Handle Generation

[ginny listman]

As a feature of the new database, organizations will have full control
over their network and AS names. Therefore, network and AS names no longer
need to be unique.  Also, it will be much easier for an organization to
change the network and AS names. For these reasons, we want to get away
from using the AS or network name to generate a unique handle.

All future ASes will have a handle in the format of AS## where ## will be
the autonomous system number. In the case of AS blocks, it will be the
first in the block of autonomous system numbers.

All future networks will have a handle of NET-##-##-##-##<-sequence> where
## represents each of the 4 octets for v4 networks or the 8 16-bit
hexadecimal pieces for v6 networks, of the first IP address.  For both v4
and v6 networks, the <sequence> will be applied only in the case of
duplicates, e.g., in the case of reassignments of the first portion of the
network.

To make the database more uniform and to completely disassociate handle
usage from network and AS names, we would also like to replace existing
handles with this new format. How many of you out there are attached to
the existing handles? Will changing existing handles be a benefit or a
hinderance?

Ginny Listman
Director of Engineering
ARIN