IPv6 assignments to DNS root servers in the RIPE region

Hi Joao, and other engineers,

When deploying a set of root DNS servers, I think it is a good idea to
allocate some chunk of space (say a /32 or /31) and assign each nameserver 
that we use in the RIPE region one aggregatable /35. The other RIRs can
do the same thing resulting in 24 to 48 TLAs which we can then stick
onto root nameservers.

If one company/AS hosts the nameserver, it starts announcing that space
to the world. If it then stops running the nameserver, the whole TLA can
be handed over to the next company/AS who is up to the task. Doing this
will not at all mean 'renumbering' as somebody mentioned, if we can
decide on a standard numberplan for these special TLAs.

We are not wasting space all of a suddon, if we do this. Huitema and
Durand have estimated that we have lots and lots of space if we deploy
sites with /48 and TLAs with /35.

However, recently at the AMS-IX noc, I talked to some engineers who
explained to me that they themselves have a /48 to announce with AS1200.
This of course will not be reachable anywhere else than AS1200's direct
peers. 

This is why I would like to start a discussion on some 'special TLA' in
which we allow up to /48 to pass unfiltered. This way, we can organise
our nameservers within one /32, and our IX:en (2001:7f8::/32) in another
and let those be in the DFZ with prefixlen <= 48.

I don't really understand (yet) the fuss on Joao's proposal.

groet,
Pim

On Mon, Apr 22, 2002 at 02:41:54PM +0200, Joao Luis Silva Damas wrote:
| Dear all,
| 
| below find a proposal for a policy enabling the assignment of blocks of IPv6 addresses to Internet DNS root servers in the RIPE region.
| 
| I would like to use the opportunity to request from the chairman of the LIR WG to include this point for discussion in the WG meeting next week. Of course, discussion in the mailing list is welcome.
| 
| Best regards,
| Joao Damas
| RIPE NCC
| 
| 
| ****************
| 
| This proposal requests the adoption of a special IPv6 assignment policy
| for Internet DNS root servers. It does not apply to any other
| infrastructure.
| 
| Specifically, this is not a request for a generic "special
| infrastructure" IPv6 assignment policy.
| 
| ---
| 
| IPv6 address assignments to Internet DNS root servers in the RIPE
| region
| 
| 
| Internet DNS root servers are particularly critical elements of the
| Internet's infrastructure. They need to be operated in a neutral and
| professional manner which will not impose any artificial or unnecessary
| barriers for access to their designated services.
| 
| DNS resolvers and resolving name servers need to be pre-configured with
| the network addresses of the root name servers. This makes these
| addresses special and not easy to change. Hence this special policy.
| 
| Under this policy, each (current or future) Internet DNS root server
| (as listed in the root-servers.net zone) in the RIPE region will be
| assigned a block of IPv6 address space for purposes of root server
| operations. The size of the block shall be the same as the size of the
| minimum allocation to LIRs valid at the time of the root server
| assignment.
| 
| The assigned prefix is only for root server operations and support
| functions related directly to the operations, such as monitoring,
| statistics, etc., and is bound to the root server service itself.
| 
| It is not associated with the organization/s that operate the root
| server at a particular point in time and these organizations should not
| use the address space to provide any services not related to the root
| server.
| 
| Should the operational responsibility for a DNS root server move to a
| new organization, the IPv6 address space associated with the server
| will also move to the new organization. The old and the new
| organizations must update the registration information with the RIPE
| NCC. If the new location of the root name server is outside the RIPE
| region, the address space must be returned to the RIPE NCC and a new
| assignment must be requested from the appropriate RIR.
| 
| If a root server stops operating within the RIPE region, the address
| space will be returned to the RIPE NCC and marked as "reserved" for a
| suitably long period of time.
| 
| *******************

-- 
---------- - -    - - -+- - -    - - ----------
Pim van Pelt                 Email: pim at ipng.nl
http://www.ipng.nl/             IPv6 Deployment
-----------------------------------------------