[address-policy-wg] IPv6 Policy Clarification - Initial allocation criteria "d)"

14 Jun 2004

      Dear Colleagues,

We have received many comments that the text of the current IPv6
Allocation and Assignment Policy document can be difficult to read and
understand. Some of these difficulties were presented at RIPE 48 by Leo
Vegoda:

http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/ripe-48/presentations/ripe48-ap-ipv6-polic...

During the following discussions, the RIPE NCC was asked to co-ordinate
work on clarifying the text. Please note that we do not intend to
propose any policy changes.

In order to assist with rewriting the IPv6 Policy document, we would
like to have some input from the community on the issues needing
clarification. We will send each issue for discussion in a separate
mail.

This is the first of these mails.

Below is an excerpt from the IPv6 Address Allocation and Assignment
Policy:

    5.1.1. Initial allocation criteria "d)"

    "To qualify for an initial allocation of IPv6 address space, an
    organisation must [...] have a plan for making at least 200 /48
    assignments to other organisations within two years."

 1. According to this criterion, LIRs who are operators planning to only
    make /64 assignments appear not to qualify. Was this the community's
    intention?

 2. There are a number of interpretations of requirement "d)":

    - NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS

        -- The LIR has to have a plan to make at least 200 separate /48
           assignments. Possible scenario: LIR must make 200 assignments
           and the size of each must be a /48.

        -- The LIR has to have a plan to make at least the equivalent of
           200 /48 assignments. Possible scenario: LIR can assign one
           /41 and seventy-two /48s.

    Which interpretation was intended regarding the number of
    assignments?

    - RECIPIENT OF ASSIGNMENTS

        -- The LIR has to have a plan to make these 200 assignments to
           200 separate organisations (regardless of which
           organisation). Possible scenario: LIR can make 1 assignment
           to its own organisation and 199 assignments to 199
           "different" organisations.

        -- The LIR has to have a plan to make these 200 assignments to
           200 separate organisations outside of its own infrastructure.
           Possible scenario: LIR must make 200 assignments to 200
           "different" organisations. Assignments to its own
           organisation will not be counted.

        -- The LIR has to have a plan to make these assignments to 200
           separate networks (regardless of which organisation these
           networks belong to). Possible scenario: LIR makes 200
           assignments to 200 networks. 100 can be for its own
           infrastructure and 100 can be for another single
           organisation.

        -- The LIR has to have a plan to make these assignments to 200
           separate networks outside of its own infrastructure. Possible
           scenario: LIR makes 200 assignments to 200 networks "outside
           of its own infrastructure".

    Which interpretation was intended regarding the recipient of
    assignments?

We look forward to receiving the community's input on this.

Best Regards,

Laura Cobley
Registration Services
RIPE NCC