[arin-ppml] IPv6 Non-connected networks

[Stephen Sprunk]

On 19 Mar 2010 10:58, michael.dillon at bt.com wrote:
>>> As for whois, none of these numbers would be recorded in the RIR whois directories. However, each RIR should operate an instance of the ULA-C directory lookup tool which will query single /48 blocks from the allocation tool's database.  This should not pose any serious problems to
>> Are you saying that when I do a whois on this ULA-C, that the 
>> server will go do that query for me?
> Nope. When you do a whois on a ULA-C address, the server will
> send back something like this:
>
> Comment:    These addresses are ULA-C addresses as defined in RFC 7777.
> Comment:    These addresses are not intended for use on the public
> Comment:    Internet and are not recorded in ARIN's whois directory.
> Comment:    However you can query the ULA-C database at
> http://ula.arin.net
>   

So, rather than putting them in WHOIS, which is supposed to be
comprehensive, now the RIRs are going to have to operate a _second_
directory service which duplicates WHOIS's functionality but contains a
different subset of records?  That seems like a waste of time, effort,
and money, since it doesn't really accomplish _anything_.

If RIRs list ULA-C assignments in _any_ publicly-accessible database,
customers can go to their ISP and say "My number is in $RIR's database,
so you have to route it for me!"  That is not good, because _many_ ISPs
will listen to such arguments, and in a decade or less there will be no
meaningful difference between the routability of ULA-Cs and GUAs.

ULAs are _local_, i.e. not meant to be seen on the Internet.  If
individual orgs want to know which of their non-Internet peers is using,
they can establish that via standard contractual means--or demand that
their peers get GUAs.

> Comment:    Note that ULA-C addresses are assigned randomly. There is
> Comment:    no need to check a specific address for availability and
> Comment:    ARIN can *NOT* accomodate any requests for a specific block.
>   

I don't see any point in including this information in WHOIS, nor is it
all that different from how any other addresses are assigned by ARIN.

> Comment:    More information is available at http://ula.arin.net
> Comment:    and at http://www.cymru.com/Bogons/ipv6.txt
>   

That'd be fine, except I don't approve of ARIN linking to external sites
that are not officially part of the Internet governance community.  The
Cymru folks do good work, but official they are not.

I still object to a ULA-C block in general, for a variety of reasons; my
comments here are just to make sure that if we go down that path, we do
it in the least-broken way possible.

S

-- 
Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking


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