Recommended Draft Policy ARIN-2021-3 [Archived]

Private AS Number and Unique Routing Policy Clarifications

Status: Implemented
Shepherds: Chris Tacit, Joe Provo

Current Text (2 May 2022)

AC Assessment of Conformance with the Principles of Internet Number Resource Policy:

Recommended Draft Policy ARIN-2021-3 conforms to the principles of the ARIN Policy Development Process as follows:

• By providing greater clarity concerning when a requesting organization qualifies for AS Numbers, it promotes fair and impartial number resource administration;

• It is technically sounds because it clarifies the technical requirements for obtaining AS Numbers (i.e., the need to interconnect with other organizations’ Autonomous Systems, what constitutes a “unique routing policy”, and the need to have a network plan); and

• Community support has been demonstrated throughout the process associated with its development.

Problem Statement:

At ARIN 47, staff identified three points of potential confusion with current text in NRPM Section 5: AS Numbers.

“Sites that do not require a unique AS Number should use one or more of the AS Numbers reserved for private use.” Some customers are not aware that their need for unique AS Numbers depends upon their need (or lack thereof) to interconnect with other organizations’ Autonomous Systems.

“In order to be assigned an AS Number, each requesting organization must provide ARIN with verification that it has one of the following…A unique routing policy (its policy differs from its border gateway peers)…A multihomed site.” Few customers qualify for AS Numbers under the “unique routing policy” requirement, because they don’t understand what “unique routing policy” actually means in practice.

“AS Numbers are issued based on current need. An organization should request an AS Number only when it is already multihomed or will immediately become multihomed.” All ARIN delegations are based on current needs, and some customers aren’t aware they need network plans when they request AS Numbers. Additionally, clarification that some organizations may have a unique need for an AS Number outside of utilizing a unique routing policy, such as one implemented using, for example, a protocol such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP).

Policy statement:

In Section 5 -

Replace

“Sites that do not require a unique AS Number should use one or more of the AS Numbers reserved for private use.”

with

“If a unique AS Number is not required for a given network design, one or more of the AS Numbers reserved for private use should be utilized.”

Replace

“In order to be assigned an AS Number, each requesting organization must provide ARIN with verification that it has one of the following

• A unique routing policy (its policy differs from its border gateway peers) 2. A multihomed site”

with

“In order to be assigned an AS Number, each requesting organization must provide ARIN with verification that it requires a unique routing policy, such as a plan:

• To originate announcement of IP Number Resources via an accepted protocol (such as Border Gateway Protocol) from an AS Number different than that of its upstream provider;
• To multihome a site with one or more Autonomous Systems; or
• To use an AS Number to interconnect with other Autonomous Systems.”

Replace

“AS Numbers are issued based on current need. An organization should request an AS Number only when it is already multihomed or will immediately become multihomed.”

with

“AS Numbers are issued based on current need, as set out in this section 5.”

Timetable for implementation: Immediate

Staff and Legal Review (25 January 2022)

Staff Understanding

ARIN-2021-3 adjusts language throughout NRPM Section 5 to clarify unique routing policy scenarios under which customers qualify for an Autonomous System Number (ASN), as well as common network and documentation requirements involved in ASN request approvals.

Grammatically, staff suggests replacing “…a unique routing policy, such as, for example a plan…” with “”…a unique routing policy, such as a plan…" for clarity.

The Draft Policy text is clear and understandable, and staff believes it will ease some cases where confusion has arisen in the past.

Implementable as Written?: Yes

Impact on ARIN Registry Operations and Services:

None.

Legal Review:

There are no material legal issues that exist with this proposed policy; however, for clarification, legal suggests editing the first proposed replacement text to ‘If a unique AS Number is not required for a given network design, one or more of the AS Numbers reserved for private use should be utilized.’

Implementation Timeframe Estimate: Three months

Implementation Requirements:

• Staff training
• Updates to public documentation
• Updates to internal procedures and guidelines

Proposal/Draft Policy Text Assessed: 13 December 2021

History and Earlier Versions

Related Meetings