Revert “Run Out Fairly” after IPv4 depletion

This proposal reverts the changes made by 2009-03 "Run Out Fairly".

Summary of Proposal

This proposal reverts the changes made by 2009-03 "Run Out Fairly".

Policy Text

a. Current policy text

[Following text is to be modified in the RIPE Policy Document “IPv4 Address Allocation and Assignment Policy for the RIPE NCC Service Region” , if the proposal reaches consensus.]

5.0 Policies and Guidelines for Allocations

An allocation is a block of IPv4 addresses from which assignments are taken.

The RIPE NCC allocates enough address space to LIRs to meet their needs for a period of up to 12 months.

Starting on 1 July 2010, a gradual reduction in the allocation period will be applied as follows:

As of 1 July 2010, the RIPE NCC will start allocating enough address space to LIRs to meet their needs for a period of up to nine months.

As of 1 January 2011, the RIPE NCC will start allocating enough address space to LIRs to meet their needs for a period of up to six months.

As of 1 July 2011, the RIPE NCC will start allocating enough address space to LIRs to meet their needs for a period of up to three months.

All LIRs receiving address space from the RIPE NCC must adopt a set of policies that are consistent with the policies formulated by the RIPE community and described in this document.

[…]

6.0 Policies and Guidelines for Assignments

Conservation and aggregation are often conflicting goals. When the Internet Registry System goals are in conflict with the interests of individual End Users or service providers, careful analysis and judgement is necessary to find an appropriate compromise. The rules and guidelines in this document are intended to help LIRs and End Users in their search for equitable compromises.

The End Users must be assigned with enough address space to meet their needs for a period of up to 12 months.

Starting on 1 July 2010, a gradual reduction in the assignment period will be applied as follows:

As of 1 July 2010, the RIPE NCC or the LIRs will start assigning enough address space to End Users to meet their needs for a period of up to nine months.

As of 1 January 2011, the RIPE NCC or the LIRs will start assigning enough address space to End Users to meet their needs for a period of up to six months.

As of 1 July 2011, the RIPE NCC or the LIRs will start assigning enough address space to End Users to meet their needs for a period of up to three months.

Please note that LIRs must request approval from the RIPE NCC for assignments that are larger than the LIR's AW (Section 7.0). LIRs are always welcome to approach the RIPE NCC for a second opinion on requests even if they fall within the LIR's AW.

[…]

6.3 Utilisation Rates

The utilisation rate of an assignment must be such that at least 50% of the total space shall have been utilised halfway through the assignment period applied at the time of the assignment.

Assignments may only be based on realistic expectations recorded in the documentation.

b. New policy text

[Following text will replace sections 5.0, 6.0, 6.3 in the RIPE Policy Document  “IPv4 Address Allocation and Assignment Policy for the RIPE NCC Service Region”, if the proposal reaches consensus.]

5.0 Policies and Guidelines for Allocations

An allocation is a block of IPv4 addresses from which assignments are taken.

The RIPE NCC allocates enough address space to LIRs to meet their needs for a period of up to 12 months.

All LIRs receiving address space from the RIPE NCC must adopt a set of policies that are consistent with the policies formulated by the RIPE community and described in this document.

[…]

6.0 Policies and Guidelines for Assignments

Conservation and aggregation are often conflicting goals. When the Internet Registry System goals are in conflict with the interests of individual End Users or service providers, careful analysis and judgement is necessary to find an appropriate compromise. The rules and guidelines in this document are intended to help LIRs and End Users in their search for equitable compromises.

Please note that LIRs must request approval from the RIPE NCC for assignments that are larger than the LIR's AW (Section 7.0). LIRs are always welcome to approach the RIPE NCC for a second opinion on requests even if they fall within the LIR's AW.

[…]

6.3 Utilisation Rates

Assignments’ immediate utilisation should be at least 25% of the assigned space. After one year, this should be at least 50% of the space unless special circumstances are defined.

Assignments may only be based on realistic expectations recorded in the documentation.

Rationale

a. Arguments supporting the proposal

1. The purpose of the proposal 2009-03 was to increase fairness in allocation and assignments in the period leading up to the depletion of the NCC's pool of available IPv4 resources. When 2010-02 came into effect, this became no longer necessary, as 2012-02 implements "fairness" on its own in a different way.
2. The current assignment/allocation period of three months is very short, shorter than the lifetime of many IT projects. Reverting to the pre-2009-03 assignment/allocation periods allows LIRs and End Users to perform more long-term planning.
3. Short allocation/assignment periods are likely to cause a higher number of individual delegations as LIRs and End Users must acquire space more frequently than they had to before 2009-03. This in turn causes routing table growth and increased administrative workload. Reverting 2009-03 will likely reduce this problem.

b. Arguments opposing the proposal

The text "The RIPE NCC allocates enough address space to LIRs to meet their needs for a period of up to 12 months" may not be appropriate post-2010-02, as the only allocation from the NCC is a /22, regardless of need. (However, it is no less appropriate than the current text.) Adjusting the text to take 2010-02 into account instead of simply reverting it may be desirable - seeking WG feedback on this point. However, note that section 5. "Transfers of Allocations" indirectly refers to the allocation period determined by this text.

Note: In order to provide additional information related to the proposal, details of an impact analysis carried out by the RIPE NCC are documented below. The projections presented in this analysis are based on existing data and should be viewed only as an indication of the possible impact that the policy might have if the proposal is accepted and implemented.

A. RIPE NCC's Understanding of the Proposed Policy

This proposal intends to undo the policy changes made by 2009-03 "Run Out Fairly". The allocation and assignment periods will no longer be three months. Said periods will become:

- For allocation: 12 months

- For assignments: 24 months.

B. Impact of Policy on Registry and Addressing System

Address/Internet Number Resource Consumption:

After analysing the data that is currently available, the RIPE NCC does not deem the analysis of consumption applicable anymore.

Fragmentation/Aggregation:

After analysing the data that is currently available, the RIPE NCC does not anticipate that any significant impact will be caused if this proposal is implemented.

C. Impact of Policy on RIPE NCC Operations/Services

Registration Services Department:

This proposal aims to undo the changes made by 2009-03 "Run Out Fairly". The allocation and assignment periods differed from each other before the implementation of 2009-03. This difference created some difficulties and confusion in the IPv4 request evaluation process. Consequences of the “Run Out Fairly” policy not only included a gradual reduction of allocation and assignment periods, it also made the allocation and assignment periods equal again. This proposal would revert the assignment and allocation periods back to the complex situation in place prior to 2009-03.

Billing/Finance Department:

After analysing the data that is currently available, the RIPE NCC does not anticipate that any significant impact will be caused if this proposal is implemented.

RIPE Database:

After analysing the data that is currently available, the RIPE NCC does not anticipate that any significant impact will be caused if this proposal is implemented.

RIPE NCC Executive Board:

After analysing the data that is currently available, the RIPE NCC Executive Board acknowledges the observation made by the Registration Services Department. Although no extra operational costs are foreseen, the Board would like to emphasise the importance of the RIPE community's awareness of this policy change.

D. Legal Impact of Policy

After analysing the data that is currently available, the RIPE NCC does not anticipate that any significant impact will be caused if this proposal is implemented.