[address-policy-wg] Announcing address resources

On Jan 6, 2014, at 2:33 PM, Thomas Narten <narten at us.ibm.com> wrote:

> Hi John.
> 
> I've recently been asked some questions about IPv6 allocations. So I
> went back and reviewed the current ARIN NRPM.
> 
> John Curran <jcurran at arin.net> writes:
> 
>> Since we do have a service region, we require requesters to be operating in 
>> the ARIN region and to announce the least-specific in the region, but nothing 
>> precludes announcement of same or more specifics from outside the region.
>> <https://www.arin.net/participate/meetings/reports/ARIN_31/PDF/monday/nobile_policy.pdf>
> 
> FWIW, I couldn't find any mention of announcements in the NRPM, other
> than in the context of multihoming. So, where exactly does the above
> requirement about announcements come from?

As noted in the presentation, the current processes are result of ARIN's
mission to manage address space in the region and the current lack of a
clear definition in the number resource policy manual regarding how that 
should be interpreted with respect to out of region requestors.  

> Also, if one is required to announce the full prefix within ARIN,
> doesn't that imply one can't get an allocation for private use where
> there is no intention to announce publically?

We do approve requests for private use of IPv6, as long as it is routed
on private infrastructure in the region.

> Finally, there does not seem to be much clarity in the term "operating
> in the ARIN region". Consider a global entity that effectively
> operates in multiple, if not all regions. Let's assume their primary
> or legal home is within the ARIN region. Is that enough?

Yes, as long as they have legal presence and intend to use the allocation 
in the region, it's fine; the fact that some of it may be used outside the
region does not prevent allocation.

> Apparently not entirely. I've been told that when providing justification for
> obtaining IPv6 address space, ARIN only counts usage within the ARIN
> region. That implies multi-nationals are expected to go to multiple
> RIRs, and get fragmented address space, something I thought RIR
> addressing policies were supposed to discourage.

Correct, they can receive an IPv6 allocation, but it may be smaller 
than expected if they aren't going to route it all in the ARIN region.  
We consider global infrastructure and customers as long as a route 
covering the whole block originates somewhere within the ARIN region 
in any fashion - publicly, on an extranet, privately, etc.

Note that we actually discussed many of these issues with the ARIN 
community as a result of the presentation you referenced, and this 
led to Draft Policy ARIN-2013-6 "Allocation of IPv4 and IPv6 Address 
Space to Out-of-region Requestors" <https://www.arin.net/policy/proposals/2013_6.html>,
which was discussed at length and then abandoned.  Absent more specific 
guidance from the community either way on these sorts of issues, we 
continue to operate as described above.   If you are aware of anyone
who has had difficulty receiving an IPv6 allocation as a result, please 
feel free to direct them to me.

Thanks!
/John

John Curran
President and CEO
ARIN