Implementation Plan for 2012-07, "RIPE NCC Services to Legacy Internet Resource Holders"

"Legacy" is the term given to those Internet number resources that were distributed before (or outside of) the current system of hierarchical distribution by the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The RIPE NCC maintains and publishes registry data for resources held by members and legacy Internet resource holders in our service region. The RIPE NCC also provides reverse DNS delegation and a routing registry for IP address and Autonomous System Numbers, both of which include legacy Internet resources.

In 2012, the RIPE community entered a policy proposal (2012-07) into the RIPE PDP that sought to form the basis for the rigorous maintenance of this registry data and for the delivery of services to legacy Internet resource holders in the RIPE NCC service region. The acceptance of 2012-07 resulted in the creation of a new RIPE Document, ripe-605. This document specifies a number of options that legacy Internet resource holders can choose from to enter into a relationship with the RIPE NCC. It also specifies contractual requirements, the services to be offered and provided by the RIPE NCC, and states that the existing RIPE NCC Conflict Arbitration Procedure can be used by legacy Internet resource holders in the event of a conflict.

Implementing this framework over the coming months will require work in three key areas:

1. Implementation Preparation

2. RIPE Database implementation

3. Registry Services implementation

1. Implementation Preparation

Effectively offering the above services to legacy Internet resource holders requires updates to our internal and external software tools, and to our processes and procedures. We are therefore working to implement these updates and expect this work to be completed around the start of Q3 2014.

We are also working to update our procedural documentation and to create the new agreements that will be required. Some of these documents may need to be approved by the RIPE NCC General Meeting (GM), with the next GM scheduled to take place during RIPE 68 in May 2014. Following the GM, the RIPE NCC will then be able to start contacting all legacy Internet resource holders to offer them the options in the proposal.

The documents we are preparing include:

• Amendments to the RIPE NCC Conflict Arbitration Procedure
• Agreement to provide services for legacy Internet resources of RIPE NCC members
• Agreement for legacy Internet resource holders to engage directly with the RIPE NCC

2. RIPE Database Implementation

As part of the implementation, the RIPE NCC will make registration data related to legacy Internet resources publicly available in the RIPE Database.

• For inetnum objects, a new "LEGACY" value for the “status:” attribute will be introduced
• For aut-num objects, a new generated “status:” attribute will be introduced that can be set to "ASSIGNED", "LEGACY" or "OTHER"

There are around 27,000 aut-num objects and 4,200 parent legacy inetnum objects in the RIPE Database. In addition, there are approximately 35,000 more specific inetnum objects to those parent legacy inetnum objects.

This implementation will be completed in two phases:

Phase 1: Starting in Q1 2014, we will make the necessary changes to the RIPE Database as well as the RIPE NCC's internal registry software.

The “status:” attribute of all aut-num objects will be generated if not set. The “status:” attribute of aut-num and legacy inetnum objects will be generated and updated by software business rules whenever a resource is registered or changed in our internal registry.

Phase 2: Starting in Q2 2014, we will begin contacting all organisations or individuals holding aut-num objects in the RIPE Database and notify them that the “status:” attribute is being generated for them. We will also contact all organisations or individuals holding parent legacy inetnum objects to inform them that the “status:” attribute for these objects is being changed to "LEGACY". Finally, we will change the “status:” attribute of all more specific legacy inetnum objects to "LEGACY".

A "remarks:" attribute will be added to all legacy Internet resource objects, underlining the change of the "status:" attribute and referencing an FAQ web page with information on why this change took place and what it means to the resource holder.

A separate plan has more detail about implementing 2012-07 in the RIPE Database.

3. Registry Services

The total number of legacy Internet resources within the RIPE Registry is approximately 4,200 parent IP blocks and 740 AS Numbers, held by some 2,500 individuals or organisations. In Q3 2014, we will begin to contact the holders of these legacy Internet resources to ask them if they would like to establish a relationship with the RIPE NCC. As specified in section 2.0 of the new policy, we will offer legacy Internet resource holders the following options:

• Extend the existing contract by registering their legacy Internet resources (if already a RIPE NCC member)
• Become a member of the RIPE NCC
• Engage via a sponsoring LIR
• Engage directly with the RIPE NCC
• Opt not to establish a formal relationship with the RIPE NCC
  
  

All legacy Internet resource holders who choose to enter into a direct or indirect contractual relationship with the RIPE NCC can choose to have their resources registered as "LEGACY" or as though they had originally been distributed by the RIPE NCC.

In Q3 2014, we will start to contact legacy Internet resource holders in batches. It is difficult to give a precise timeframe for when this process will be completed, as it depends on the quantity of responses we receive and the response times of stakeholders.

Phase 1: We will begin by contacting all legacy Internet resource holders who are already members of the RIPE NCC or have been in direct contact with the RIPE NCC in the past and provide them with the options outlined above.

Phase 2: The next step will be to contact those legacy Internet resource holders who are not members of the RIPE NCC and have not been in direct contact with the RIPE NCC before to provide them with the options outlined above.

Throughout this process, we will keep a record of those legacy Internet resources for which we were not able to contact the original holders.

Note: The roadmap for the implementation of this proposal is subject to change and depends on the outcome of the RIPE NCC General Meeting in May 2014. We will publish information to keep the RIPE community updated in the Legacy Resources section.