[arin-ppml] Request for Feedback: ARIN-2024-7 Addition of definitions for General and Special Purpose IP Addresses

[Martin Hannigan]

On Tue, Aug 20, 2024 at 2:07 PM Pellak, Kaitlyn via ARIN-PPML <
arin-ppml at arin.net> wrote:

> Hello PPML,
>
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> [ clip ]


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> *Problem Statement: *
>
>
>
> The Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) often treats general purpose and
> special purpose IP addresses differently. Unfortunately, we don’t have a
> convenient to use term to describe these categories, so policy often
> becomes either excessively wordy or does not correctly capture the intent.
> Examples of this can be found in section 4.1.8 of the NRPM, and in
> (currently pending) Draft Policies ARIN-2023-8 (where the fact that 4.4 and
> 4.10 space isn’t counted against an organization is repeated numerous
> times) and ARIN-2022-12 (where the text does not exclude 4.4 and 4.10
> allocations from being counted against an organization, but it is the
> intent that those allocations should be ignored). Additionally, temporary
> allocations under section 11 are rarely carved out, even when 4.4 and 4.10
> are, even though it is likely the policy’s intent that these too should be
> ignored.
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*Policy Statement:*
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>
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> Add the following definitions to Section 2
>
> Special Purpose IPv4 Address - An IPv4 address that the NRPM makes
> available for specific purposes including maintaining critical Internet
> infrastructure (Section 4.4), facilitating IPv6 deployment (Section 4.10),
> or temporarily for experimental purposes as approved by ARIN (Section 11).
>
> General Purpose IPv4 Address - Any IPv4 address issued by ARIN that is not
> issued solely for the purposes stated under Special Purpose IPv4 Addresses.
>
> Special Purpose IPv6 Address - An IPv6 address that the NRPM makes
> available for specific purposes such as maintaining critical Internet
> infrastructure (Section 6.10) or temporarily for experimental purposes as
> approved by ARIN (Section 11).
>
> General Purpose IPv6 Address - Any IPv6 address issued by ARIN that is not
> issued solely for the purposes stated under Special Purpose IPv6 Addresses.
>
>
>
RFC's use this term (special purpose) extensively and not just for defining
IANA actions. The NRPM uses the term "special use" once. 4.10 describes its
use clearly. I don't recall any discussion about the temporary use of
allocation for an experiment being considered a special use more than just
a way to lend someone an address block and get it back. I can see the value
of the uniqueness in not having a dedicated block (waste and data
confusion).

Adding "general purpose" seems to create vagueness and adding "special
purpose" undoubtedly creates a concern of a conflict with the IANA registry
IMHO if not now perhaps in the future. While the IANA doesn't have a
reservation on two words, it feels like a term of art to me and perhaps to
be avoided. I can't really think of another way to define this (or a reason
to?).


Not able to support.

Warm regards,

-M<
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