[AfriNIC-rpd] Updated Version of the "IPv4 Soft Landing Policy" now Available Online

Mon Feb 21 13:10:03 UTC 2011

Two areas of concern in [3] and [3.9.2] and proposals for changes as follows:

In [3] the second sentence in [3] needs revision.

> [3] The Proposal
> 
> This policy (IPv4 Soft Landing), applies to the management of address 
> space that will be available to AfriNIC after the current IPv4 pool is 
> depleted. The purpose of this document is to ensure that address space 
> used in a manner that is acceptable to the AfriNIC community especially 
> during this time of scarcity.

so that it reads:

"The purpose of this document is to ensure that address space -- is assigned and/or 
allocated -- in a manner that is acceptable to the AfriNIC community especially during -- 
the time of IPv4 exhaustion --- ."

In [3.9.2], I am concerned that the proposal is leaving matters of policy to the 
"prerogative" of the Board as follows which I think should be revised to follow the 
spirit in [3.6]

> 3.9.2
> When AfriNIC, can no longer meet any more requests for address space 
> from the last /8 pool because the pool is either empty or has no more 
> contiguous blocks, the Board will based on the demand and other factors 
> at the time exercise their prerogative to replenish the exhaustion pool 
> with whatever address space that will be available to AfriNIC at the 
> time in a manner that is in the best interest of the community.

This proposal in [3.9.2] should be revised to avoid prerogatives as follows: 

When AfriNIC, can no longer meet any more requests for address space from the last /8 
pool because the pool is either empty or has no more contiguous blocks, -- AfriNIC shall 
follow policies in effect at the time to replenish resources -- 

Regards,

Paulos
======================
Dr Paulos B Nyirenda
NIC.MW & .mw ccTLD
http://www.registrar.mw

On 21 Feb 2011 at 13:53, Mukom Akong T wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
> 
> An updated version of  the "IPv4 Soft Landing Proposal" is now available 
> on our website at 
> http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2010-v4-005-draft-01.htm
> 
> A text version of the proposal is included below:
> 
> Regards
> 
> _____
> 
> Unique Id:      AFPUB-2010-v4-005-draft-01
> Author(s):       Douglas Onyango | Digiclear E.Africa Ltd | 
> ondouglas at yahoo.com
> Draft Version: 11
> Submitted:      2010-11-25
> Updates:
>     a. AFPUB-2005-v4-001
>     b. AFPUB-2007-GEN-001
> 
> 
> [1] Summary of the Problem Being Addressed by this Policy Proposal
> 
> Because the Global IPv4 free pool has run out, the IANA has implemented 
> the Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space 
> - www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2009-v4-001.html meaning after the 
> last /8, RIRs will nolonger receive Address space from the IANA as in 
> the past. This puts AfriNIC in a precarious situation as the current 
> allocation and assignment Policy cannot be sustained in the mid to longterm.
> 
> 
> [2] Summary of How this Proposal Addresses the Problem
> 
> In order to ensure a smooth transition to IPv6,  AfriNIC's  pool  should 
> be managed to provide members with address space  after the IPv4  pool 
> is depleted.  This will help in maintaining IPv4 networks while 
> deploying IPv6 networks   a practice that characterize the transition 
> period. This document proposes a strategy for allocation and Assignment 
> and maintenance of AfriNIC's IPv4 pool post exhaustion. This policy 
> begins when AfriNIC starts to allocation space from the last /8
> 
> 
> [3] The Proposal
> 
> This policy (IPv4 Soft Landing), applies to the management of address 
> space that will be available to AfriNIC after the current IPv4 pool is 
> depleted. The purpose of this document is to ensure that address space 
> used in a manner that is acceptable to the AfriNIC community especially 
> during this time of scarcity.
> 
> 3.1 Policy Documents to be affected:
> 
> IPv4 Allocation Policy 
> http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2005-v4-001.htm
> 
> Proposal to Change the Allocation & Assignment Period to 12 months 
> http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2007-GEN-001.htm
> 
> 3.2 Definitions:
> 
> Local Internet Registry (LIR)
> 
> A Local Internet Registry (LIR) is an Internet Registry (IR) that 
> receives allocations from an RIR and assigns address space to customers 
> who use its services. LIRs are generally ISPs and their customers are 
> end-users and possibly other ISPs. LIRs must be members of an RIR like 
> AfriNIC; which serves the Africa Region and part of the Indian Ocean 
> (Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles).
> 
> Existing LIR's
> 
> An Existing LIR is a LIR that assigns address space to 'end-users' and 
> has already been assigned or allocated IPv4 address space by AfriNIC.
> 
> New LIR
> 
> A New LIR, is a LIR that assigns address space to 'end-users' and is a 
> member of AfriNIC but has not been assigned or allocated any IPv4 
> address space prior to the Exhaustion phase.
> 
> 
> End User
> 
> An End User is an organization that receives assignments of IP addresses 
> exclusively for use in its operational networks
> 
> Final /8 block of IPv4 address space, or "Final /8".
> 
> The Final /8 block of IPv4 address space, or "Final /8", is the /8 block 
> of IPv4 address space that has been allocated by the IANA to AfriNIC in 
> terms of section 2.2 C of the Global Policy for the Allocation of the 
> Remaining IPv4 Address Space 
> <http://www.icann.org/en/general/allocation-remaining-ipv4-space.html> 
> at the time of exhaustion of the IANA pool of IPv4 address space. 
> AfriNIC's version of the Global Policy for the Allocation of the 
> Remaining IPv4 Address Space is also known as AFPUB-2009-v4-001 
> <http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2009-v4-001.html>.
> 
> 
> 3.3 Summary
> 
> This proposal describes how AfriNIC shall assign, allocate, and manage 
> IPv4 resources during the "Exhaustion Phase" which begins when AfriNIC 
> first needs to assign or allocate IP addresses from the Final /8 block 
> of IPv4 address space.
> 
> 3.4 Current Phase:
> 
> The "Current Phase" is the status quo at the time of adoption of this 
> policy.  During this phase, AfriNIC will continue allocating or 
> assigning IPv4 addresses to LIRs and End Users using the current 
> policies, including AFPUB-2005-v4-001 
> <www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2005-v4-001.htm>, AFPUB-2006-GEN-001
> <http://www.afrinic.net/docs/policies/AFPUB-2006-GEN-001.htm>, and any 
> future amended versions of such policies.
> 
> The current phase will continue until an otherwise-valid request for 
> IPv4 address space from any LIR or end user to AfriNIC either (a) cannot 
> be fulfilled with the IPv4 address space available in the AfriNIC pool 
> (with the exception of the Last /8), or (b) can be fulfilled, but would 
> leave the AfriNIC IPv4 address pool empty (with the exception of the
> Last /8).
> 
> The request that results in either of the above conditions being 
> fulfilled will be the last IPv4 address space request that AfriNIC will 
> accept from any LIR or End User in the Current Phase.  If the request 
> can be processed in terms of the Current Phase policies, then it will be 
> so processed; otherwise, it will be processed in terms of Exhaustion 
> Phase policies.
> 
> AfriNIC will publicly announce that the Exhaustion Phase has begun at 
> this point.
> 
> 3.5 Exhaustion Phase:
> 
> During the Exhaustion Phase, the following allocation and assignment 
> policy will be used.  This policy applies to both LIRs and End Users, 
> and applies at all times after the transition to the Exhaustion Phase.
> 
> The exhaustion phase will be divided into two parts:-
> a) Exhaustion Phase 1
> b) Exhaustion Phase 2
> 
> 3.5.1 Exhaustion Phase 1
> During this phase, allocation/assignment of address space will continue 
> as in the Current phase (/24 for a EU and /22 for a LIR) but the maximum 
> will change from /10 to /13.
> 
> Allocations and assignments will be made from the /8 pool until we reach 
> a /11. At this point the Exhaustion Phase 2 phase will kick in.
> 
> Exhaustion Phase 2
> During this phase a minimum allocation/assignment size will be /27. And 
> a  maximum of /22 per allocation/assignment.
> 
> 
> 3.6) If any LIR or End User requesting IPv4 address space during the 
> Exhaustion Phase does not already have IPv6 address space, then AfriNIC 
> shall allocate or assign an IPv6 address block in compliance with the 
> IPv6 allocation or assignment policies in effect at the time.
> 
> 3.7) 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.
> 
> 
> 3.8 Allocation Criteria
> 
> In order to receive IPv4 allocations or assignments during the 
> Exhaustion Phase, the LIR or End User must have used at least 90% of all 
> previous allocations or assignments (including those made during both 
> the Current Phase and the Exhaustion Phase).  In the case of new LIRs or 
> End Users with no previous allocations or assignments, this requirement 
> does not apply to their first allocation or assignment request.
> 
> 
> AfriNIC resources are for the AfriNIC geographical region. For each 
> allocation or assignment made during the Exhaustion Phase, no more than 
> 10% of these resources may be used outside of the AfriNIC region, and 
> any use outside the AfriNIC region shall be solely in support of 
> connectivity back to the AfriNIC region.
> 
> 
> 3.9 IPv4 Address Space Reserve
> 
> A /12 IPv4 address block will be in reserve out of the Last /8. This /12 
> 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.
> 
> 3.9.2
> When AfriNIC, can no longer meet any more requests for address space 
> from the last /8 pool because the pool is either empty or has no more 
> contiguous blocks, the Board will based on the demand and other factors 
> at the time exercise their prerogative to replenish the exhaustion pool 
> with whatever address space that will be available to AfriNIC at the 
> time in a manner that is in the best interest of the community.
> 
> 
> 
> Acknowledgments
> Thanks to RPD-ML and especially Alain Aina and Alan Barrett for their 
> contributions.
> 
> 
> 4.0. Revision History (for all but the very first draft)
> 
> Version 1
> Removed IPv6 Adoption plans and deployment as requirements for receiving
> IPv4 address space in this policy as Members Technology choices are
> outside AfriNIC's purview
> 
> Version 3
> Changed the scope of the document to cover IPv4 address space outside
> the /8 to avoid writing a new policy for IPv4 address space that
> AfriNIC might have outside the /8
> 
> Version 5
> Removed 4 blocks as maximum possible allocation blocks in policy
> To eliminate the possibility of remaining with unusable space in the pool
> 
> Version 8
> Changed the Minimum and Maximum Allocation sizes to /27 and /22 
> respectively
> to cater for small requests by members transitioning who only need small 
> blocks for interoperability
> 
> Version 9
> Made all the allocation/assignments only usable within the AfriNIC region
> to curb Black Market practices that could crop up post exhaustion)
> 
> Version 10
> Changed the Problem Statement due to Global IPv4 free pool running out
> _____
> 
> 