[arin-ppml] Update on 2009-3: Global Policy for the Allocation of IPv4 Blocks to RIRs

[Scott Leibrand]

All,

This is an update on the status of the Global Policy for the Allocation
of IPv4 Blocks to Regional Internet Registries, which is policy proposal
2009-3 here in the ARIN region. Please also see below for an updated
version of 2009-3.

At APNIC, the proposal (Proposal-069-v003) was adopted on 22 May 2009.

At AfriNIC, the proposal (Afpol-v4gb200903) was approved at their last
meeting, last call was completed on 6th June 2009, and the policy is
currently awaiting ratification.

At LACNIC, the proposal (LAC-2009-01 v2) has been approved and is in
Last Call until 27 July 2009:
http://lacnic.net/en/politicas/propuesta-politicas.html

At RIPE, the proposal (RIPE Policy Proposal 2009-01) is still under
discussion.

And here in the ARIN region, the proposal is also under discussion. In
addition, the ARIN AC just sent a revised version of the policy proposal
to ARIN for staff and legal review. This new version includes the
revised text I suggested to PPML on June 6, 2009 changing section A,
paragraph 2, and is included below.

Links to each RIR's proposal text, status pages, etc., can be found at
the bottom of:
http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-12may09-en.htm


The revised Policy statement here in the ARIN region reads:

This document describes the policy governing the allocation of IPv4
address space from the IANA to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs).
This document does not stipulate performance requirements in the
provision of services by IANA to an RIR in accordance with this policy.
Such requirements should be specified by appropriate agreements among
the RIRs and ICANN.

This policy is to be implemented in two phases.

A. Phase I: Recovery of IPv4 Address Space

Upon ratification of this policy by the ICANN Board of Directors the
IANA shall establish a mechanism to receive IPv4 address space which is
returned to it by the RIRs, and hold that address space in a 'recovered
IPv4 pool'.

Each RIR through their respective chosen policies and strategies may
recover IPv4 address space which is under their administration and
designate any such space for return to the IANA. Each RIR shall at
quarterly intervals return any such designated address space to the IANA
in aggregated blocks of /24 or larger, for inclusion in the recovered
IPv4 pool.

During Phase I, no allocations will be made from the recovered IPv4
pool. Return of recovered address space (as described above) will
continue throughout Phase II.

B. Phase II: Allocation of Recovered IPv4 address space by the IANA

Upon ratification of this policy by the ICANN Board of Directors and a
declaration by the IANA that its existing free pool of unallocated IPv4
address space is depleted; Global Addressing Policy ASO-001-2 (adopted
by ICANN Board 8 April 2005) is rescinded. IANA will then commence to
allocate the IPv4 address space from the recovered IPv4 pool.

1. The following definitions apply to this policy:

a. Recovered Address Space. Recovered address space is that address
space that is returned to an RIR as a result of any activity that seeks
to reclaim unused address space or is voluntarily returned to the RIR or
is reclaimed by the RIR as a result of legal action or abuse
determination. Recovered address space does not include that address
space that is reclaimed because of non-payment of contractual fees whose
reclamation date is less than 1 year at the time of the report.

b. IPv4 Address Holdings. IPv4 address holdings are all unallocated IPv4
address space held by an RIR to include recovered address space not yet
returned less that address space that is committed in accordance with
the RIR's reservation policy and practices.

c. Aggregated address blocks. Aggregated address blocks are contiguous
prefixes that can be aggregated on natural bit boundaries. 10.0.0.0/24
and 10.0.1.0/24 are two contiguous prefixes that can be combined to form
an aggregated address block. 10.0.0.0/24 and 10.0.1.0/25 are two
contiguous prefixes that cannot be combined on a natural bit boundary to
form an aggregated block.

d. Legacy address space. IPv4 address space allocated or assigned prior
to the creation of the RIR.

2. Allocation of IPv4 Address Space

a. For the purposes of this policy, an 'IPv4 allocation period' is
defined as a 6-month period following 1 March or 1 September in each year.

b. At the beginning of each IPv4 allocation period, the IANA will
determine the 'IPv4 allocation unit' for that period, as 1/10 of its
IPv4 address pool, rounded down to the next CIDR (power-of-2) boundary.
The minimum 'IPv4 allocation unit' size will be a /24.

c. In each allocation period, each RIR may issue one IPv4 request to the
IANA. Providing that the RIR satisfies the allocation criteria described
in paragraph B.2, the IANA will allocate a single allocation unit,
composed of the smallest possible number of blocks available in its IPv4
address pool.

3. IPv4 Address Space Allocation Criteria

A RIR is eligible to receive additional IPv4 address space from the IANA
when the total of its IPv4 address holdings is less than 50% of the
current IPv4 allocation unit, and providing that it has not already
received an IPv4 allocation from the IANA during the current IPv4
allocation period.

4. Initial Allocation of IPv4 Address Space

Each new RIR shall, at the moment of recognition, be allocated one (1)
allocation unit by the IANA. If an allocation unit is not available,
then the IANA will issue this block as soon as one is available. This
allocation will be made regardless of the newly formed RIR's projected
utilization figures and shall be independent of the IPv4 address space
that may have been transferred to the new RIR by the already existing
RIRs as part of the formal transition process.

5. Reporting

a. All returned space is to be recorded in an IANA-published log of IPv4
address space transactions, with each log entry detailing the returned
address block, the date of the return, and the returning RIR.

b. All allocated space is also to be recorded in this IANA-published log
of IPv4 address space transactions, with each log entry detailing the
address blocks, the date of the allocation and the recipient RIR.

c. The IANA will maintain a public registry of the current disposition
of all IPv4 address space, detailing all reservations and current
allocations and current IANA-held address space that is unallocated.

d) The IANA may make public announcements of IPv4 address block
transactions that occur under this policy. The IANA will make
appropriate modifications to the "Internet Protocol V4 Address Space"
page of the IANA website and may make announcements to its own
appropriate announcement lists. The IANA announcements will be limited
to which address ranges, the time of allocation and to which Registry
they have been allocated.


Rationale:

This is version 3 of the policy proposal. It is the form that reached
consensus following community discussion at the APNIC 27 Policy SIG on
Thursday 26 February 2008 and endorsement at the APNIC Member Meeting
(AMM) on Friday 27 February 2008. With the depletion of the IANA free
pool of IPv4 address space, the current policy regarding the allocation
of IPv4 address space to the RIRs will become obsolete. The RIRs may,
according to their individual policies and procedures, recover IPv4
address space. This policy provides a mechanism for the RIRs to retro
allocate the recovered IPv4 address space to the IANA and provides the
IANA the policy by which it can allocate it back to the RIRs on a needs
basis. This policy creates a new global pool of IPv4 address space that
can be allocated where it is needed on a global basis without a transfer
of address space between the RIRs.

Specifically this revision does the following:

a. Adds the definition of "aggregated block" as paragraph 1.3.

b. Adds to paragraph 2.b the minimum allocation size which can be
allocated by IANA.

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Below are 3 exemplar scenarios of the execution of this policy after
Phase II is in force. These are not part of the rationale but are
provided for illustrative purposes.

Example 1:


On 1 March 2020, IANA has the equivalent of a /17 (32,768 addresses)
worth of IPv4 addresses.

1. IANA calculates that 1/10 of this space is 3,276 addresses.

2. IANA rounds this down to the next bit boundary, which creates a
minimum allocation size of /21 (2,048 addresses).

3. Each RIR can request and receive a single allocation unit equivalent
to a /21 worth of addresses.

4. While IANA may not be able to allocate a contiguous /21 and can
allocate noncontiguous smaller blocks equivalent to a /21 worth of
addresses.

Example 2:

On 1 March 2020, IANA has the equivalent of a /20 (4,096 addresses)
worth of IPv4 addresses.

1. IANA calculates that 1/10 of this space is 409 addresses.

2. IANA rounds this down to the next bit boundary, which creates a
minimum allocation size of /24 (256 addresses).

3. Each RIR can request and receive a single allocation unit equivalent
to a /24 worth of addresses.

4. As the minimum size of address space returned to IANA is /24, IANA
can allocate a contiguous range of addresses that amount to a /24.

Example 3:

On 1 March 2020, IANA has the equivalent of a /21 (2,048 addresses)
worth of IPv4 addresses.

1. IANA calculates that 1/10 of this space is 204 addresses.

2. IANA rounds this down to the next bit boundary, which creates a
minimum allocation size of /25 (128 addresses).

3. A /25 is smaller than the minimum permissible allocation size under
this policy. A /25 is smaller than the minimum permissible allocation
size under this policy. Therefore, IANA is unable to make an allocation
until more address space is received.

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-Scott