[arin-ppml] IPv6 Non-connected networks

[Owen DeLong]

On Feb 4, 2010, at 3:30 AM, Michael Richardson wrote:

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>>>>>> "David" == David Farmer <farmer at umn.edu> writes:
>    David> At the Dearborn meeting I heard a lot of people say that ARIN
>    David> shouldn't dictate routing policy.  I personally would find it
>    David> hard to reconcile that stance with the idea of ARIN assigning
>    David> non-connected /48s from a separate block. At least without an
>    David> RFC defining centrally assignable ULA addressing, then ARIN
>    David> would not be defining it, the IETF would be, ARIN would only
>    David> be implementing something defined by the IETF.
> 
> I don't understand your view here.
> 
> ARIN does define routing policy right now --- if you ask ARIN for
> address space, you get routable address space, and ARIN defines the
> policy by which you can get it.  There is presently only one question I
> can ask, and one set of criteria I can satisfy.  If I satisfy the
> criteria I get one thing: routable address space.
> 
No. If you get space from ARIN now, it is up to the ISPs whether or not
they will accept the route for it or not.  For example, Verizon is currently
rejecting all IPv6 /48 routes.  Whether or not that is a good decision on
their part has nothing to do with ARIN policy.

There is nothing in ARIN policy that guarantees you can  route any
address or prefix issued by ARIN or that any ISP has to agree to route
any address or prefix issued by ARIN. Each ISP can choose to set
whatever routing policy they wish completely independent of ARIN
address registration policy.

ARIN guarantees uniqueness among a cooperating set of registration
services (the RIR system, IANA, and ICANN).

Routing is up to people who actually run routers.

The internet works because a substantial portion of the people who
run routers choose to route prefixes issued by ARIN amongst themselves
and each other. However, nothing other than good will and the desire
for a functioning system prevents any of them from choosing a completely
independent set of registries for a completely separate namespace of
similar-looking IP addresses. Nothing forces any of them to route
any particular prefix issued by ARIN or even any set or subset of
prefixes issued by ARIN.

Owen