4 Global Transfer Policy to neutralize transfer process inequities across RIR regions. * Applies to legacy IPv4 Address Space initially allocated by the IANA to users including the allocations to RIRs. * Includes any length of fragments currently held by the IANA now or in the future. 1. Reclamation Pool Upon adoption of this IPv4 address policy by the ICANN Board of Directors, the IANA shall establish a Reclamation Pool to be utilized post RIR IPv4 exhaustion as defined in Section 5. As soon as the first RIR exhausts its inventory of IP address space, this Reclamation Pool will be declared active. 2. Returning Address Space to the IANA The IANA will accept into the Reclamation Pool all eligible IPv4 address space that is offerred for return. Eligible address space includes any addresses not previously designated for special use by an IETF published RFC explicitly offerred for return to the IANA by: a) The RIR to which the space is assigned b) The registrant of record where no RIR holds authority 3. Address Allocations from the Reclamation Pool by the IANA Allocations from the Reclamation Pool may begin once the pool is declared active. Aggregates in the Reclamation Pool may be divided on a CIDR boundary to the longest minimum allocation or assignment of any of the RIRs in order to complete these allocations. Addresses that are left over will be held in the Reclamation Pool until additional IP addresses are returned, or a minimum allocation unit is achieved that allows continued allocations from the pool. 4. RIR Eligibility for Receiving Allocations from the Reclamation Pool Upon the exhaustion of an RIR's free space pool, an RIR will become eligible to request address space from the IANA Reclamation Pool when it publicly announces via its respective global announcements email list and by posting a notice on its website that it has exhausted its supply of IPv4 address space. Exhaustion is defined as an inventory of less than the equivalent of a single /8 and the inability to further assign address space to its customers in units equal to or shorter than the longest of the RIR's policy defined minimum allocation unit. Any RIR that is formed after this policy has been adopted by the ICANN Board of Directors is not eligible to utilize this policy to obtain IPv4 address space from the IANA. 5. Reporting Requirements The IANA shall publish on at least a weekly basis a report that is publicly available which at a minimum details all address space that has been received and that has been allocated. The IANA shall publish a Returned Address Space Report which indicates what resources were returned, by whom and when. The IANA shall publish an Allocations Report on at least a weekly basis which at a minimum indicates what IPv4 address space has been allocated, which RIR received the allocation and when. The IANA shall publish a public report confirming RIR eligibility subsequent to Section 4. 6. No Transfer Rights Address space assigned from the Reclamation Pool is not subject to transfer outside of an ICANN Board adopted globally adopted transfer policy. The definition of Global Transfer Policy for the purpose of this policy is a global policy that has been processed and adopted by ICANN in compliance with the MoU [2] and attachments as agreed to in October 2004 between ICANN and the RIRs. 7. Definitions IANA - Internet Assigned Numbers Authority or it's successor ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or it's successor RIR - Regional Internet Registry as recognized by ICANN MOU - Memorandum of Understanding between ICANN and the RIR's IPV4 - Internet Protocol Version Four, the target protocol of this Global Policy 8. References 1. http://www.icann.org/en/general/allocation-remaining-ipv4-space.htm Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space, IANA, Retrieved 27 April 2010 2. http://www.nro.net/documents/aso-mou.html ICANN Address Supporting Organization (ASO) MoU , Retrieved 27 May 2010.