[ppml] Allocation and reallocation

[Michael.Dillon at radianz.com]

>I have a number of ASSIGNMENTS which I fully expect are mine to take with
>me when I switch providers.

OK, this characteristic could be called portability and is distinct from
the ability to subdivide the space that you have been issued. In another
context I would make a distinction between borrowed space which has to
be returned and space that is issued in perpetuity. However that last
term doesn't work here because space is not owned, it is issued based
on the need to use IPv4 and presumably, the grant expires when your need
for IPv4 goes away.

>RIRs issue PI space.  LIRs issue PA space.  [LR]IRs issue allocations to
>entities which will divide that space up for customer use.  [LR]IRs issue
>assignments to entities which will use that space for their own purposes.

I'm really trying to avoid the terms PI and PA because I don't believe
that ARIN and RIPE define these terms the same way. In addition, they
are also too darn similar, i.e. two letter abbreviation starting with P.

You'll also note that I am trying to vary the terminology that I use, i.e. 
I mentioned "space that
you have been issued" and "the grant expires". I'm doing this on purpose 
because once
we find the essential distinctions, we will be able to do this and still 
avoid confusion. That's
because we won't be overloading the allocate/assign/register/issue terms 
with special meanings.
Instead we will directly say things like portable divisible blocks and the 
meaning will be clear.

--Michael Dillon