[AfriNIC-rpd] IPv4 Softlanding Policy

[Scott Leibrand]

Douglas,

Looks good overall.  A few comments/suggestions inline...  (You can take 
them or leave them as you wish.  I have no definitive opinions either 
way: I just wanted to throw out some suggestions based on previous 
experience with similar policies in our region.)

-Scott

Douglas Onyango wrote:
> After the last Public policy meeting, the consensus was that this 
> policy be taken back to the mailing list for further discussion.
>
> As Policy author, i hereby submit the policy for further review; your 
> comments on the same are welcome.
> ==============================================================
>
> Incentive
> ------------
>
> In order to ensure a flexible transition from IPv4 to IPv6, the 
> lifespan of IPv4 can be increased in order to give network operators 
> more time to make the transition. This document proposes a strategy 
> for allocation and maintenance of AfriNIC's final /8 block of IPv4 
> from IANA.
>
> Background
> ---------------
>
> Following the much anticipated IPv4 pool exhaustion, a global policy, 
> "Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address 
> Space", has been ratified. The policy ensures that IANA reserves one 
> (1) IPv4 /8 address block for each RIR. Details of the Global Policy 
> for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space can be found 
> at: http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/afpol-v4gp200802.html.
>
> This policy (IPv4 Soft Landing) applies to the management of address 
> space that will be available to AfriNIC under the Global Policy
>
> The purpose of this document is to ensure that this last block will be 
> used in a manner that is acceptable by the AfriNIC community.
>
> Policy Documents to be affected:
>
> --------------
>
>
> (a) IPv4 Allocation Policy 
> http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/afpol-v4200407-000.htm
> (b) Proposal to Change the Allocation & Assignment Period to 12 months 
> http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/afpol-af200611.htm
>
> Definitions
> --------------
>
> (a) Local Internet Registry (LIR)
>
> A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an Internet Registry (IR) that 
> receives allocations from an RIR and primarily sub-allocates or 
> assigns address space to 'end-users'. LIRs are generally ISPs. Their 
> customers are other ISPs and possibly end-users. LIRs must be members 
> of an RIR like AfriNIC; which serves the Africa Region and part of the 
> Indian Ocean (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles).
>
> (b) Existing LIR´s An existing LIR is defined as being an organization 
> that
>    assigns address space to 'end-users' and who has already been 
> assigned or allocated
>    IPv4 address space by AfriNIC.
>
>  (c) New LIR´s A new LIR is defined as being an organization that 
> assigns address
>    space to 'end-users' and who is a member of AfriNIC but has not 
> been assigned or
>    allocated any IPv4 address space prior to the Exhaustion phase.
>
>
> Summary
> ------------
>
> This proposal describes how AfriNIC shall allocate and manage IPv4 
> resources from the last /8 block of IPv4 address allocated by IANA at 
> the time of total depletion of the IANA IPv4 address free pool.
>
> (i) Current Phase:
>
> During this phase, AfriNIC will continue allocating IPv4 addresses to 
> the LIR's using the current allocation policy 
> http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/afpol-v4200407-000.htm. This 
> phase will continue until a request for IPv4 address space from any 
> LIR to AfriNIC either cannot be fulfilled with the IPv4 address space 
> available in the AfriNIC pool (with the exception of the last 
> allocated /8 address block from IANA) or can be fulfilled but leaving 
> the AfriNIC IPv4 address pool empty (with the exception of the last 
> allocated /8 address block from IANA).
>
> This will be the last IPv4 address space request that AfriNIC will 
> accept from any LIR in the Current Phase, AfriNIC, will declare that 
> the Exhaustion Phase has begun at this point.
>
> (ii) Exhaustion Phase:
>
> During the exhaustion phase, the following allocation and assignment 
> policy for the last /8 IPv4 address will be used:
> a) Instead of the /22 block (1024) addresses allocated in the current 
> policy, the new minimum allocation size of /23 (512 addresses) will be 
> allocated to any LIR that requests for IPv4 resources.
>

This could be construed to mean that any LIR that requests resources 
gets them automatically.  You might want to say "any LIR that is 
approved for" rather than just "requests".

> This is also the maximum allocation size, even though LIRs may request 
> for more than a /23. No LIR may get more than 4 allocations once the 
> Exhaustion phase has begun.
> b) Together with the v4 allocation, AfriNIC shall allocate an IPv6 
> address block in compliance with the current IPv6 allocation policy 
> (http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/afpol-v6200407-000.htm) to the 
> LIR (in case it doesn't have any).
>
> The current allocation and assignment period of 12 months shall be 
> changed to 8 months. This will help to ensure that LIRs request only 
> for resources they need in the short to medium term, and promote 
> fairness in the equitable distribution of the last IPv4 address pool.
>
> Allocation Criteria
> ---------------------
>
> a) Existing LIR's
>
> At the time of the first IPv4 allocation made during the exhaustion 
> phase, AfriNIC shall also allocate an IPv6 address block in compliance 
> with the current IPv6 allocation policy 
> (http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/afpol-v6200407-000.htm) to the 
> LIR. In order to receive additional IPv4 allocations in the exhaustion 
> phase, the existing LIR must have used at least 90% of the previous 
> allocations from the exhaustion phase
>

This statement that the 90% usage criterion (only) applies to 
allocations from the last /8 would seem to create a loophole.  If an 
organization gets a /23 and uses that up, but has a bunch of free space 
in their non-exhaustion-phase allocations, it would seem that they can 
get another /23 based solely on the exhaustion-phase usage without 
regard to overall usage.  I'm not sure if that's what you intended, but 
if not, you might want to just have it say something like "90% of all 
previous allocations."

>
> b) New LIR's
>
> Each New LIR will receive IPv4 addresses which they can use for 
> supporting legacy IPv4 services to ensure their full presence on the 
> IPv4 Internet during the transition to IPv6. The following will apply:
>
> Upon application, a New LIR may receive a maximum of four (4) address 
> blocks according to the minimum allocation size in effect at time of 
> allocation in the AfriNIC region. However, the /23 address blocks 
> shall be issued one at a time.
>
> In order to receive additional IPv4 allocations, the New LIR should 
> have used at least 90% of the previous allocations from the exhaustion 
> phase.
>
> New LIRs may apply for and receive this allocation once they meet the 
> criteria to receive IPv4 address space according to the policy in 
> effect at the time.
>
> IPv4 Address Space Reserve
> ---------------------------------
>
> A /16 IPv4 address block will be in reserve out of the last /8 pool. 
> This /16 IPv4 address block shall be preserved by AfriNIC for some 
> future uses, as yet unforeseen. The Internet is innovative and we 
> cannot predict with certainty what might happen. Therefore, it is 
> prudent to keep this block in reserve, just in case some future 
> requirement creates a demand for IPv4 addresses.
>
> In the event that the reserved /16 IPv4 address block remains unused 
> by the time the remaining /8 address space covered by this policy has 
> been allocated to LIRs, it returns to the pool to be distributed in 
> compliance with this policy.
>

It would seem that this clause would defeat the purpose of having the 
reservation in the first place.  In other words, the /16 wouldn't really 
be "reserved" if it is thrown back in the general pool as soon as the 
general pool is fully allocated.

-Scott

>
> AfriNIC resources are for the AfriNIC geographical region. None of 
> these resources can be used outside of the AfriNIC region. All LIR's 
> requesting resources must have operations in Africa and all of the 
> allocations shall be used to support the LIR's African Operations.
> ==============================================================
>
> Regards,
> Douglas Onyango +256(0712)981329
> If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the Problem.
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
> rpd mailing list
> rpd at afrinic.net
> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo.cgi/rpd
>