Tips for Resource Requests

— ipv4

1. LIR Portal

The RIPE NCC introduced the LIR Portal in January 2003. This members-only part of the website has an on-line request interface which will validate and lets you submit requests. An interactive help function is also provided.

The LIR Portal is also the place to view and update registry information and some parts of your IPv4 allocation objects.

Although using the LIR Portal is a very handy way of requesting resources, we still recommend every requester to study the IPv4 Evaluation Procedures and the tips on this page.

2. Check for Current Address Space Usage

It is important that the RIPE NCC receives a detailed description of how the address space is currently being used by you or your customer. This should be documented in the #[CURRENT ADDRESS SPACE USAGE TEMPLATE]# of the request form.

Using this information we can prevent assigning new address space where already assigned addresses can be employed to meet the user's needs. Please remember to ask your customers about their current usage.

3. Classful Assignments

The 'class' concept on the Internet is replaced by classless routing (CIDR). You should not refer to 'class A, B, or C' anymore.

Due to the requirement to increase the utilisation efficiency of IPv4 address space, all assignments are made with the assumption that sites make use of variable length subnetting and classless technologies within their network. Any customers using classfull equipment can only be assigned the amount of addresses that they would normally need if they were using classless addressing.

4. Admin-c or Tech-c?

The admin-c for a network should be someone within that organisation who can be contacted in case of an emergency. They should be able to order the network to be disconnected or machines to be turned off. Although the admin-c does not have to be physically located on the site of the network, they should have a position of authority within the organisation that runs the network.

The tech-c is a person who should be physically located on the site of the network and is technically skilled to operate a network environment.

5. RIPE Whois Database Tools for LIR's

You can verify your invalid RIPE Database assignments that require your attention using the IP Analyser. In addition to offering an overview of your invalids, this LIR Portal application also displays all allocations and assignments as well as all available free space.

Data in the IP Analyser is available in a user-friendly web interface, but we also provide JSON and plain text output in ASused format through an API. You can read more about this functionality on our developer documentation page.

6. How to have the Assignment Window Raised

An Assignment Window (AW) may be increased if a Local Internet Registry (LIR) has sent several requests to the RIPE NCC that show an understanding of the RIPE NCC assignment policies and procedures.

All new LIRs have an initial AW of zero (0). This means that for every assignment an LIR makes, the RIPE NCC needs to approve it. If you think that your AW should be increased, please contact: lir-help _at_ ripe _dot_ net

RIPE NCC staff evaluate whether your AW can be raised based on:

The LIR's understanding of RIPE NCC assignment policies and procedures
Whether request documentation presented to the RIPE NCC is completed correctly
Whether the LIR demonstrates good judgment when evaluating address space requests
If the LIR's past assignments have been registered correctly in the RIPE Database

If your LIR is not eligible for an AW increase, an IP Resource Analyst (IPRA) will explain why and give you tips on how to improve your skills.
In order to get this knowledge and understanding of RIPE NCC policies and proceedures, the RIPE NCC offers LIR Training Courses throughout the service region. The courses help LIRs with their Internet resource administration. It is highly recommended that you attend an LIR Training Course.

The LIR Training Course is included in the fee for every new LIR. More details about course dates and locations as well as course materials.

7. Changing NETNAMES

Do not change the netnames of assignments that the RIPE NCC have approved. Netnames are the only pointer to assignments the RIPE NCC have approved in our records. If you must change a netname (no matter how small) please send an email to hostmaster _at_ ripe _dot_ net including the ticket number that was used for the original request.

8. Add your comments and questions

The RIPE NCC would appreciate it if you could add your comments and opinions to your requests. As well as the mandatory information needed in the form, an IPRA also relies on your view of the request to properly evaluate it. Evaluations are based solely on the information you provide with the request. Please avoid sending us vague descriptions on your Addressing Plans.

A description like "Location 1" or "Location 2" is not enough and makes it impossible for us to understand what the addresses will be used for and the type of equipment involved.

Some guidelines on what kind of details we are interested in knowing:

What is the number of machines being used?

What kind of equipment and or devices will be used within each subnet?

What services will they be running?

How many IPs does each piece of equipment in each subnet need?

Regarding the point-2-point / leased line subnets (if any)

How many customers do you have?

How many IPs are going to be assigned for each customer?

Regarding the web servers (if any), HTTP 1.0 or 1.1?

Regarding the dial-up services (if any), static or dynamic?

Broadband Services? Please note that when reaching a /20 for broadband (and requesting more address space for it) the RIPE NCC require special IPv4 verifications showing the IP usage for each area (min/avg/max) on a daily/weekly/monthly basis.

9. In need of another IPv4 allocation?

Please use the Additional Allocation request form in the LIR Portal or the current request form from the document store.

On [date], the RIPE NCC began to allocate IPv4 address space from the last /8. This means that section 5.6 of “IPv4 Address Allocation and Assignment Policies for the RIPE NCC Service Region” is now in effect. This section states that, once the RIPE NCC begins to allocate address space from the last /8, a RIPE NCC member may receive only a /22 (1,024 IPv4 addresses), even if they can justify a larger allocation.

Give a summary of all assignments from your current allocation. For all the procedures involved in obtaining a further IPv4 allocation, please refer to the IPv4 Evaluation Procedures and the IPv4 Address Allocation and Assignment Policies.

10. Avoid sending too many requests at once

The RIPE NCC advises not to send more than four requests at one time. Once the requests are evaluated and approved, the RIPE NCC will review your Assignment Window.

11. Avoid Pasting the Network Template to the RIPE DataBase

Do not paste the #[ Network Template ]# straight from your request form into the RIPE Database. It will NOT be accepted.

12. One enterprise per request

Addresses used for dial-ups or leased lines are considered part of the provider's infrastructure (usually four addresses or less). For customers running a network using a subnet larger than four addresses, we require a separate request for each customer.

The reason behind this is because each customer has separate network infrastructures located at their site, and we need to see the end user's information in the database. General requests including customers A, B, and C (for example) are not accepted.

Consider the following:

Each network that has to be identified for administrative reasons (eg. LIR internal network and a customer network) should be given a unique name (netname).

For each individual network, a separate inetnum object should be sent to the database.

In fact this is what the RIPE Database is meant for: to be able to precisely retrieve where addresses are being used and to trace the people responsible for the management of the network.

Please remember that you would only have to send us 5 or 6 of these small requests before we would raise your assignment-window. Then you can evaluate these requests yourselves.

13. HTTP 1.0 or 1.1 Policy

Read the following and give us a yes/no answer on your request:

We currently assign address space for virtual Web hosting on the condition that it be returned when HTTP 1.1 is widely deployed.

Do you agree to this? Please confirm anywhere on your request.

For web hosting we recommend that you use HTTP 1.1, because it allows you to use one IP address for many hosts and yet still offer your customers their own domain name in the URL. This, of course, will allow for significantly diminished address utilisation.

Please note that the RIPE NCC has to apply special verification methods when the use of addresses for HTTP 1.0 reaches a /22 (1024 addresses) or more. You will have to show which of the assigned addresses are actually used and by whom. If your company will have a /22 or more for (IP-based) web-hosting, now or in the near future, please let us know and we will explain the verification methods.

14. Static Dial-UP

Due to constraints on the available free pool of IPv4 address space, the use of static IP address assignments is strongly discouraged.

While it is understood that the use of static addressing may ease some aspects of administration, the current rate of consumption of the remaining unassigned IPv4 address space does not permit the assignment of addresses for administrative ease.

Organizations considering the use of static IP address assignment are encouraged to investigate the use of dynamic assignment technologies such as DHCP in order to implement their networks. We allow static assignments for now, but keep in mind that this may not always be the case.

15. Early Database Entries

Data entered before an approval is considered INVALID and will show up on regular audits. For the registry involved, it will result in the delay of future allocation requests, and the lowering of their assignment window.

The RIPE NCC has several guidelines for evaluating requests. These are defined in the light of the problems that the Internet community is facing - mainly concerning the shortage of IPv4 addresses.

You cannot enter the assignment to the RIPE Whois Database before an approval, because some of our suggestions may lead to changes. (Such as the size)

* If you have entered the assignment before an approval, you should remove it from the RIPE Database and re-enter it upon approval.

16. AS Requests - multihomed

When requesting an AS Number please make sure you include the following information:

Explain why you (or your customer) need an AS number.

What address space do you plan to announce (needs to be registered in the RIPE Database)?

Include the email addresses of your peering partners' contacts. We may decide to verify the information at any time.

We can only assign AS Numbers to multihomed organisations who need to define their own routing policy.

You need to be connected to at least two Autonomous Systems in order to be considered Multihomed.

We understand there is the 'chicken and egg' situation here. But the RIPE NCC requires a routing policy that shows the new AS peering with at least two AS Numbers.

When the peering information is known to you, you may fill out the technical template :

Part B - TECHNICAL TEMPLATE

import:
import:
export:
export:
default:

You can use the LIR Portal's on-line request form.

17. IPv4 Verification

To meet our conservation goal, the RIPE NCC must monitor address usage for broadband technologies.

When the broadband usage for a certain service reaches the /20 level, we will ask for verification of usage of these IP's.

The form of verification is flexible. We are not restricting LIRs in the presentation of the usage of their assignments, as long as it shows that the address space for the technology is being used efficiently. LIRs can choose whatever method is easiest for them or for their customers.

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