Internet Number Resources Approved to the RIPE NCC

Request to Arbiters

The RIPE NCC has requested to assign a /23 IPv4 PI assignment, a /43 and /47 IPv6 PI assignment and three 32-bit AS numbers to itself for facilitating the MENOG IPv6 roadshow.

The IP Resource Analysts involved with this request were Kjell Leknes, Marco Schmidt and Alex Le Heux.

The RIPE NCC internal procedures were followed and all preliminary checks were completed:

• The request was sent by James Aldridge, RIPE NCC Systems Engineer
• All three request forms were found to be correctly filled in

The Purpose of the Request

During the IPv6 roadshow events the RIPE NCC will organise a hands-on lab workshop for the participants. During this workshop the participants will be presented with a network representing a small ISP and its customers, operating only on IPv4. During the workshop, participants will deploy IPv6 on this network and explore the problems associated with such a deployment. To make the workshop as realistic as possible and allow participants to observe the results using regular tools such as looking glasses, all address space involved will be publicly announced via BGP. Two ISPs will be publicly peering with the network.

Size and Justification of the Networks

The IPv4 network will contain nine /27 POPs, allowing them to connect 8 /30 users in each POP. Each of the nine POPs will also require one /30 transit connection, and a /28 to each of the two lab switches. This adds up to a /24, a /25 and a/29. As all space will be routed on the public internet. A minimum of a /23 IPv4 is required, as the current IPv4 policy allows. The size of all IPv4 subnets was chosen to be as small as possible for the network design. The total of all subnets is /24, /25 and /29. In cases where the network will be multi-homed, Section 6.10 of the IPv4 Address Policy proscribes that the assignment size should be a multiple of a /24. In this case that results in a /23. The RIPE NCC has not received any other assignments under Section 6.10 so will remain below the 255 "additional IPv4 addresses" limit set by the Policy.

In the IPv6 network each of the transits will use one /48 to number the various point-to-point connections and simulated infrastructure. In the ISP network, each POP/End Site will be numbered with a /48 internally as policy allows and is common practice in IPv6 networks and will use two /48s for the simulated customers. IPv6 Address Policy allows assignments of a /48 each to POPs, infrastructure and customer end-sites. This is also common practice in real world networks. As the focus of the IPv6 Roadshow workshop is to provide a deployment experience that is as realistic as possible, the network design incorporates this practice. The total of IPv6 space requested is a /43 and a /47. Even though real world ISPs normally hold a /32 or larger allocation, it was felt that a /32 would only add to the workshop experience if making assignments in the RIPE Database would be a big part of the workshop. However, this is not the case. The workshop concentrates on network design and equipment configuration. Therefore a /43 and a/47 PI assignment is fully sufficient.

Three AS numbers are required as the workshop network will consist of three separate network segments, two upstream ISPs and one small ISP with clients. Each of the three network segments has its own routing policy. This justifies the assignment of three AS Numbers. All equipment and both ISPs support 32-bit AS numbers.

Alternative options

Alternative options were explored besides using public resources during the evaluation of this request:

• RFC1918 / ULA / private ASNs: As it is the intention to announce all resources publicly via BGP, no form of private space can be used.
• Existing RIPE NCC resources: The RIPE NCC currently does not hold any unused resources that can be used for this purpose. It was suggested that the RIPE Meeting space could be used for the IPv6 roadshow events. However, that is a single /48 and it is likely there will be IPv6 roadshow workshops at the same time as RIPE Meetings.
• Establishing a separate LIR: Creating a separate LIR and requesting a /21 IPv4 PA allocation, a /32 IPv6 allocation and 3 AS numbers would give the network more flexibility, and would make the process of justifying the needed resources easier. But this would have a larger negative effect on the region's aggregation and conversation of addressing space.

As the IPv6 roadshow is a series of events, we explored the possibility of using temporary assignments as described in ripe-526. These workshops will take place at least once per month over a period of several years. Even though the workshops happen in different locations each time, this gives the IPv6 roadshow a semi-permanent character. Requesting temporary assignments for each one would result in a significant workload for both the RIPE NCC as well as the Arbitration Board. Due to standard quarantine periods used after resources are returned and the frequency of the workshops, the net result would be that these resources would remain unavailable for any other use. Due to this and the semi-permanent character of the IPv6 roadshow the RIPE NCC does not consider temporary assignments appropriate. When the IPv6 roadshow events come to an end, the resources will be reclaimed and returned to the free pool.

Arbitration Panel Decision

As ripe-476 requires, the pool of arbiters has to evaluate allocation/assignment requests for number resources to be used by the RIPE NCC.

The arbiters asked for clarification on the number of pops. This was clarified by the RIPE NCC which noted that reducing the number of pops from 9 to 8 would not reduce the size of the assignment from /23 to /24.

All arbiters have reviewed the request by the RIPE NCC for these IPv4, IPv6 and ASN resources. The request was reviewed for compliance with every section in the IPv4, IPv6 and AS number policies. There was consensus among the arbiters that the request is consistent with these policies.

Based on the decision by the pool of arbiters, the RIPE NCC has received the approvals for a /23 IPv4 PI assignment, a /43 and a /47 IPv6 PI assignment and three 32-bit AS numbers.