[AfriNIC-rpd] What is our take on the central pool IPv4 exhaustion?

[McTim]

On 8/13/07, Andrew Alston <aa at tenet.ac.za> wrote:
> Hello Adiel,
>
> The point relating to route objects databases refers to the fact that at the
> moment, in order to register route objects, it is necessary to use the RIPE
> database, at least to my knowledge (if I am incorrect in this, I apologise
> and I would *WELCOME* an AfriNIC route objects database)

As AA has noted, there isn't a routing registry implemented in AfriNIC
Db currently, it is NOT the case that it is neccessary to use RIPE Db,
there are others (Merit'sRADB, ARIN's RR, etc).

>
> Basically for clarity, a route object database is a publically queryable
> database of which prefix's are actively being advertised by an ASN, and
> possibly to who they are being advertised.

I think he was asking for clarification re: your statement:

_those of us that DO have route objects have
them in RIPE's database... yet we expect them to intervene in a market like
this?  Lets be sensible and think about this realistically shall we?_

I'm happy to help you think about this realistically.  Let's use some
of your IP space as an example.

Let's say that in 5 years time, you are approached to transfer/sell
the below block (I know that you have customers inside it, and that
you wouldn't ever do it, but it's a thought experiment, ok).

What do you need to do to transfer ownership of the block shown below?

IIRC, since it is in AfriNIC DB, and the mnt-by is:   AFRINIC-HM-MNT

You would need to gain the cooperation of AfriNIC to do this part.

Let's say for example that you could get this cooperation (highly
unlikely if it was a straight "sale"), but let's say you got it for
the sake of this explanation.

Now you need to update the route object.

To do that, you need to know the passwords for the mntners of the ASN,
the route object (since both these are mnt-by: TNET-MNT01, I assume
you have those pwords) and the IP space
(http://www.ripe.net/info/faq/db/main.html#13), but since the IP space
is in AfriNIC and not RIPE Db, then you just need the (well known)
mntner pword of  RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT
(http://www.ripe.net/info/faq/db/main.html#14).

In other words, you don't need the "intervention" of the RIPE NCC AT ALL.

It's not the RR that is key in this kind of transaction, it would be
the RIR, in your case AfriNIC.  Of course, theoretically, if you
didn't involve the RIR at all, and just changed the routing (which
seems to be what concerns you), no one would be the wiser, and you
could transfer USE of the /16 without involving the RIR.  The inetnum
object in the Afrinic DB wouldn't change, so TENET would still "own"
the block as far as the public DB showed.

inetnum:        196.21.0.0 - 196.21.255.255
netname:        UNINET-C8
descr:          UNINET Project
descr:          House Vincent
descr:          Wynberg Mews, 10 Brodie Road
descr:          Wynberg 7800
descr:          P O Box 18094
country:        ZA
org:	        ORG-UP1-AFRINIC
admin-c:        TPT4-AFRINIC
tech-c:         TPT4-AFRINIC
status:         ALLOCATED PA
mnt-by:         AFRINIC-HM-MNT
mnt-lower:      TF-192-96-MNT
changed:        hostmaster at afrinic.net 20050526
source:         AFRINIC
parent:         196.0.0.0 - 196.255.255.255


Here is the route object (from RIPE):

route:           196.21.0.0/16
descr:           TENET 196.21.0.0/16 Block
origin:          AS2018
mnt-by:          TNET-MNT01
mnt-by:          RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT
source:          RIPE # Filtered

and the ASN from RIPE:

aut-num:         AS2018
as-name:         TENET-2018
descr:           Tertiary Education Network
admin-c:         AA5709-RIPE
tech-c:          AA5709-RIPE
mnt-by:          TNET-MNT01
mnt-by:          RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT
source:          RIPE # Filtered


mntner:          TNET-MNT01
descr:           TENET Maintainer
tech-c:          AA5709-RIPE
admin-c:         AA5709-RIPE
auth:            MD5-PW $1$Xn./hSyZ$Lhr1vvNuCGT8/JVSfFfEv/
mnt-by:          TNET-MNT01
referral-by:     TNET-MNT01
source:          RIPE # Filtered

If you are worried about having to deal with 2 RIRs, instead of one
(as your latest post indicates you think this is core biz for the
RIRs), let me just say there are lots of ppl in RIPE and ARIN land
that use RADB and not RIPE nor ARINs RR to document routing.

-- 
Cheers,

McTim
$ whois -h whois.afrinic.net mctim