Organisations can request different types of IPv6 address space, depending on their business model, the services they provide and the way they plan to use the address space:
You can find explanations of the different types of address space, and details on how to register assigned or allocated address space in the RIPE Database, below.
RIPE Database status: ALLOCATED-BY-RIR
The first thing an organisation needs to do to obtain an IPv6 allocation from the RIPE NCC is to become a RIPE NCC member.
As a RIPE NCC member, the organisation qualifies for an IPv6 allocation. Policies developed by the RIPE community consider one IPv6 allocation per organisation as sufficient.
An organisation with an IPv6 allocation has the option to further assign or allocate address space from the allocation to their own network infrastructure or to their customers for use in their own networks.
The minimum IPv6 allocation size in the RIPE NCC service region is a /32 (4.3 billion subnets). According to the policies of the RIPE community, RIPE NCC members can request a larger IPv6 allocation (up to a /29) without having to provide additional information about how they plan to use the extra space.
RIPE NCC members requesting an IPv6 allocation larger than a /29 need to provide additional documentation to justify their request.
When issuing your IPv6 allocation, the RIPE NCC will register the allocation in the RIPE Database and will enter “ALLOCATED-BY-RIR” as the value of the “status:” attribute.
Here's an example of an IPv6 allocation in the RIPE Database:
inet6num: 2001:db8::/32
netname: NL-RIPENCC-TS-20120718
descr: Reseaux IP Europeens Network Coordination Center (RIPE NCC)
country: NL
org: ORG-Bb2-RIPE
admin-c: TS7729-RIPE
tech-c: TS7729-RIPE
status: ALLOCATED-BY-RIR
mnt-by: RIPE-NCC-HM-MNT
mnt-lower: MNT-NCCTS
changed: [email protected] 20120718
source: RIPE
An organisation can request IPv6 address space from their upstream provider, if the provider is a RIPE NCC member. In this case, the organisation is considered an End User.
There are several options for delegating and registering IPv6 assignments and allocations, depending on the End User's business and service setup:
1) Assignment
RIPE Database status: ASSIGNED
An assignment can only be used for the internal network and network services of the End User holding the assignment. This means that the End User is not permitted to further assign address space to other external organisations.
RIPE NCC members can also assign the value of “ASSIGNED” to the “status:” attribute when assigning IPv6 address space to parts of the RIPE NCC member's network that are not used for customer End Sites.
The RIPE NCC member is responsible for the correct registration of the assignment in the RIPE Database and needs to make sure the assignment will only be used by the End User for their internal network and services and the End User is not going to further assign address space from the assignment.
Here's an example of an IPv6 assignment as entered in the RIPE Database:
inet6num: 2001:db8:2000::/48
netname: RIPENCC-TS-CUSTOMER1
descr: CAFE MOLENTJE LAN
country: NL
admin-c: TS7729-RIPE
tech-c: TS7729-RIPE
status: ASSIGNED
mnt-by: MNT-NCCTS
changed: [email protected] 20120818
source: RIPE
2) Aggregated assignment
(RIPE Database status: AGGREGATED-BY-LIR)
If an End User requires public IPv6 address space to provide a certain service to their own customers, they can contact an upstream LIR (RIPE NCC member) for an aggregated assignment.
The RIPE NCC member will register the assignment in the RIPE Database using the value of “AGGREGATED-BY-LIR” for the “status:” attribute and a value between 48 and 64 for the “assignment-size:” attribute.
The “AGGREGATED-BY-LIR” status indicates the assignment is an aggregate of several smaller assignments of the size specified in the “assignment-size:” attribute.
Here's an example of an IPv6 aggregated assignment as entered in the RIPE Database:
inet6num: 2001:db8:3000::/46
status: AGGREGATED-BY-LIR
assignment-size: 56
From this, we can see that IPv6 prefix 2001:db8:3000::/46 is registered as an aggregated assignment that contains 1,024 /56 assignments.
Important note: The “assignment-size:” attribute is mandatory for inet6num objects with a status of “AGGREGATED-BY-LIR” and can only be used once in an inet6num object in the RIPE Database.
This means if an End User provides IPv6 services to residential customers with a /56 assignment per customer, and to businesses with a /48 assignment per business customer, they will have to register two inet6num objects with different “assignment-size:” attributes in the RIPE Database:
inet6num: 2001:db8:3000::/46
netname: MY-RESIDENTIAL-CUSTOMERS
status: AGGREGATED-BY-LIR
assignment-size: 56
inet6num: 2001:db8:9000::/46
netname: MY-BUSINESS-CUSTOMERS
status: AGGREGATED-BY-LIR
assignment-size: 48
3) LIR to ISP allocation
RIPE Database status: ALLOCATED-BY-LIR
The RIPE community does not have a specific policy on how organisations can further allocate IPv6 address space to downstream ISPs, LIRs or other customers.
Issuing a sub-allocation to a downstream customer is necessary if they are going to make further allocations, or assignments of different sizes, from the sub-allocation to their own customers.
The upstream LIR (RIPE NCC member) will register an inet6num object for allocation to the downstream customer in the RIPE Database with a value of “ALLOCATED-BY-LIR” for the “status:” attribute.
The RIPE NCC member also needs to add the downstream customer's maintainer object for the inet6num object's “mnt-lower:” attribute. This is necessary because the downstream customer needs to register more specific objects within the allocation in the RIPE Database. This can be achieved by referencing the downstream customer's maintainer object in the “mnt-lower:” attribute.
Here's an example of an LIR to ISP allocation in the RIPE Database:
inet6num: 2001:db8:a000::/40
netname: RIPENCC-TS-DOWNSTREAMISP1
descr: BLUELIGHT ISP B.V.
country: NL
admin-c: TS7729-RIPE
tech-c: TS7729-RIPE
status: ALLOCATED-BY-LIR
mnt-by: MNT-NCCTS
mnt-lower: BLUELIGHT-MNT
changed: [email protected] 20120918
source: RIPE
The downstream customer can then register more specific objects in the RIPE Database using one of the following values for the “status:” attribute: “AGGREGATED-BY-LIR”, “ASSIGNED” or “ALLOCATED-BY-LIR”.
The policies of the RIPE community also require all /48 assignments to End Sites within the sub-allocation to be registered in the RIPE Database, either by the RIPE NCC member or by the downstream customer.
The downstream customer cannot register a more specific object with status “ALLOCATED-BY-LIR” in the RIPE Database underneath an object with status “ASSIGNED” or status “AGGREGATED-BY-LIR”.
RIPE Database status: ASSIGNED PI
If an End User organisation requires a Provider Independent IPv6 prefix for their network, they can ask a RIPE NCC member of their choice to request an IPv6 PI assignment from the RIPE NCC on behalf of the End User organisation.
It is important to note that the End User organisation is not permitted to further distribute address space from the PI assignment to other, external organisations. It can only lease a separate address (/128) per service, for example when letting visitors connect, or connecting a server or appliance to their network and setting up point-to-point links with third parties.
The minimum IPv6 PI assignment size in the RIPE NCC service region is a /48 (65,536 subnets).
Organisations requesting an IPv6 PI assignment larger than a /48 need to provide additional documentation to justify the larger assignment size.
The RIPE NCC will evaluate the PI assignment request and assign an independent IPv6 prefix to the End User organisation directly
net6num: 2001:67c:64::/48
netname: RIPE-MEETING-NET
descr: Reseaux IP Europeens Network Coordination Center (RIPE NCC)
country: NL
org: ORG-Bb2-RIPE
admin-c: JDR-RIPE
tech-c: BRD-RIPE
status: ASSIGNED PI
mnt-by: RIPE-NCC-END-MNT
mnt-lower: RIPE-NCC-END-MNT
mnt-by: RIPE-NCC-MNT
mnt-routes: RIPE-NCC-MNT
mnt-domains: RIPE-NCC-MNT
changed: [email protected] 20091001
changed: [email protected] 20101004
changed: [email protected] 20110223
changed: [email protected] 20120309
source: RIPE
Additional IPv6 PI assignments to organisations already holding an IPv6 PI assignment can be made if the requesting organisation can either demonstrate and document the need for additional space based on the organisation's address usage or because different routing requirements exist for the additional assignment(s).
Organisations requesting an IPv6 PI assignment must also meet the contractual and policy requirements described in RIPE Document ripe-637, "Contractual Requirements for Provider Independent Resource Holders in the RIPE NCC Service Region".
RIPE NCC members can also request an IPv6 PI assignment for parts of their network that are not used for customer end sites.
If a RIPE NCC member already holds an IPv6 allocation and requests an IPv6 PI assignment, the member must demonstrate unique routing requirements for the part of their network that will use the IPv6 PI assignment.
Organisations that received an IPv6 PI assignment before becoming a RIPE NCC member should return the assignment to the RIPE NCC when receiving an IPv6 allocation if there are no special routing requirements that justify an IPv6 allocation and an IPv6 PI assignment.