[ipv6-wg at ripe.net] New IPv6 Address Block Allocated to RIPE NCC

Johan Ihren wrote:
> Kurt Erik Lindqvist <kurtis at kurtis.pp.se> writes:
> 
> 
>>>I guess if the RFC is there is because IANA requires it, so moving 
>>>this to historic will not work, instead updating it will do.
>>
>>Help me out here. Why would IANA require it? I don't remember there 
>>being an RFC telling IANA how to allocate other resources? What's so 
>>special about IPv6 addresses?
> 
> 
> The lesson learned here is that IANA allocation policy based on
> numbers specified in an RFC caused problems once. Then updating the
> RFC to get around the problem is broken. That's just pushing the
> problem out of sight with a clear promise of it coming back to bite us
> sometime in the future.
> 
> Moving the RFC to historic is one half of the solution. The other half
> is IANA standing on their own legs (together with the NRO) on these
> matters.

Thank you for including me in this discussion. Rather than attempting to
correct details of the history described in this thread (and which even
if I was right it wouldn't matter too much since they happened before I
took my current position in December of 2003) I would like to suggest a
way forward.

The current membership of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) has
expressed an interest in the direction in which IPv6 allocation policy
proceeds. ICANN thinks that this interest is perfectly reasonable, and
welcomes it, as well as their valuable insight on the relevant issues.

My position on this issue has been clearly stated on numerous occasions
going back to January of this year. It is not IANA's job to create
policy. We will however be glad to participate in a discussion that is
designed to lead to a policy, offering our unique perspective.

An excellent example of how this process probably should work is the
IPv4 global allocation policy that was developed in cooperation between
the RIRs and IANA back in July 2003.
http://www.ripe.net/ripe/draft-documents/iana-rir-allocation-policies.html
 That policy subsequently went through the policy fora in all 4 regions,
and is currently awaiting finalization through the ASO process.

A similar process needs to occur in relationship to IPv6 allocation
policy on a global level. ICANN and the IAB stand ready to enter into
such discussions, and eagerly await such an invitation from the RIRs.

Between now and the time that such a policy is created, IANA's position
is that it is not appropriate for us to attempt to be "creative" in this
area.

Doug

-- 
Doug Barton
General Manager, The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority