Dear SIG members
The proposal "Cooperative distribution of the end of the IPv4 free pool"
has been sent to the Policy SIG for review. It will be presented at the
Policy SIG at APNIC 25 in Taipei, Taiwan, 25-29 February 2008. You are
invited to review and comment on the proposal on the mailing list before
the meeting.
The proposal's history can be found at:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-052-v001.html
________________________________________________________________________
prop-052-v001: Cooperative distribution of the end of the IPv4 free pool
________________________________________________________________________
Author: Tony Hain
alh-ietf@tndh.net
Version: 1
Date: 30 October 2007
1. Introduction
----------------
This policy will establish a process for RIR-to-RIR redistribution of
the tail-end of the IPv4 pool, taking effect after the IANA Reserve is
exhausted. Each redistribution Allocation will be triggered by the
recipient RIR depleting its reserve to a 30 day supply, and will result
in up to a 3 month supply being transferred from the RIR with the
longest remaining time before it exhausts its own pool.
2. Summary of current problem
------------------------------
This policy will establish a mechanism for the Allocation of IPv4
address blocks between RIR's, but will not go into effect until the IANA
pool has been depleted.
It is really bizarre to watch the maneuvering as the global RIR
community grapples with 'fairness' of distributing the last few IANA
Reserve /8 blocks. On one level this just appears to be petty sibling
rivalry, as people are bickering over who gets the last cookie and
whimpering about 'fairness'. At the same time, each RIR is chartered to
look after the interests of its membership so it is to be expected that
they will each want to get as much as possible to meet the needs of
their respective membership.
Existing practice requires RIRs to acquire blocks from IANA, which
leads to the current round of nonsense about optimal distribution of
the remaining pool based on elaborate mathematical models.
This globally submitted policy proposal attempts to resolve the issue by
shifting to an RIR-to-RIR Allocation model after the IANA pool is
depleted. This policy would effectively result in each RIR becoming a
virtual LIR member of all of the other RIR's for the sole purpose of
managing the tail-end of the IPv4 pool.
3. Situation in other RIRs
----------------------------
This proposal has been submitted to all RIRs.
4. Details of the proposal
----------------------------
At the point when any given RIR is within 30 days of depleting its
remaining IPv4 pool, a survey will be taken of the other 4 to determine
the remaining time before each of them exhausts their pool (including
both member use and recent redistribution allocations to other RIRs).
The one with the longest window before exhausting its pool will be
designated as the source RIR. The recipient RIR will follow procedures
for an LIR in the source RIR region to request a block that is expected
to be sufficient for up to 3 months, but is no larger than 1/8th of the
source RIR's remaining pool. At the point where no RIR can supply a
block that is less than 1/8th of their remaining pool that will sustain
the recipient RIR for 30 days, the recipient RIR will collect its
requests each week, and forward those individual requests to the source
RIR designated that week.
Timetable for implementation: Before 1/1/2009
5. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposal
-------------------------------------------------
Advantages: Allows the RIRs to focus on management of the space rather than
squabble over who gets the last block. Distributes the workload to the
requesting regions rather than the delegating region.
Disadvantages: Precludes one RIR from possessing the 'last' block,
potentially reducing its ability to gain new members from other regions.
6. Effect on APNIC members
----------------------------
If APNIC was not the last RIR with free space, this proposal would allow for
operations to continue with only a minor modification in process or delay
until all the RIRs were out.
If APNIC was the last RIR with free space, this proposal would have APNIC
members competing with the rest of the world over the last few addresses.
7. Effect on NIRs
-------------------
See 6.
---
APNIC Policy SIG Chairs
Toshiyuki Hosaka
Randy Bush
Jian Zhang
