[arin-ppml] Policy Proposal (Global): Allocation of IPv4 Blocks to Regional Internet Registries - Revised

[Owen DeLong]

On Mar 10, 2009, at 6:14 PM, John Santos wrote:

>
> Maybe I just didn't read this closely enough, but I don't see where it
> actually *requires* an RIR to return returned address space to the  
> IANA.
>
In the description of phase one, it's pretty clear that the intent is  
that RIRs
do not reissue returned blocks and instead shall pass them back to the
IANA.

> As far as I can tell, every 6 months, an RIR returns *surplus* address
> space (presumably acquired from returned V4 blocks) to IANA which can
> then be delegated to other RIRs.  There didn't seem to be any criteria
> for determining what's "surplus".  Does the RIR just decide it now has
> more than it will need in the forseeable future and elect to return it
> so other RIRs can use it?  Is there no mechanism currently in place to
> do that?  Is the idea here just that after widespread IPv6 adoption,
> lots of v4 space will get returned, mostly to ARIN since ARIN has the
> most space, and there may still be pent up demand for it in other
> regions.  For example, a lot of poorer countries may be adopting
> internets based on old, obsolete tech that they can acquire cheap on
> the used market, but doesn't do IPv6.  This would give them a
> mechanism to acquire abandoned v4 addresses (indirectly) from ARIN.
>
Nope... Every 6 months, an RIR returns all reclaimed address space
is how I read the policy.

> If this is *all* this policy is intended to accomplish, then fine.
> If an RIR is *required* to return returned addresses to IANA despite
> ongoing need within that RIR, then this is just busy work, since  
> they'll
> immediately have to turn around and get more, probably different
> addresses back from IANA and causing bureaucratic delays and routing
> churn, since the addresses will go right back to the RIRs with the
> most demand.
>
Except it limits what they can get back from IANA to one allocation unit
per 6 month cycle regardless of how much more they need.

Owen