[sig-policy] prop-062-v002: Use of final /8
Below is an updated version of the proposal that includes the amendment
that reached consensus in the Policy SIG yesterday. Specifically,
the proposal was amended in the following ways:
- The size of allocations under this proposal be tied to APNIC's
minimum allocation size
- This proposal not be dependent on the successful adoption of
prop-055, "Global policy for the allocation of the remaining
IPv4 address space"
The proposal's history can be found at:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-062-v002.html
Randy and Jian
________________________________________________________________________
prop-062-v002: Use of final /8
________________________________________________________________________
Authors: Philip Smith
pfs at cisco dot com
Jonny Martin
jonny at jonnynet dot net
Randy Bush
randy at psg dot com
Version: 2
Date: 28 August 2008
This proposal contains the element of the proposal that reached
consensus following community discussion at the APNIC 26 Policy SIG
on Thursday 28 August 2008.
1. Introduction
----------------
This proposal describes how APNIC should handle its last /8 worth of
address space at the time of total depletion of the IANA free pool.
The proposal seeks to ensure that new and existing LIRs can receive a
minimum amount of IPv4 address space to assist with their
participation in the Internet industry as the industry transitions to
using the IPv6 protocol over the next few years.
2. Summary of current problem
------------------------------
The IANA IPv4 address pool is diminishing rapidly and is expected to
be totally depleted in the very near future. The intention of the
proposal's authors is to use APNIC's final /8 worth of address space
to reduce the surprise incurred by new LIRs during the transition from
the IPv4 to IPv6 protocol.
The Internet will still use IPv4 for several years during the adoption
of IPv6. During this period new LIRs will need to participate in the
IPv4 Internet while they deploy services using the IPv6 Internet.
Inability to participate directly in the IPv4 Internet inhibits new
LIRs' ability to provide service. If this were to happen, new LIRs
would have to resort to address translation devices to map the private
IPv4 address space they use into the public address space received
from their upstream providers.
Existing APNIC policy regarding the distribution of IPv4 address space
makes no allowance for IPv4 allocations to new LIRs after the IANA
pool is exhausted.
Without any particular policy for this address block, APNIC's normal
IPv4 allocation rules would apply. It is quite feasible, for example,
that one organisation could consume the entire remaining /8 worth of
address space held by APNIC.
This policy proposal seeks to address that problem.
3. Situation in other RIRs
---------------------------
As far as is known, only LACNIC has implemented a similar policy. We
would like to recommend that the other RIRs consider analogous
proposals.
This policy proposal applies to the APNIC service region only. It is
highly likely that similar policy proposals will be made in other RIR
regions also.
It should be noted that at the recent LACNIC XI meeting, consensus was
reached on the following policy proposal:
LAC-2008-04: Special IPv4 Allocations/Assignments Reserved for New
Members
www.lacnic.net/documentos/politicas/LAC-2008-04-propuesta-en.pdf
Under the LACNIC proposal, when there is no more IPv4 address space in
the IANA free pool, LACNIC will reserve a /12 out of their remaining
pool. From this /12, LACNIC will allocate /22s to new LIRs and assign
/24s to critical infrastructure.
4. Details of the proposal
---------------------------
This proposal describing the distribution of APNIC's final /8 worth of
address space has three parts:
4.1 New LIRs
It is proposed that each new LIR receive IPv4 addresses which they
can use for supporting legacy IPv4 services to ensure their full
presence on the IPv4 Internet during the transition phase to IPv6:
- Each new LIR may receive address space according to
APNIC's minimum allocation size in force at time of
allocation. If APNIC's minimum allocation were to reduce in
size in future, the allocation made under this policy should
also be reduced to match.
- Each new LIR may receive the specified allocation size
regardless of LIR size or intended membership tier.
- New LIRs may apply for and receive this allocation once they
meet the criteria to receive IPv4 address space according to
APNIC's allocation policy in force at the time (currently
documented in [APNIC-86]).
A new LIR in this proposal is defined as being an organisation
which has recently become a full member of APNIC or a full member
of one of APNIC's NIRs but has yet to be assigned or allocated any
IPv4 address space.
Membership of APNIC as an LIR is determined by APNIC's membership
criteria at the time of application. Membership of an APNIC NIR
is determined by each individual NIR's membership criteria at the
time of application.
4.2 Existing LIRs
It is proposed that each existing LIR may request and receive only
a single allocation from the remaining /8 worth of address space:
- Each existing LIR may receive APNIC's current minimum
allocation size in force at time of allocation. If APNIC's
current minimum allocation were to reduce in size in future,
the allocation made under this policy should also be reduced
to match.
- Each existing LIR may receive the specified allocation size
regardless of size or intended membership tier
- Each existing LIR may apply for and receive this allocation
once they meet the criteria to receive IPv4 address space
according to APNIC's current allocation policy in force at
the time (currently documented in [APNIC-86]).
This ensures that each existing LIR receives routable IPv4
addresses which they can use for supporting legacy IPv4 services
during the transition phase to IPv6.
An existing LIR in this proposal is defined as being an
organisation which is a full member of APNIC or a full member of
one of APNIC's NIRs and has already been assigned or allocated
IPv4 address space.
Membership of APNIC as an LIR is determined by APNIC's membership
criteria at the time of application. Membership of an APNIC NIR
is determined by each individual NIR's membership criteria at the
time of application.
4.3 Unforeseen circumstances
It is proposed that:
- A /16 is held in reserve for some future uses, as yet
unforeseen.
The Internet is a disruptive technology and we cannot predict
what might happen. Therefore it is prudent to keep a /16 in
reserve, just in case some future requirement makes a demand of
it.
- In the event that this /16 remains unused in the time the
remaining /8 covered by this policy proposal has been allocated
to LIRs, it returns to the pool to be distributed as per clauses
4.1 and 4.2.
5. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposal
------------------------------------------------
5.1 Advantages
- APNIC's final /8 worth of address space will have a special
policy applicable to it.
This avoids the risk of one or a few organisations consuming the
entire block with a well crafted and fully justified resource
application.
- At APNIC's current minimum allocation size in force at time of
writing, the proposal ultimately allows for 16384 LIRs (both new
and existing) to receive exactly one /22 each.
This is substantially larger than the existing APNIC membership,
and attempts to ensure that no organisation lacks real routable
IPv4 address space during the coming transition to IPv6.
5.2 Disadvantages
- Some organisations may believe and can demonstrate that their
IPv4 requirements are larger than APNIC's minimum allocation.
But this final /8 is not intended as a solution to the growth
needs of a few organisations, but for assisting with the
transition from IPv4 to IPv6.
- Some organisations may set up multiple LIR registrations in an
effort to get more address space than proposed.
APNIC must be vigilant regarding these, but the authors accept
that it is hard to ensure complete compliance. With 16384
possible allocations feasible from the current minimum
allocation (at time of writing), this is not envisaged to be a
major problem.
6. Effect on APNIC members
---------------------------
This proposal allows APNIC LIRs (existing and new) to receive address
space from the final /8 allocated to APNIC.
7. Effect on NIRs
------------------
This proposal has no direct impact on the operation of the NIRs, but
as noted in the text above, has direct impact on the ability of NIR
members (existing and new) to receive address space from the final /8
allocated to APNIC.