2004-8 Previous Version(s) [Archived]

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View the current policy proposal text.

The following version was archived on April 15, 2005.

Policy statement

This document describes the policy governing the allocation of IPv6 address space from the IANA to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). This document does not stipulate performance requirements in the provision of services by IANA to an RIR in accordance with the policy. Such requirements should be specified by appropriate agreements among the RIRs and ICANN.

  1. Allocation principles
  • The minimum and initial IPv6 allocation from IANA to an RIR in a /12;
  • The IANA will allocate sufficient IPv6 address space to each RIR to support its registration needs for at least a 18 month period;
  • The IANA will allow each RIR to apply its own respective chosen allocation and reservation strategies in order to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of its work.
  1. Initial allocations

On inception of this policy, each current RIR shall be allocated a new /12 by the IANA. Also, a new RIR shall, on recognition by ICANN, be allocated a new /12 by the IANA.

  1. Additional allocations

3.1 Eligibility for additional allocations

A RIR is eligible to receive additional IPv6 address space from the IANA when it has utilized (allocated or reserved) more than 50% of its total IPv6 address space holdings.

3.2 Size of additional allocations

Each additional allocation to an RIR will be a number (one or more) of /12 blocks, sufficient to ensure that the RIR holds at least 18 months’ supply of IPv6 address space.

  1. Announcement of IANA allocations to the RIRs

When address space is allocated to a RIR, the IANA will send a detailed announcement to the receiving RIR. The IANA will also make announcements to all other RIRs, informing them of the recent allocation. The RIRs will coordinate announcements to their respective membership lists and any other lists they deem necessary.

The IANA will make appropriate modifications to the “Internet Protocol V6 Address Space” page of the IANA website and may make announcements to its own appropriate announcement lists. The IANA announcements will be limited to which address ranges, the time of allocation and to which Registry they have been allocated.

Policy statement

  1. Minimum Allocation Size.

The minimum size of any allocation of IPv6 address space from IANA to an RIR is prefix length /12. If this address space is not sufficient to meet the needs of an RIR for a projected 18 month period, IANA shall allocate to that RIR the address space for which it can provide justification.

  1. Reservation of Unicast Address space.

2.1 IANA. By RFC 3513 the IANA has been allocated the range of IPv6 addresses beginning at binary value 001 (prefix length /3) for its allocations of unicast address space. In order to support regional aggregation of IPv6 address space IANA shall establish a reservation of a prefix length of /6 from this space for each established RIR and for each emerging RIR. Allocations to each RIR will be from the appropriate reservation.

2.2. RIRs. Each RIR may apply its own respective chosen allocation and reservation strategy in order to meet the needs of its community and to ensure the efficiency and efficacy of its work. Such reservations made by an RIR will be considered as being allocated by that RIR when that RIR applies for an allocation of address space from the IANA.

  1. Initial Allocation.

3.1. Upon implementation of this policy IANA shall allocate to each established RIR a /12 from the reservation established for each particular RIR.

3.2. Upon recognition of an RIR by ICANN that RIR shall receive a /12 from the reservation set aside for that RIR.

  1. Subsequent Allocation.

An RIR shall be eligible for an allocation of at least a minimal allocation from the IANA when its current holdings are less than 50% of its 18 month requirement or when it has less than 180 days of holdings available. The IANA shall evaluate the requested allocation using a set of administrative procedures that are mutually agreed to by the IANA and the NRO. This set of procedures shall be enacted within 30 days of the implementation of this policy.

  1. Announcement of IANA allocations to the RIRs

When address space is allocated to a RIR, the IANA will send a detailed announcement to the receiving RIR. The IANA will also make announcements to all other RIRs, informing them of the recent allocation.

The IANA will make appropriate modifications to the “Internet Protocol V6 Address Space” page of the IANA website and may make announcements to only its own global announcement lists. The IANA announcements will be limited to which address ranges, the time of allocation and to which Registry they have been allocated.

Rationale

The current IANA allocation policy for IPv6 is an interim policy that was promulgated in 1999. Operational experience has demonstrated the current minimum allocation size is too small; that the built in reservation system that must be followed by the RIRs does not allow for efficient and effective management of the resource by the RIR; and does not provide for an well known evaluation criteria. This document does not stipulate performance requirements in the provision of services by IANA to an RIR in accordance with the policy. Such requirements should be specified by appropriate agreements between the NRO and ICANN.

OUT OF DATE?

Here in the Vault, information is published in its final form and then not changed or updated. As a result, some content, specifically links to other pages and other references, may be out-of-date or no longer available.