A correction was made to this document on 8 July 2015. In Appendix 3:
Budget Figures 2015, the total income in the RIPE NCC Budgeted Statement of Income & Expenditure 2015 was incorrectly stated as kEUR 22,269. This was amended to give the correct figure of kEUR 23,269.
The RIPE NCC Activity Plan and Budget 2015 documents the activities that the RIPE NCC proposes to undertake in 2015, along with their associated costs, provided in terms of Full Time Employees (FTEs), Costs (OPEX) and Capital Expenditure (CAPEX). The document also highlights areas of strategic focus for the organisation.
Increasing transparency is a goal the RIPE NCC is constantly striving towards. This document is the clearest way that RIPE NCC members can learn about, comment on and ultimately shape the direction that the RIPE NCC will take in the coming year. As a consequence, the RIPE NCC views the Activity Plan and Budget as an integral part of maintaining the trust of its members and it helps to ensure that the RIPE NCC maintains the highest standards of accountability.
To this end, categories of “activity status” are attached to the title of each activity in this document. By marking which activities are new and which are being significantly expanded or scaled back, readers will be able to easily gain an overview of what is being proposed for 2015 compared to the previous year. More details and a definition of each of these categories are provided in this document.
Where the status of an activity is anything other than “Ongoing”, this document provides details of why the decision was made, when it was made, and whether it was made by RIPE NCC Management, the RIPE NCC Executive Board, the RIPE NCC membership or the RIPE community.
The RIPE NCC publishes a draft version of this document and asks for input from members before publishing a final, definitive version. It is important that RIPE NCC members are aware of how they can provide feedback on the draft version of the Activity Plan and Budget.
In 2014, the RIPE NCC used a number of feedback mechanisms such as mailing lists and the various membership and community meetings held throughout the region to develop and present the first draft of this document to the RIPE NCC Executive Board in September. After the Executive Board's feedback was incorporated, an updated document was published online and announced to the RIPE NCC membership in September, six weeks before the RIPE NCC General Meeting. This gave members time to comment on the draft document before discussions took place at the RIPE NCC Services Working Group and the RIPE NCC General Meeting (GM). During this period, members were encouraged to ask questions and discuss the Draft Activity Plan and Budget via the RIPE NCC Membership Discussion mailing list ([email protected]).
The Draft Activity Plan and Budget was further discussed by the membership at the GM in November 2014. The feedback received there was then incorporated into the final Activity Plan and Budget after the approval of the document by the RIPE NCC Executive Board.
To maintain good transparency for RIPE NCC members, this Activity Plan and Budget includes several features. An activity status is included for each of the activities listed. There are five different activity statuses given throughout this document:
Secondly, where the status of an activity is anything other than “Ongoing”, this document will contain information about when and why the decision was made, and who was responsible for making the decision.
Finally, usage statistics have been included wherever possible for each activity. These are intended to show the general scale of a service. There are some cases where activities cannot be quantified or the inclusion of statistics is of little relevance so they are not provided.
Note: Individual activities that cost less than 5 kEUR per annum are considered to be negligible costs and therefore their cost details are not included in the Activity Plan and Budget.
This document highlights the RIPE NCC's strategic focus points for the coming year. They are, broadly:
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to focus on maintaining the accuracy of the data in the RIPE Registry. The data in this registry is comprised of RIPE Database data and registration information held by the RIPE NCC, and it is therefore critical for the operations of our members and the wider Internet community.
The RIPE NCC's work in ensuring the accurate registration of data increasingly revolves around safeguarding legitimate resource holders' data in the wake of IPv4 exhaustion. A scarcity in the availability of unused IPv4 address space means there is increased potential for address space hijacking, while further resource transfer activity is expected. This, together with implementation of the policy proposal outlining services to legacy address space holders, means that the RIPE NCC will have to continue to improve and refine its processes to ensure an efficient registry service. It is envisioned that this work will be carried out with no significant increase in resources.
The RIPE NCC is also committed to carrying out effective external relations and outreach to its members and other important stakeholders in the Internet community. In 2014, the RIPE NCC organised events and traveled throughout the service region to meet with members and to hear directly from them and give them the means to have their voice heard within the wider community. This has already shown great benefits in terms of hearing exactly what our members want to see from us in terms of activities and service improvement that that can help them with their operations. The RIPE NCC is also increasing its efforts to provide support in local languages, particularly through the use of staff from throughout the service region that can communicate with members in their native languages.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will host a number of Regional Meetings, support the development of local Network Operator Groups, carry out regionally targeted educational initiatives and represent the membership and technical community at regional Internet governance events. The establishment in 2014 of regional offices in Moscow and Dubai has greatly increased the RIPE NCC's ability to conduct effective outreach throughout its service region. This work will take place alongside the two RIPE Meetings that will be held in Europe in 2015, and which the RIPE NCC continues to see as its foremost means of connecting with the Internet community.
2015 will also be an important year for Internet governance as the stewardship of the IANA functions transitions away from the US National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA). There is currently an ongoing process that will continue well into 2015 to capture the views and comments of the global Internet community. The RIPE NCC is committed to being involved in this process and ensuring that the RIPE NCC membership and the RIPE community are fully aware of these important developments.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will consolidate its current service offering. This work has already begun with the decision to use RIPE Atlas as the main source of data gathering for the RIPE NCC and RIPEstat as the portal serving all the RIPE NCC's data, and relevant third party data, to members and the community. The ending of Test Traffic Measurements and its inclusion in RIPE Atlas is an example of this consolidation, as is the planned integration of RPKI data and Routing Registry data through a single interface. Furthermore, no new RIPE NCC-initiated services are planned for 2015, although providing services for legacy address space holders is a new activity.
Ultimately, the RIPE NCC hopes that by consolidating its service offering it will be able to improve the value of the individual services for members while reducing the resources required to provide them. This will also allow the RIPE NCC to more effectively communicate the value of its service offering to the membership and other stakeholders. Combined with concerted efforts to increase efficiencies, refine organisational processes and reduce both internal and external bureaucracy, the RIPE NCC aims to deliver a more streamlined and efficient service for all its members and stakeholders.
On the following page is an overview of the Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), Operational Expenses (OPEX) and Capital Expenses (CAPEX) per activity. All amounts are in kEUR. The overview is presented on two levels. It is possible to click on any Level 1 or Level 2 activity for more detailed information.
Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) indicates the average amount of personnel assigned to each activity as well as supporting staff over the course of the full year.
Operational expenses are all direct costs that relate to the activity or project, and a portion of overhead that is related to absence (vacation, illness, education) that has been allocated to the project. The overhead allocation is calculated by dividing the percentage of FTEs involved in the activity by the overall number of FTEs. Operational expenses exclude depreciation and bad debt expenses.
Capital Expenses are all items that are taken as an asset. These items include hardware and software, infrastructure, office furniture and software development. Hardware and software consists of hardware and purchased activated software. All items under EUR 500 are expensed, as is required by the Dutch tax code. Intangible fixed assets includes only in-house software development. Software development costs are capitalised insofar as they are incurred in respect of potentially valuable projects and are stated at cost. These costs comprise the costs of direct labour as well as outsourced consultancy costs.
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
FTEs |
OPEX kEUR |
CAPEX kEUR |
||
41.9 |
4,301 |
280 |
||||
|
30.5 |
3,071 |
30 |
|||
7.2 |
692 |
150 |
||||
|
2.7 |
307 |
0 |
|||
|
1.5 |
231 |
100 |
|||
28.7 |
3,129 |
380 |
||||
|
7.9 |
1,019 |
0 |
|||
5.8 |
641 |
8 |
||||
10.4 |
1,072 |
372 |
||||
4.6 |
397 |
0 |
||||
33.0 |
6,631 |
221 |
||||
|
3.1 |
413 |
128 |
|||
2.6 |
313 |
6 |
||||
1.5 |
247 |
0 |
||||
9.6 |
1,552 |
0 |
||||
4.1 |
1,267 |
0 |
||||
1.6 |
161 |
0 |
||||
5.7 |
1,414 |
87 |
||||
1.9 |
234 |
0 |
||||
2.9 |
1,030 |
0 |
||||
32.5 |
6,596 |
1,291 |
||||
|
10.8 |
1,912 |
768 |
|||
3.9 |
1,156 |
500 |
||||
7.6 |
2,118 |
23 |
||||
6.3 |
823 |
0 |
||||
1.8 |
237 |
0 |
||||
4.6 Organisational Activities (Executive Board, Arbitration Panel and General Meetings) |
2.1 |
350 |
0 |
|||
Total |
|
136.1 |
20,657 |
2,172 |
||
* RIPE NCC strategic focus point for 2015
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: The RIPE NCC is administratively authoritative for approximately 90,000 Internet number resource records
Since 1992, the RIPE NCC has been responsible for assigning and allocating Internet number resources (IPv4, IPv6 and AS Numbers) within its service region. One of the organisation's key responsibilities is to maintain the accuracy and quality of the RIPE Registry, which contains information about the current holders of these resources. This includes information that is contained in the RIPE Database as well as other registration information held by the RIPE NCC. Maintaining the RIPE Registry remains a strategic focus for 2015.
The exhaustion of the unallocated “free pool” of IPv4 address space means the RIPE NCC adapted its registry function to maintain its careful stewardship of resource registrations. This means there is a continuing focus on legacy address space, with the goal of bringing registration records up to the same standards of accuracy as address space that was distributed by the RIPE NCC. Additionally, the RIPE NCC will work to ensure that the RIPE Registry can accurately deal with an increase in IPv4 transfers and a heightened potential for conflicts over address space, both resulting from the growing scarcity of IPv4. The RIPE NCC will continue to respond to any community-driven initiatives to increase the accuracy of data stored in the registry.
As part of this stewardship role, the RIPE NCC will pay special attention to protecting resource holders against hijacking of their Internet number resources. While this will likely involve more strict verification requirements when evaluating requests, the RIPE NCC will remain mindful of the balance between ensuring due diligence on the one hand while not being overly bureaucratic or inflexible on the other.
A range of services, such as the Resource Certification (RPKI) system and the Assisted Registry Check (an enhancement of the RIPE NCC's audit activities) will continue to provide an incentive for holders of this space to make sure that their Internet number resources are accurately registered. The focus will be on increasing the value of services that the RIPE NCC can provide to its members to improve their day-to-day operations, while at the same time maintaining the accuracy of registry data.
The RIPE NCC will also continue its work in partnership with the other RIRs to improve data quality and to make this data readily available to the Internet community.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Approximately 6,800 allocations and assignments up to December 2014
The RIPE NCC provides fair, impartial and stable distribution of Internet number resources according to policies developed by the RIPE community. In addition to the allocation and assignment of IPv4 and IPv6 address space, the RIPE NCC also assigns AS Numbers and registers these along with the initial associated routing policy. This ensures the uniqueness of AS Numbers and collects data for the Routing Registry. Since 2007, the RIPE NCC has assigned AS Numbers from both the 16-bit and 32-bit pools.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: The RIPE NCC is administratively authoritative for approximately 90,000 Internet number resource records
The RIPE NCC manages the complete lifecycle of Internet number resources within its service region, supporting updates of the registration data and deregistering resources that have been returned. In order to facilitate the transfer of IPv4 Provider Aggregatable (PA) address space between members, the RIPE NCC provides the IPv4 Transfer Listing Service. The RIPE NCC expects that the work involved with transfers will increase significantly in 2015.
The RIPE NCC deregisters Internet number resources that have been allocated or assigned under false pretenses, contravene RIPE Policies or have been hijacked. This activity also applies to LIRs that have been closed for non-payment of their service fee and IP addresses returned by the holders to the RIPE NCC.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 2,000-3,000 Assisted Registry Checks planned for 2015
Since 1996, the RIPE NCC has conducted audits, at the request of the RIPE community, to ensure the fair and neutral application of policies and to actively check the quality and validity of registry data.
The Assisted Registry Check (ARC) review gives LIRs an opportunity to receive personalised support from the RIPE NCC. This includes help creating database objects to improve contact data, remove inconsistent resource records and provide clarification on RIPE Policies. The aim is to strengthen registry data while providing support for the daily technical operations of the membership.
The ARC review covers four broad subject areas:
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Contracts for approximately 50,000 End User Internet number resource records are overseen by the RIPE NCC.
Subject to the RIPE Policy on contractual requirements for PI resource holders (ripe-452), the RIPE NCC ensures that changes to contractual arrangements between sponsoring LIRs and End Users are followed up on and the appropriate administrative action taken.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will finalise the process of implementing the RIPE Policy related to establishing an indirect or a direct contractual link between the End Users of independent Internet number resources and the RIPE NCC (ripe-452). Since this policy was implemented in 2009, Approximately 47,000 independent resources are now covered by a contractual relationship.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: New Activity
Measurable usage: The total number of legacy Internet resources within the RIPE Registry is approximately 4,200 parent IP blocks and 35,000 more specific blocks. Furthermore, there are 740 legacy AS Numbers
Historically, legacy resource holdings have been kept outside any formal relationship between their holders and the RIPE NCC. In order to improve the accuracy and trustworthiness of the registry data, ripe-605 “RIPE NCC Services to Legacy Internet Resource Holders” allows for a formal relationship between the Legacy Internet number resource holders and the RIPE NCC. In 2014, the RIPE NCC began to implement the RIPE Policy related to establishing an indirect or a direct contractual link between the holders of legacy Internet number resources and the RIPE NCC.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: The RIPE NCC has investigated 233 potential hijacks since 2012. The RIPE NCC received and investigated 654 abuse reports in 2014.
Since September 2012, the RIPE NCC has seen a significant increase in the number of succeeded and attempted IP address hijackings taking place in its service region. Due to the increasing scarcity of IPv4 address space, the RIPE NCC expects that the number of hijacking cases will continue to grow exponentially. Over the course of 2014, there were a number of incidents where hijackers attempted to impersonate resource holders – either to gain control of their resources in the RIPE Database or to sell them to third parties who were unaware that they were not the legitimate holder.
The hijackers mostly targeted apparently unannounced (legacy) resources. Due to the fact that hijackers use sophisticated methods to gain access to the resources, such as test announcements to verify usage, falsified documents, re-registering domains and making copies of websites, these investigations are time-consuming and labour intensive, involving several divisions within the RIPE NCC. Especially where it involves legacy space, the investigations are complex as the RIPE NCC has not issued the resources and has therefore no authoritative documentation of the original distribution and changes in holdership over time. Legacy resources are particularly susceptible to hijacking attempts.
The RIPE NCC also checks for unauthorised changes to RIPE Database objects for which it is administratively responsible (mainly independent Internet number resources).
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Registry Maintenance Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Registry Maintenance |
30.5 |
3,071 |
30 |
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Approximately 14.5 billion RIPE Database queries up to December 2014
The RIPE Database contains information about the IP addresses and AS Numbers used by networks within the RIPE NCC service region. For these resources, the database carries information about their current holders along with contact details and related attributes. Resource holders are responsible for maintaining the information in the database, while the role of the RIPE NCC is as data controller.
The RIPE Database provides information that is crucial for network troubleshooting and determining abuse contacts. The database has a wide range of users, including network engineers, system administrators and researchers. The service is available for anyone that needs information about networks and Internet number resources.
The RIPE Database also includes the RIPE Routing Registry, which is part of the global Internet Routing Registry (IRR). The IRR ensures the stability and consistency of global Internet routing by sharing information between network operators. The IRR consists of several databases, including the RIPE Routing Registry, in which network operators can publish their routing policies and routing announcements.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to improve the maintenance of the RIPE Database. This involves updating the software to better support operations and improving internal processes. There will be a focus on increasing the usability of the database, while making it more efficient and simpler to use. Work already began in 2014 to improve the documentation around the RIPE Database, and this work will continue in 2015.
With continuous progress in the maintenance area, the RIPE NCC can provide a high-quality service to the community with close to 100% uptime. In addition, the RIPE NCC frequently verifies database data and regularly launches initiatives to improve its overall quality.
The RIPE NCC will conduct a full review of the RIPE Database software. The goal of this is to find and eliminate any security-related issues that might be present in the code. The RIPE NCC will also review the database IT infrastructure, carry out measurements and test scenarios in order to be better prepared in case of an attack.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
Status: Ongoing
The development of the RIPE Database is done in close collaboration with all stakeholders. New features of the core database services are suggested, discussed and approved by the RIPE Database Working Group before they are implemented. New services that integrate with or extend the database software can also be initiated and defined in other forums such as the IETF or from feedback from training courses and direct customer contact.
As an example of the efforts in this area, the Release Candidate environment was introduced in 2014. This enables the database users to test their integration with upcoming database software releases. In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to reach out to database users. The only way to create and provide an excellent service is by knowing the users and involving them in the entire process.
The RIPE NCC is committed to the open source initiative and will streamline the collaboration we currently have with other RIRs that share the same codebase. Among the benefits of having the software available as open source are transparency and a more robust application. It also opens up for third-party developers to contribute to the development of the database.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable achievements: Eight releases up December 2014
Improvements to the RIPE Database are made on a continuous basis. The RIPE NCC works closely with the RIPE community to implement new features and priorities are established by the appropriate RIPE Working Groups.
The RIPE NCC will continue to identify where improvements can be made and suggest new features to the RIPE community that enhance the database software and the overall user experience. The RIPE NCC will closely monitor new policies and assess any impact they might have on the database software and suggest implementation plans
Among the new features for 2015, the RIPE NCC will look into the possibility of closer integration between the Routing Registry and Resource Certification (RPKI). The RPKI user interface currently provides a highly interactive interface that allows members to create Route Origin Authorisations (ROAs) that accurately reflect their routing. In 2015, the RIPE NCC plans to build on this and improve the usability, accuracy and consistency of the Routing Registry and RPKI through a single intuitive interface and API.
Starting in 2014, the RIPE NCC began work on a unified tool for resource management. The project will stretch into 2015. By providing targeted tools for managing the data in the RIPE Database, the user experience will improve greatly. This will help the new and average users of the database to get their tasks done in an intuitive and easy-to-use manner. Most of these features will be available through the LIR Portal (see more under the LIR Portal section in this Activity Plan). During this time, we will also focus on improving the usability of the database web tools for queries and updates.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
RIPE Database Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
RIPE Database |
7.2 |
692 |
150 |
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 2,555 resource certificates created by 15 December 2014
In 2011, the RIPE NCC launched a community-driven system that allows Local Internet Registries (LIRs) to request a digital certificate listing the Internet number resources they hold. This Resource Certification (RPKI) system uses open standards that were developed in the Secure Inter-Domain Routing (sidr) Working Group in the IETF. All Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are committed to operating a resource certification system, making this a global effort.
A resource certificate offers proof of holdership of a resource's allocation or assignment by an RIR. It allows the holder of the certificate to make statements – formally known as attestations – with regards to the resources listed on the certificate.
These statements could be about anything related to the resources, but the practical application offered today is the ability to use the certificates to help secure Internet routing, particularly BGP origin validation.
In 2015, the Resource Certification service will focus on finalising the implementation of the delegated model, offering a production grade service that allows network operators to run their own certificate authority software package, which the RIPE NCC will also provide as an open source solution. In addition, there will be an increased focus on the robustness and scaling of the system. All core components of the RPKI system will be open sourced.
Lastly, the RPKI Validator software package will be expanded to make sure other types of resource data can be included in the decision making process that operators need for their BGP workflow.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
Resource Certification (RPKI) Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Resource Certification (RPKI) |
2.7 |
307 |
- |
Status: Expanding
Measurable usage: ~120,000 (logged in) page view per month
The focus of the LIR Portal has shifted from requesting resources to managing them. Adding two-factor authentication for RIPE NCC Access tightened security. The functionality that the LIR Portal provides through the IPv4 Analyser is geared towards increasing data quality in the registry and the RIPE Database, allowing members to make the most efficient use of the remaining IPv4 address space that LIRs hold. In addition, the IPv6 Analyser is helping users to manage their IPv6 address space or take their first steps in making assignments, by offering a visual insight into the address space and integrating with the RIPE Database. Lastly, seamless LiveChat functionality allows LIRs to quickly talk to an expert in the RIPE NCC if they need help.
Based on member feedback from the RIPE NCC Survey 2013, and due to the fact that the LIR Portal infrastructure is reaching the end of its life, RIPE NCC management has decided that in 2015 the LIR Portal will undergo a total overhaul to update its infrastructure, design and functionality, along with a number of its core features. This is causing the activity to expand in terms of the resources being allocated to it.
The focus of LIR Portal developments will be on helping LIRs with their address management by offering a single, integrated workflow for managing resources, fixing problems, updating the RIPE Database and setting up routing and DNS configuration. There will be a further focus on unlocking resource data through an API, to allow for more integration with the IP address management workflows that operators have.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
LIR Portal Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
LIR Portal |
1.5 |
231 |
100 |
Status: Expanding
The RIPE NCC provides regular face-to-face training courses within its service region on daily operations and specialised areas, such as IPv6 and routing security. The goal of this training is to increase efficiency, raise members' awareness of their role as part of the RIPE community and improve understanding of the RIPE NCC's procedures and tools. This also leads to a reduced workload for the RIPE NCC's internal department.
In addition to the face-to-face courses, the RIPE NCC provides training courses and learning resources online. In 2015, based on feedback received from members at Training Courses and in the RIPE NCC Survey 2013, the RIPE NCC will further develop these online learning possibilities, allowing members and the RIPE community to easily follow training courses and share best current practices online while allowing the RIPE NCC to reach members outside regular destinations.
The RIPE NCC is also coordinating with technical experts and trainers in several regions to roll out a "Train the Trainer" program. This will prepare teams of local trainers to spread the technical knowledge required to build and operate IPv6 networks far beyond what might be achieved by the RIPE NCC alone.
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: N/A: expected launch in Q3 2014
The RIPE NCC has been offering learning resources online for several years. These resources included instructional videos, documentation and live webinars, allowing participants to interact with RIPE NCC trainers remotely.
Results from the RIPE NCC Survey 2013 showed that members wanted the RIPE NCC to provide more online learning options. As a result, the RIPE NCC worked on the implementation of a virtual learning environment, the RIPE NCC Academy, which will be launched in Quarter 3 of 2014. The RIPE NCC Academy will allow the RIPE NCC to offer more learning modules and training courses through an interactive portal. Members will be able to test and certify their knowledge and interact with the RIPE NCC and each other, sharing best current practices and experiences. In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to develop content for the RIPE NCC Academy.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 55 Webinars in 2014 / 15 participants per Webinar
The RIPE NCC organises weekly one-hour interactive webinars, offering members the opportunity to learn from RIPE NCC trainers, watch live demonstrations and have their questions answered online. The number of participants is limited to 15 so that the trainers have enough time to address individual questions. Topics covered are:
In 2015 the RIPE NCC will launch a Webinar on RIPE NCC Tools.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 30 courses in 2014 / 20 participants per course
The one-day Local Internet Registry (LIR) Training Course introduces members to the administrative procedures and policies related to obtaining and distributing Internet number resources and operating an LIR.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 45 courses in 2014 / 20 participants per course
The IPv6 Training Course is a one-day session for members who are planning to deploy IPv6. The course teaches members how to create a deployment plan, the differences between IPv4 and IPv6, and the implications of IPv4 exhaustion.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 15 courses in 2014 / 20 participants per course
The Routing Security Training Course is a one-day introductory course for members, covering usage of the Internet Routing Registry (IRR), Routing Policy Specification Language (RPSL) and Resource Certification (RPKI).
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 20 courses in 2014 / 20 participants per course
The RIPE Database Training Course is a practical introduction for members on usage of the RIPE Database that includes hands-on exercises. The course was first introduced in 2013, after feedback from training course surveys indicated that members wanted a stand-alone RIPE Database course.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Around eight courses per year, alongside regional meetings, conferences and on-request
The RIPE NCC delivers technical workshops and tutorials alongside regional meetings, conferences and on request. Both the RIPE NCC Survey 2013 and regular training course surveys indicated a need for hands-on training courses on various technical subjects in certain parts of the RIPE NCC service region. In 2014, this training material was updated and new material was developed. The RIPE NCC will continue to provide tutorials and workshops covering best current practices and popular topics such as IPv6, DNSSEC, Routing, Security and others.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
i) Advanced IPv6 Training Course
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Four courses in 2014 alongside regional meetings / 20 participants per course
"Advanced IPv6" is a two-day IPv6 course. Topics include IGP, BGP, security and configuration. It is mandatory to have participated in the Basic IPv6 Training Course before members can attend this course.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
ii) DNSSEC Training Course
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Four courses in 2014 alongside regional meetings / 20 participants per course
The DNSSEC Training Course is an introductory, hands-on course on DNSSEC. It covers basic DNS theory, public key encryption basics and guides the participants in securing their domain name servers and zones.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Four workshops held annually / 25 participants per workshop
As outlined in section 3.4, Government and LEA Liaison, the RIPE NCC plays an important role in engaging all Internet stakeholders to work towards a stable, secure and global Internet. The RIPE NCC supports these activities by delivering workshops to LEAs and other stakeholders.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Training Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Training |
7.9 |
1,019 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 180,000 average monthly visits
In 2014, the RIPE NCC focused on migrating RIPEstat backends from legacy and prototype systems to its consolidated data provisioning system, RIPEstat, which provides the data collected by many of the RIPE NCC's measurements systems, including RIPE Atlas and the Routing Information System (RIS). This migration greatly improved the consistency, stability and performance of RIPEstat while it will radically bring down the maintenance and expansion costs of the system for the coming years.
With this migration completed, in 2015 the focus will be on integrating different data sources in the RIPE NCC as well as data from third party data providers. RIPEstat will allow different target groups to get access to the information they need in the most useful format with the main focus on RIPE NCC members and small and medium-sized service providers, who form the majority of the membership and can get the most value from an open and public tool like RIPEstat.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will keep adding new datasets to RIPEstat, both from the RIPE NCC and relevant external parties. The main goal will be providing a meaningful and useful relation between available datasets and maximising the value of these combined visualisations for end users. The platform will also be the entry point for RIS data as well as combined visualisations of public RIPE Atlas data and data from other sources.
Using feedback from RIPEstat users, the RIPE NCC will continue to evaluate other tools and features that can be incorporated into RIPEstat to make the service more useful to members and the RIPE community.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
RIPEstat Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
RIPEstat |
5.8 |
641 |
8 |
Status: Decreasing
Measurable usage: Approximately 200 million measurement results per day and approximately 400,000 measurements performed in 2014; approximately 10,000 active probes forecast for 2015
At RIPE 61 in 2010, the RIPE NCC announced that it intended to start the RIPE Atlas measurement network and the RIPE NCC Executive Board later gave the project its approval. In the period since, the RIPE NCC has managed to build a leading Internet active measurement network that collects unique data, providing valuable live and historical information about the reliability of networks and the Internet's reachability and connectivity.
RIPE Atlas has proven to be a very useful measurement infrastructure used by operators and scientists to observe the Internet, track changes in networks and diagnose networking issues, among other things. The RIPE NCC has received very positive feedback on the value of RIPE Atlas from different groups, including RIPE NCC members, Internet Service Providers around the globe, press agencies, and researchers and scientists.
The RIPE NCC has already introduced features such as RIPE Atlas status checks, which integrate the power of the RIPE Atlas global network into end users' existing monitoring tools and infrastructure. This is an extremely valuable tool for service providers and the RIPE NCC will continue building tools and services aimed at providing direct value for our members and service providers in general. This will help to improve general stability and resiliency of the Internet by empowering service providers with unique tools to monitor global network behaviour and act proactively in case of issues.
RIPE Atlas currently allows users to run their own measurements that test reachability and round-trip times, traceroutes, DNS measurements and more – from thousands of vantage points around the globe. All measurements are aggregated and provide a big-picture view of the Internet available in several formats, including “traffic maps”.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to expand the RIPE Atlas infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of probes. The RIPE NCC plans to distribute no additional RIPE Atlas probes beyond keeping the network at the level of 10,000 active probes, but will pursue external funding and sponsorship. The RIPE NCC will work with parties interested in sponsoring this activity and will spend funds received from those parties towards expansion of the network. The experience gained by the RIPE NCC and the move to external funding of the service means that further efficiencies can be introduced while maintaining value for users.
The RIPE NCC will maintain a public roadmap for RIPE Atlas and will hold continued dialogue with the RIPE community, especially the RIPE MAT Working Group, on future developments and functionality.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Approximately 100 RIPE Atlas Anchors deployed by December 2014
RIPE Atlas anchors are essentially enhanced probes with far greater measurement capacity than regular RIPE Atlas probes. They have replaced the old Test Traffic Measurement (TTM) machines and basically provide two functions: they perform far more measurements than regular probes and act as stable, cooperating regional targets for measurements originating from probes throughout the RIPE Atlas network. This allows users to examine measurement traffic at both the source and the destination. RIPE Atlas anchors are hosted by interested organisations (mostly data centres and IXPs), which receive additional benefits for their contribution.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to deploy RIPE Atlas anchors in various partnering networks in order to provide a wider distribution of measurement targets. Hosting and the hardware for RIPE Atlas anchors is funded by interested parties, except for strategic locations where the RIPE NCC has direct interest in monitoring the network connectivity in a location such as those where we host essential equipment like resiliency servers or global K-root nodes.
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC operates globally distributed measurement networks for the purpose of collecting data on Internet infrastructure, usage and development.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue its work in cooperation with a range of stakeholders to unify, optimise and develop new interfaces for this data and continue to replace the end-of-service data collection hardware with a new hardware platform that is cheaper, easier to deploy and provides near real-time route updates to RIPE NCC backend infrastructure. Ultimately, the collection of these measurements will be incorporated into RIPE Atlas and the data will be accessible via RIPEstat as outlined in the sections above.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
RIPE Atlas Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
RIPE Atlas |
10.4 |
1,072 |
372 |
Status: Expanding
Measurable usage: 11,000 members; 1,680 membership applications; 25,000 member enquiries
The RIPE NCC manages the complete lifecycle of RIPE NCC memberships and of those wishing to avail of RIPE NCC Services (e.g., legacy resource holders). Support and advice is given throughout the contractual relationship, including queries from potential members, applications, administrative and contractual changes, billing enquiries and account closure.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC expects to see a further substantial increase in RIPE NCC members, leading to a greater number of applications and opportunities for support. Thanks to the focus on increasing efficiency, savings are expected to result in the absorption of the additional workload with less than one additional FTE.
New systems and processes will be introduced (for example, a new ticketing system and a remodeled process for contractual changes) that will lead to an improved customer experience in addition to gaining efficiency. Customer feedback will be sought, tracked and shared internally in order to remain aware of external perceptions and ahead of customer expectations.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ended
The RIPE NCC initially proposed discontinuing TTM at RIPE 64 in Ljubljana. After further consultation with the RIPE community, it was agreed that the RIPE NCC would continue to provide this service until the end of 2013.
The Test Traffic Measurements (TTM) service was ended on 1 July 2014 and the benefits of the service will be offered through RIPE Atlas in a more focused and up-to-date way.
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 8 contracts have been signed; 6 actual users of the service
The RIPE Database Proxy Service is for third parties who send queries to the RIPE Database on behalf of their clients. It ensures that the daily access limits for users of the RIPE Database are correctly applied. For example, if a third party provides their clients with a web-based gateway to the RIPE Database, the proxy service ensures that daily limits are calculated based on the clients' queries and avoids the possibility of the third party's server being denied access to the RIPE Database because of too many queries from its clients.
At the 87th Executive Board Meeting, held on 26 March 2013, the RIPE NCC Executive Board decided that the RIPE Database Proxy Service should be continued free of charge, for both members and non-members, under a formal contract with the users of the service.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 25 users of the NRTM service
The Near Real Time Mirroring (NRTM) service provides RIPE NCC members with a local copy of the RIPE Database. This local copy is kept up to date with modifications from the RIPE Database in near real time. The NRTM feeds do not contain any personal or private data.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
Status: Ongoing
At the IETF, a new Internet Draft for the allocation of LISP EID address prefixes has been submitted. LISP EID (Locator/Identifier Separation Protocol Endpoint ID) is a "map-and-encapsulate" protocol.
The basic idea behind the separation is that the Internet architecture combines two functions: routing locators (where a client is attached to the network) and identifiers (who the client is) in one number space, the IP address.
The IETF LISP Working Group has requested a trial period of three years for this protocol extension. During these three years, interested parties can request IPv6 address space from a specific designated experimental block. Management and registration of the allocation of temporary experimental address space for LISP EID is likely to be carried out via the RIRs.
If this proposed activity goes ahead, no additional resources will be needed to execute the LISP registry – the expected workload would be significantly less than 0.5 FTEs for 2015.
Other Services Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Other Services |
4.6 |
397 |
- |
Status: Expanding
The RIPE NCC provides DNS coordination and support activities as well as reverse DNS services for the IPv4 and IPv6 address space that it manages. For reverse DNS (rDNS) associated with the address space managed by other RIRs, the RIPE NCC provides secondary DNS services to support the reliability of reverse lookups. The scalability of the DNS infrastructure for primary, secondary and reverse DNS services is improved based on the requirements specific to each of these services.
In 2014, the RIPE NCC finished expanding its primary and secondary DNS services by adding a third cluster node in Stockholm, in addition to those currently located in Amsterdam and London, to improve resilience and geographical coverage.
K-root and other DNS service nodes will continue to be well maintained and, as a consequence, lifecycle upgrades and replacements are planned for 2015. The expansion of rDNS services to increase coverage is not planned for 2015.
Security-related aspects as well as global measurement and reporting on the RIPE NCC's DNS services are becoming increasingly important and will continue to be areas of focus in 2015.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: three reverse provisioning instances; approximately 5 billion reverse root queries daily
The RIPE NCC delegates reverse DNS zones for the address ranges that it manages. To support this service, it provides reliable, authoritative name servers and checks all zones under its responsibility to ensure that they are properly set up and functioning correctly.
As part of its DNSSEC deployment efforts, the RIPE NCC publishes signed zones and provides tools for users to secure delegations received from the RIPE NCC. In addition, the RIPE NCC shares experience by publishing operational white papers, documentation and software toolkits.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 76 TLDs hosted as secondary
The RIPE NCC offers a secondary name service to the other RIRs, along with some country code top-level domain (ccTLD) operators, who are in the start-up phase of their operations. The RIPE NCC no longer provides this service to well-established ccTLDs.
In 2014, the RIPE NCC approached the RIPE community for input on documenting the requirements and policies for providing such services. The community has provided feedback and the guidelines have been published. In 2015, RIPE NCC will follow those guidelines as the process for running this service.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 52 delegations in the ENUM (e164.arpa) zone
The Internet Architecture Board (IAB) has an agreement with the RIPE NCC under which the RIPE NCC provides technical operation of the e164.arpa domain. This domain implements support in the DNS for the ENUM protocol, which allows the mapping of telephone numbers to domain names in order to help facilitate services such as Voice over IP (VoIP).
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 17 K-root instances; approximately 2 billion queries daily
The RIPE NCC operates the K-root server through a set of globally distributed anycast clusters. Root name servers are a crucial part of the Internet DNS infrastructure. The RIPE NCC has operated the K-root server since 1997, when the first server was installed at the London Internet Exchange (LINX). The RIPE NCC has since deployed five global nodes of the K-root name server. Since 2003, the RIPE NCC has also been deploying anycast instances of the K-root server with local reachability. Currently there are 12 local nodes active.
The RIPE NCC collects and analyses data to evaluate the performance of the existing K-root anycast nodes and to determine if additional anycast nodes should be deployed. Global coverage and capacity of the existing K-root anycast instances is considered sufficient.
In 2014, the RIPE NCC designed a new architecture for the K-root platform, which greatly reduces deployment costs of new nodes. In 2015, there are plans to revise all of existing nodes, perform the necessary lifecycle replacements, and renew and unify our hosting requirements and contracts with current hosts. The RIPE NCC is also working closely with other RIRs in order to identify locations where it can benefit from a local K-root node and find possible hosts for the service.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
DNS and K-root Operations Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
DNS and K-root Operations |
3.1 |
413 |
128 |
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC has a long-standing tradition of providing the operator community with data analysis about the state of the Internet and providing new and innovative tools that help the community understand various aspects of routing, DNS, reachability and other topics.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will allocate more time to these scientific publications and analyses. It will also continue to develop prototype tools that, if they show enough operational value to the RIPE NCC membership and the community at large, can be evolved into future RIPE NCC services. The RIPE NCC will also aim to work with well-known publishing outfits to keep the technical community up to date with developments and changes in the global Internet infrastructure, such as the effects of natural disasters.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Data Analysis and Scientific Support Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Data Analysis and Scientific Support |
2.6 |
313 |
6 |
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 70 articles published in 2014; approximately 100,000 unique visitors
RIPE Labs is a platform for network operators, developers and industry experts to expose, test and discuss innovative Internet-related tools, ideas, analysis and statistics that can benefit members and the RIPE community. These ideas are being developed both within the RIPE NCC and the community at large.
The Statistics Dashboard has been one of the most popular pages on RIPE Labs. In 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to provide more statistics and work on the consistent look and feel of the graphs. The RIPE NCC will also continue to reach out to the wider community and to attract content from external sources such as researchers and operators and experts (e.g. security experts).
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
RIPE Labs Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
RIPE Labs |
1.5 |
247 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC engages strategically with governments, law enforcement agencies (LEAs) and inter-governmental organisations on behalf of its membership and community. This activity has grown steadily in importance, and this is reflected in the growth in the External Relations Department in recent years. The RIPE NCC is recognised as a leader and innovator in this area among its industry partners.
The RIPE NCC's liaison strategies in this area include:
The 2015 landscape will likely be dominated by issues and processes relating to the U.S. Government's transition out of an IANA stewardship role. However, it will also see significant high-level discussions relating to the results of the ITU 2014 Plenipotentiary Conference (which takes place in October 2014), the WSIS+10 events and processes, and preparations for a 2016 OECD Ministerial Meeting on Internet governance issues.
Over 2015, the RIPE NCC will continue to build on its current liaison strategies and explore new avenues to inform and engage public sector representatives. The RIPE NCC will also respond to RIPE community comments, and evolve new and improved strategies to inform the community of its External Relations activities and issues relevant to the community.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
External Relations Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
External Relations |
9.6 |
1,552 |
- |
Status: Expanding
The RIPE NCC supports the open, multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance by engaging with a broad range of stakeholder groups on behalf of the membership and for the good of the Internet community. Among the stakeholder groups that the RIPE NCC has developed relationships with are:
2015 will see further expansion of current initiatives to build develop these relationships, including:
The RIPE NCC is also committed to building on its outreach efforts to the core membership by supporting Network Operator Groups, Internet Exchange Points (IXs) and other forums in the service region through sponsorship and active participation.
Regional organisation and participation are crucial to successful community-driven, bottom-up policy development models, providing all stakeholders with the means to contribute and have their voice heard. The RIPE NCC has been very active in supporting the development of regional forums within its service region, including:
Over the past several years, and in line with the feedback received in the RIPE NCC Survey 2013, the RIPE NCC has been steadily increasing its outreach activities with a particular focus on the Russian and Middle East regions. Since 2012, this increase has been accompanied and facilitated by the addition of staff in regional offices in Dubai and Moscow. The External Relations team is now complete, with two staff in Amsterdam, two new staff members in Dubai and two staff in Moscow. These staff members, particularly in Dubai and Moscow, will strengthen the RIPE NCC's reach and influence with the technical community, public sector and business stakeholders in those regions.
In addition, the regional offices will be used to host staff from the Amsterdam office, building on the organisation's relationship with members and stakeholders across the service region.
Finally, the RIPE NCC will continue to build on work with industry partners, including ICANN and the Internet Society on various initiatives to build regional engagement with the Internet technical community.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Member Outreach Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Member Outreach |
4.1 |
1,267 |
- |
Status: Expanding
The RIPE NCC will continue to focus a great deal of its outreach efforts on IPv6 awareness-raising efforts across the full range of RIPE NCC stakeholder groups. This includes work to inform and educate governments, regulators and LEAs about IPv6 deployment, engagement with national forums and task forces, and meetings with LEAs around the world. The RIPE NCC will also continue to work closely with the OECD on IPv6-related activities conducted under the remit of that organisation.
While there will remain a strong focus on the technical and operational aspects of deploying IPv6, the RIPE NCC management has decided that additional efforts will be made to raise awareness of IPv6 among decision-makers. This will be supported by the IPv6 Program Manager, newly appointed from within the RIPE NCC, who will be able to dedicate efforts to IPv6 awareness-raising activities.
Specifically, these efforts will include:
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
i) RIPE NCC/MENOG IPv6 Roadshows
Status: Ongoing
The IPv6 Roadshow events are a joint initiative from the Middle East Network Operators Group (MENOG) and the RIPE NCC. They consist of three- or five-day events that provide hands-on training for network engineers involved in the operations of private and public sector networks.
In 2015, there will be around six IPv6 Roadshow events scheduled throughout the Middle East region. After a revision of all training material completed in 2014, the RIPE NCC will work with local partners, including governments, to initiate a train-the-trainer program to broaden the pool of Arabic-speaking trainers and increase the amount of capacity building resources in the region.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
ii) IPv6 Roadshow in CIS region
Status: Ongoing
Building on the success of the RIPE NCC/MENOG IPv6 Roadshows, these events will be further rolled out in 2015. Recognising the needs of operators in this region, the IPv6 Roadshow events will be delivered by Russian-speaking trainers. To enable this, the RIPE NCC is working together with regional communities such as ENOG to recruit potential trainers, who will be asked to participate in a Train-the-Trainer Program facilitated by the RIPE NCC. In 2015, these activities will continue and the RIPE NCC will be working on extending the pool of trainers and continue the efforts in providing them with updated training materials as well as additional resources that can help to increase the understanding or awareness of IPv6 deployment.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC supports IPv6 adoption by providing resources, measurements and analysis to its membership and the wider RIPE community. This activity includes maintenance of the IPv6ActNow.org website, the provision of IPv6-related statistics and the IPv6 RIPEness rating system, which measures and ranks the IPv6 preparedness of individual RIPE NCC members based on a number of specific indicators.
Recognising the advances being made in the deployment of IPv6 in several markets in the RIPE NCC service region, the RIPE NCC will continue working on including case studies and background information about successful IPv6 deployments on the IPv6ActNow.org website and RIPE Labs. In collaboration with local and regional communities the RIPE NCC will encourage and facilitate community members to share their operational experience with IPv6.
Monitoring and measuring the level of IPv6 deployment among members and Internet end users in general remains an important focal point. These measurements will provide an important basis to monitor progress as well as help the community to measure the quality of the IPv6-based communications. With significant advances in the deployment of IPv6 in several networks and markets, the RIPE NCC management has decided to put additional focus on providing statistics that can help the public sector to evaluate and identify successful programmes to incentivise IPv6 deployment.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
IPv6 Support Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
IPv6 Support |
1.6 |
161 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: 500+ attendees per meeting; 1,000+ remote participants
The RIPE NCC organises two five-day RIPE Meetings each year at various locations throughout its service region, trying to vary these geographically. RIPE Meetings bring together Internet Service Providers (ISPs), network operators and other interested parties from all over the world. The RIPE NCC provides all administrative, logistical and technical support.
The RIPE NCC expects that both RIPE Meetings in 2015 will receive attendance in excess of 600 people. For those that are unable to physically attend RIPE Meetings, state of the art webcasting services and live transcription will be made publicly available.
The RIPE NCC sends staff to RIPE Meetings who are available for face-to-face consultation about: Internet resource requests, the RIPE Database, billing queries, RIPE NCC training services, RIPE NCC tools and measurement services, RIPE Labs, and any other services that are made available to members or the wider community.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
RIPE Meetings Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
RIPE Meetings |
5.7 |
1,414 |
87 |
Status: Ongoing
Measurable usage: Thirteen policy proposals entered the Policy Development Process (PDP) in 2014. Four proposals from 2013 completed the PDP in 2014.
The RIPE NCC provides support to any and all stakeholders who wish to participate in formulating RIPE Policy or who wish to be part of the RIPE community. It supports the RIPE Policy Development Process (PDP) and offers assistance to the RIPE Working Groups and Working Group Chairs as required so that they are able to develop policy in a consensus-based, bottom-up manner. The RIPE NCC provides information and statistics to various working group mailing lists and creates impact analyses that highlight the expected outcome of RIPE Policy proposals to facilitate community discussion. The RIPE NCC also implements procedures as part of the RIPE Policy Development Process (PDP).
In recent years important stakeholders within the Internet community, both technical and non-technical, have shown an increased interest in the RIR system. The RIPE NCC plays an active role in promoting the bottom-up policy development process:
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will maintain its support for the RIPE Academic Cooperation Initiative (RACI), which aims to strengthen links between the RIPE community and the academic community. Launched in 2013, RACI gives top students an opportunity to present their Internet-related research at RIPE Meetings. The RIPE NCC will also continue to make heavily subsidised tickets available to any students who would like to attend RIPE Meetings.
The RIPE NCC maintains a number of high-volume external mailing lists. Traffic is closely monitored and efforts are made to support subscribers with problems and to control spam so the mailing lists can be easily and efficiently moderated without losing any End User functionality.
In 2014, the RIPE NCC started expanding its focus on increasing the level of participation in the PDP by facilitating accessibility, communication and information dissemination within the RIPE community. The initial strategic steps involved the adoption of new media, such as a Policy Development Office Twitter account.
Through Twitter, the Policy Development Office has been informing its numerous followers about new community policy proposals and discussions developing on the mailing lists. Due to the consistently growing Twitter views, currently an average of 1,000 views per tweet, and the enthusiastic feedback by members and representatives of the RIPE community for these advances in the Policy Development Process communication strategy, in 2015 the RIPE NCC will further focus on increasing accessibility to the Policy Development Process.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC plans to develop a pilot communication platform that will allow for better integration between different communication methods, such as forums and the existing mailing lists (which will remain the leading communication method), allowing for easier reading, searching and sharing. The focus will be on expanding participation in the RIPE PDP and reaching out to new audiences. The RIPE NCC will also investigate means of encouraging further engagement with the PDP via social media.
Benefits for RIPE NCC Members / RIPE Community:
RIPE Policy and Community Support Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
RIPE Policy and Community Support |
1.9 |
234 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC is strongly committed to maintaining close relationships with its industry partners, including the four other Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), ICANN, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the Internet Society (ISOC). As the global multi-stakeholder community prepares a plan for the transition of IANA stewardship away from the U.S. Government, these relationships will be more important than ever, ensuring effective coordination and information sharing.
The RIPE NCC supports ICANN, particularly in relation to the role in it has played as manager of the IANA functions and now as convener of the multi-stakeholder process to develop a transition plan. The RIPE NCC works with the IETF and the Internet Society to ensure implementation of agreed technical standards and coordination among those who support the global operation of the Internet. These organisations will also be key partners in the IANA discussions over 2015.
The RIPE NCC Management plans to build on the organisation's leadership position in this area through new and expanded cooperative engagement efforts, building on activities like the RIPE NCC Roundtable Meetings and coordination efforts between the so-called “I-star” organisations.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
ICANN/IANA/IETF/ISOC/RIRs Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
ICANN/IANA/IETF/ISOC/RIRs |
2.9 |
1,030 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
The IT activity at the RIPE NCC is a substantial enterprise that provides considerable support for all the internal and external services and activities provided by a Regional Internet Registry. This activity includes the operation of the internal network and system administration and engineering support for all related infrastructure (such as co-location facilities, archiving and storage and email delivery), front-line support for staff, and IT support and enhancement for all external services provided by the RIPE NCC. 24/7 IT support is provided for all the RIPE NCC's critical services.
The IT infrastructure at the RIPE NCC includes three co-locations as well as the set-up at the Amsterdam office, including data storage, desktop and laptop infrastructure, telephony and building access systems. The RIPE NCC also maintains the technical operations of the Number Resource Organisation (NRO) and the Address Supporting Organisation (ASO).
IT also includes the technical set-up for the twice-yearly RIPE Meetings at locations throughout the service region, as well as support during RIPE NCC Regional Meetings.
A key aspect for the IT service is the capacity planning with the continuous growth of data the RIPE NCC holds. The RIPE NCC has three co-location facilities and has one external “warm node” in Stockholm, Sweden to operate all RIPE NCC services. In 2015, the external “warm node” will be further expanded to be able to operate completely independent from the RIPE NCC infrastructure in the Netherlands.
Additional key areas will be automation improvements to the RIPE NCC's network infrastructure, a high availability virtual server environment and a focus on efficiency to facilitate service improvements.
The RIPE NCC monitors its critical services 24/7. This monitoring includes RIPE NCC websites, the RIPE Database, K-Root, DNS and reverse DNS, the LIR Portal and Resource Certification (RPKI). A technical emergency hotline is in place to ensure issues relating to RIPE NCC's critical services can be dealt with appropriately.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
IT Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
IT |
10.8 |
1,912 |
768 |
Status: Ongoing
Facilities include all of the rent, utilities, security, repair and maintenance costs for the RIPE NCC's building and equipment.
The RIPE NCC is continuously improving its facilities in order to provide a work environment that maximises the productivity of its employees. The RIPE NCC has reviewed its current location and is actively looking for a new office location to improve internal communication and employee productivity. In 2015, the RIPE NCC will conclude this project and will start re-locating to the new office space.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Facilities - Rent and Utilities Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Facilities - Rent and Utilities |
3.9 |
1,156 |
500 |
Status: Ongoing
The Management and HR activity at the RIPE NCC encompasses the Senior Management functions, including the Managing Director and the Chief Scientist. The Senior Management Team works closely with the RIPE NCC Executive Board to develop the strategy and vision of the organisation. The team also guides staff and actively steers the RIPE NCC in order to provide excellent services and coordination activities for the RIPE NCC membership and the wider Internet community. The Senior Management Team is supported by the Management Assistants at the RIPE NCC.
HR is responsible for the recruitment of well-qualified employees from throughout the RIPE NCC's service region and ensuring their effective integration into the RIPE NCC staff. HR is also responsible for staff training, salary administration and workplace health and safety.
The RIPE NCC continuously reviews its organisational structure to ensure it remains as efficient as possible. Management support is also provided to facilitate decision making through engagement with relevant third parties. A priority is placed on maintaining an effective, healthy, and skilled RIPE NCC staff.
In 2015, the RIPE NCC's HR activities will focus on automating its staff review process and dealing with legislative changes that will impact secondary benefits such as pensions. The RIPE NCC is also reviewing its Business Continuity Plan and improving its procedures for a more efficient recovery in the event of a disaster that affects its ability to operate – which requires regular scenario testing.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Management and HR Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Management and HR |
7.6 |
2,118 |
23 |
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC maintains high-quality administrative processes and is constantly looking to increase efficiency. Following from billing system changes made in 2014, in 2015 the RIPE NCC will continue work to improve its billing processes and facilities to offer enhanced payment options and other payment methods and minimise administrative overhead. Internally, the RIPE NCC will continue to enhance its financial and performance indicator reporting tools and improve the management of documents and processing of paperwork.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community
Finance and Administration Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Finance and Administration |
6.3 |
823 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC follows national and international legal developments and updates its internal activities accordingly. One of the key external developments that will require extensive legal review and input is the NTIA statement on the ICANN transition. The RIPE NCC also maintains an extensive legal governance framework, which consists of a range of corporate governance documents that sets out the standards and procedures for our internal and external operations.
The RIPE NCC focuses efforts on helping legislators and Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to understand how the self-governing mechanism of the RIPE community and the RIR system functions, and how they can participate. The RIPE NCC also provides legislators with technical knowledge to support the development of appropriate public policy.
2015 will see a growing internal demand for legal services to cooperate with the increasing complexity of tickets such as mergers, transfers and hijacking issues.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Status: Ongoing
In 2015, the RIPE NCC will have an increased focus on the security of the RIPE NCC's public and member services. For 2015, several extensive (external) audits are scheduled to review some of the main services such as the RIPE Database, Resource Certification (RPKI) and RIPE NCC Access.
Other activities will include outreach to the security community, including the TF-CSIRT and M3AAWG, and further development of the RIPE NCC's capabilities to respond quickly and efficiently to incidents.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Legal and Information Security Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Legal and Information Security |
1.8 |
237 |
- |
Status: Ongoing
The RIPE NCC supports twice-yearly RIPE NCC General Meetings (GMs). At these GMs, members vote annually on the RIPE NCC Financial Report and on the Charging Scheme for the following year. At GMs, members can also exercise their rights to vote in Executive Board elections and on resolutions, such as amendments to the RIPE NCC Articles of Association. In order to help ensure an informed membership at the GM, the RIPE NCC prepares various sets of documentation including a draft Activity Plan and Budget, a Charging Scheme and an Annual Report, which includes a summary of the RIPE NCC's financial status from year to year. The RIPE NCC provides remote participation facilities and electronic voting capabilities for those members who are unable to attend the GM in person but who wish to follow proceedings and vote in elections and on resolutions. Members attending the GM in person can also choose to vote electronically.
As set out in the Articles of Association, the RIPE NCC supports a neutral and objective arbitration panel that exists to resolve any disputes relating to its services and evaluate any resource requests made by the RIPE NCC. The arbiters are appointed by the RIPE NCC's Executive Board and approved by the RIPE NCC membership.
The RIPE NCC also facilitates multiple meetings for its Executive Board in the course of each year. These meetings deal with strategic and financial issues pertinent to the organisation as well as the RIPE NCC's relationship with industry partners. At these meetings, the RIPE NCC Executive Board incorporates feedback from the membership and the RIPE NCC Management into their discussion and final decision on the RIPE NCC's Activity Plan and Budget for the following year. The Executive Board also plays a crucial role in the RIPE NCC's outreach and member liaison activities. After every Executive Board meeting, the minutes of the meeting are published for the membership along with key outcomes.
The Executive Board and the RIPE NCC management are actively looking to engage with the membership regarding its activities and strive for the utmost transparency with regards to the management, services and strategies of the RIPE NCC.
The Executive Board proposal to increase the maximum number of board members was approved by the RIPE NCC membership at the General Meeting in Autumn 2013. The number of board members increased to six in 2014 and will further increase to seven in 2015.
Benefits for RIPE NCC members / RIPE community:
Organisational Activities (Executive Board, Arbitration Panel and General Meetings) Costs for 2015:
Activity |
FTEs |
Costs |
Capital Expenditure |
Organisational Activities (Executive Board, Arbitration Panel and General Meetings) |
2.1 |
350 |
- |
There may be activities that are entirely unforeseen at the time of writing the RIPE NCC Activity Plan and Budget 2015 or have started recently and are not at the stage where they can be estimated to have a material financial impact. A quick, well-focused reaction to the changing environment and new requirements of the RIPE NCC members and other stakeholders is always a goal of the RIPE NCC. In line with good corporate governance, any unforeseen activities that that arise are developed in close consultation with the RIPE NCC Executive Board, and when there is any material financial impact the Executive Board must approve the resulting action to be taken.
In kEUR |
Budget |
LE |
Budget |
Difference |
||
Income |
2015 |
2014 |
2014 |
15/14 |
15/B14 |
|
Member Fees |
17,840 |
17,200 |
17,168 |
640 |
672 |
|
Independent Resource Fees |
1,050 |
950 |
950 |
100 |
100 |
|
New Member Sign-up Fees |
2,500 |
2,800 |
2,100 |
(300) |
400 |
|
New Member Fees |
1,229 |
1,500 |
1,130 |
(271) |
99 |
|
Re-opening Fees |
200 |
200 |
50 |
- |
150 |
|
RIPE Meetings |
400 |
380 |
405 |
20 |
(5) |
|
Other Income |
50 |
185 |
150 |
(135) |
(100) |
|
Total Income |
23,269 |
23,215 |
21,953 |
54 |
1,316 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Expenditure |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Salary Wage Components |
8,723 |
8,600 |
8,702 |
123 |
21 |
|
Secondary Benefits |
1,784 |
1,900 |
1,812 |
(116) |
(28) |
|
Miscellaneous Personnel |
2,076 |
1,800 |
1,776 |
276 |
300 |
|
Subtotal Personnel |
12,583 |
12,300 |
12,290 |
283 |
293 |
|
Housing |
888 |
800 |
758 |
88 |
130 |
|
Office Costs |
1,872 |
1,500 |
1,854 |
372 |
18 |
|
External and Public Relations |
817 |
550 |
637 |
267 |
180 |
|
Contributions |
447 |
400 |
418 |
47 |
29 |
|
IT Infrastructure |
1,229 |
1,250 |
1,427 |
(21) |
(198) |
|
Travel |
1,210 |
1,200 |
1,151 |
10 |
59 |
|
Consultancy |
1,443 |
1,500 |
1,613 |
(57) |
(170) |
|
Bank Charges |
168 |
175 |
160 |
(7) |
8 |
|
Subtotal Operational Expenses |
20,657 |
19,675 |
20,308 |
982 |
349 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bad Debts |
200 |
150 |
150 |
50 |
50 |
|
Depreciation |
1,200 |
1,320 |
1,460 |
(120) |
(260) |
|
Subtotal Miscellaneous Expenses & Depreciation |
1,400 |
1,470 |
1,610 |
(70) |
(210) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Expenses |
22,057 |
21,145 |
21,918 |
912 |
139 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Result on Financial Assets |
350 |
500 |
450 |
(150) |
(100) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Surplus / Deficit |
1,562 |
2,570 |
485 |
(1,008) |
1,077 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Capital Expenditure |
2,172 |
1,050 |
1,702 |
1,122 |
471 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Number of FTEs |
136 |
138 |
136 |
(2) |
0 |
|
Income
Expenses
Result on Financial assets includes all interest received from investments, revaluations of investments and exchange rate differences of these investments.
The table below summarises the RIPE NCC's capital development. The capital consists of the RIPE NCC reserves, including the surplus/deficit for the year at issue.
Year |
Surplus/ Deficit |
Capital at 31 December |
Total Expenses Per Year |
% Capital of Expenses |
2010 |
714 |
18,123 |
16,561 |
109% |
2011 |
923 |
19,046 |
18,162 |
105% |
2012 |
2,358 |
21,403 |
18,441 |
116% |
2013 |
1,208 |
22,612 |
19,691 |
115% |
LE 2014 |
2,570 |
25,182 |
21,145 |
119% |
Budget 2015 |
1,562 |
26,744* |
22,057 |
121% |
*Note: the surplus is added to the Capital for comparison purposes. If in 2015 the surplus is redistributed to the membership, the % Capital of Expenses is estimated to be 114%.