[AfriNIC-rpd] Global Policy for IPv4 Allocations by the IANA Post Exhaustion

Wed Aug 25 18:16:49 UTC 2010

8<---------------------------------->8

    Your Name:
		Steve Bertrand
		Chris Grundemann
		Martin Hannigan
		Aaron Hughes
		Louie Lee
		Matt Pounsett
		Jason Schiller
    Your Organisation:
    Policy Afected:
    Date: 2010-08-25
    Proposal:Global Policy for IPv4 Allocations by the IANA Post
    Exhaustion
    Incentive: Allow all IPV4 inventory regardless of prefix size to be
               returned to, and subsequently reallocated fairly and
               equitably by the IANA post-runout.

8<--------------------------------->8

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]. A global policy is required in order for the
IANA to be able to transparently continue to be able to allocate IPv4
addresses beyond exhaustion. 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.

This document does not stipulate performance requirements in the
provision of services by the IANA to an RIR in accordance with this
policy. Such requirements should be specified by appropriate agreements
among the RIRs and ICANN.

The intent of this policy is as follows:

* To include all post Exhaustion Phase IPv4 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
otherwise defined by an RFC.
* Encourage the return of IPv4 address space by making this allocation
process available.
* Disallow 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 4. The reclamation pool
will initially contain any fragments that may be left over in IANA
inventory. As soon as the first RIR exhausts its inventory of IP address
space, this Reclamation Pool will be declared active. When the
Reclamation Pool is declared active, the Global Policy for the
Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space[3] and Policy for
Allocation of IPv4 Blocks to Regional Internet Registries[4] will be
formally deprecated.

2. Returning Address Space to the IANA

The IANA will accept into the Reclamation Pool all eligible IPv4 address
space that are offered for return. Eligible address space includes
addresses that are not designated as "special use" by an IETF RFC or
addresses allocated to RIR's unless they are being returned by the RIR
that they were orignally allocated to. Legacy address holders may return
address space directly to the IANA if they so choose.

3. Address Allocations from the Reclamation Pool by the IANA

Allocations from the Reclamation Pool may begin once the pool is
declared active. Addresses in the Reclamation Pool will be allocated on
a CIDR boundary equal to or shorter than the longest minimum allocation
unit of all RIRs in order to complete these allocations.The Reclamation
Pool will be divided on CIDR boundaries and distributed evenly to all
eligible RIRs. Any remainder not evenly divisible by the number of
eligible RIRs based on a CIDR boundary equal to or shorter than the
longest minimum allocation unit of all RIRs will remain in the
Reclamation Pool. Addresses that are left over will be held in the
Reclamation Pool until additional IP addresses can be returned to rejoin
addresses on CIDR boundaries to the Reclamation Pool or a minimum
allocation unit is set to allow allocation from existing inventory.

4. RIR Eligibility for Receiving Allocations from the Reclamation Pool

Upon the exhaustion of an RIR's free space pool and after receiving
their final /8 from the IANA[3], 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 any RIR's
policy defined minimum allocation unit. Any RIR that is formed after the
ICANN Board of Directors has ratified this policy 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 notice confirming RIR eligibility
subsequent to Section 4.

6. No Transfer Rights

Address space assigned from the Reclamation Pool may be transferred if
there is either an ICANN Board ratified global policy or globally
coordinated RIR policy specifically written to deal with transfers
whether inter-RIR or from one entity to another. Transfers must meet the
requirements of such a policy. In the absence of such a policy, no
transfers of any kind related to address space allocated or assigned
from the reclamation pool is allowed.

7. Definitions

IANA - Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, or its successor

ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or its
successor

RIR - Regional Internet Registry as recognized by ICANN

MoU - Memorandum of Understanding between ICANN and the RIRs

IPv4 - Internet Protocol Version Four(4), the target protocol of this
Global Policy

Free Space Pool - IPv4 Addresses that are in inventory at any RIR,
and/or the IANA

8. Contributors

The following individuals donated their time, resources and effort to
develop this proposal on behalf of the Internet Community:

Steve Bertrand <steve at ipv6canada.com>
Chris Grundemann <cgrundemann at gmail.com>
Martin Hannigan <marty at akamai.com>
Aaron Hughes <ahughes at bind.com>
Louie Lee <louie at equinix.com>
Matt Pounsett <matt at conundrum.com>
Jason Schiller <schiller at uu.net>

9. 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://aso.icann.org/documents/memorandum-of-understanding/index.html
ICANN Address Supporting Organization (ASO) MoU , Retrieved 27 May 2010.

3. http://www.icann.org/en/general/allocation-remaining-ipv4-space.htm
Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space

4. http://aso.icann.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/aso-001-2.pdf Policy
for Allocation of IPv4 Blocks to Regional Internet Registries