[arin-ppml] Ending point to point links as a justification for a /30?

[michael.dillon at bt.com]

> Express a 128 bit number in 32 bits such that all possible 128 bit
> values
> are uniquely expressed in the 32 bit field.

This problem was solved a long, long time ago at least as early as
1930 when BAUDOT code was enhanced by the ITU's predecessor to become
International Telegraphy Alphabet No. 2. 

A more modern example is the Unicode encoding known as UTF-8 where
escape codes followed by multiple bytes are used to represent codes
which would not otherwise fit into an 8-bit byte.

An IPv4 extension might take over the class E address space (E for
Escape and Encapsulation) to use as Escape and Encap addresses for
addressing portions of the extended 64-bit IPv4 address range that
are not accessible with straight 32-bit addresses. Or you could
call it IPv7 or IPv11 or whatever. It could easily be made to
interwork with the normal IPv4 Internet as long as class E addresses
were handled normally by all devices. The traffic coming from
class E space would actually be from 64-bit address sites that
were using middleboxes in the class E space as Escape and Encap
gateways. 

This would make an interesting project for an undergraduate network
engineering class to build a proof of concept, but I don't think
it would ever displace IPv6 even the teeniest little bit.

> If you solve this problem, please contact me, I'm sure we can make
> money
> from your solution.

People make money by selling the Brooklyn Bridge, but that doesn't mean
it is a good thing to get involved in.

I really would like to see people begin to work on an IPv6 replacement
because we now know that it takes almost a generation for an Internet
protocol replacement to get off the ground. If you are fresh out of 
college, intelligent, and working close enough to the network operations
area over the next 5 years or so to see what kind of issues come up and
get solved then you have a chance of making a new proposal that is workable.
If you are 22 years old, and write your RFCs when your idea is ready at
age 27, then you could see the protocol ready for live deployment by
age 37. Give it another 10 years of practical experience to work out
the rough edges, and by age 47 you may see it being adopted as a
replacement for IPv6 in some networks that have limited Internet
connectivity like MILNET. Spend another 20 years evangelizing it
and by age 67, you might see it adopted by the public Internet, or
at least a firm plan of transition being adopted.

Probably not worth talking about this seriously for another 5 years
though.

--Michael Dillon