What most of this comes down to is what is a 'end site'. And
what is the appropreate size assignment for a 'end site'.
Currently ARIN policy defines end 'site' this way...
-=-=-=
6.2.9. End site
An end site is defined as an end user (subscriber)
who has a business relationship with a service provider that involves:
1. that service provider assigning address space to the end user
2. that service provider providing transit service for the end user to
other sites
3. that service provider carrying the end user's traffic.
4. that service provider advertising an aggregate prefix route that
contains the end user's assignment
-=-=-=
I have heard people desribe a end site as anything from a
business to a person. Which leaves alot of room for confusion
as to what is right. I beleive some people even consider that
possibly a phone or other device could be considered a 'end site'
and therefore deserving of a /48. The device getting a /48 seems
a bit extreme to me, but I think suggesting that a University the
size of UofM, MSU, WSU, etc... is only deserving of a /48 is also
a bit extreme.
The other deffintion of importance here is ISP/LIR... I think
one could easily argue that a university such as lets say Columbia
is a ISR. (Or maybe MSU, UofM, WSU, etc...) Columbia University
was indeed given a /32 by ARIN. I'm not sure how they justified this
this direct allocation from ARIN. However it clearly was done.
Anyway, back to my point... The bottom line seems to be how you define a
ISP and/or a End Site. Untill people can agree on these types of
diffintions, the current ARIN policy is very nebulous at best. This
type of discussion with regard to what size block should be assigne
or what number to use in a HD ratio calculation going to be nearly
impossible to come to consensus on.
For what it's worth, the 13 Universitys that are Members of Merit,
are not your typical 'customer' or even 'end site'. They are their
own unique institutions, that happen to more or less own Merit. This
relationship is not as simple as a customer/provider. Also, my own
comments on this, should not in anyway be taken to be as speaking
directly for any of Merit's member Universitys, they I'm sure have
their own opions.
Glenn Wiltse
On Fri, 13 May 2005, Stephen Sprunk wrote:
> Thus spake "Larry J. Blunk" <ljb at merit.edu>
> > I think there are other reasons for considering /56's. Consider,
> > for example, university dorms rooms. Should each of them get a
> > /48? The University of Michigan has 5793 dorms and 1483 family
> > housing apartments (ref --
> http://www.housing.umich.edu/general/factsheet.html).
> > You'd need a /35 at a minimum to give everyone a /48 and that
> > wouldn't leave much headroom or flexibility in addressing hierarchy.
> > Realistically, you probably want to assign a /32.
> >
> > Merit provides Internet access for 13 universities and the State
> > of Michigan. Based on the above considerations, we asked for a /28
> > from ARIN (enough for a /32 for each university and the state). Our
> > application was denied, and we only received a /32. What size prefix
> > should allocate to the universities (ARIN suggested a /40)? What
> > prefix size should we advise them to assign to dorm rooms?
>
> Based on a previous response to me, individual customers within a single
> building are apparently not considered "sites". Either way, I'd be
> assigning a /64 per dorm building or per floor -- not per room -- unless
> ARIN forced me to assign more. From there you can determine what each
> university needs (presumably a /48).
>
> Thanks for the info on your application being denied; it's useful to have
> real-world examples of policies' effects even if only anecdotal.
>
> S
>
> Stephen Sprunk "Those people who think they know everything
> CCIE #3723 are a great annoyance to those of us who do."
> K5SSS --Isaac Asimov
>
>
> !DSPAM:4284c08a21693848324722!
>
>