[address-policy-wg] Global Policy for IPv4 Allocations by the IANA Post Exhaustion

Hello APWG,

I and a group of others have been working on a global policy proposal
regarding returning and re-allocating IPv4 addresses to and from the
IANA post IPv4 exhaustion. As this is a global proposal, we have
decided that the best approach is to float the current draft publicly
in all five regions and solicit feedback, before submitting it as an
official policy proposal. We hope that this will let us identify and
address any problems or gaps ahead of time and thus ease the process.

Barring any major issues being raised, we hope to submit the proposal
next week so I would love to get your feedback incorporated by Tuesday
(8 June) if at all possible. Please feel free to provide comments on
or off list. Thanks in advance - have a wonderful weekend!


# Global Policy for IPv4 Allocations by the IANA Post Exhaustion #

Rationale:
This policy defines the process for the allocation of IPv4 addresses
post "Exhaustion Phase"[1]. In order to fulfill the requirements of
this policy, the IANA must set up a reclamation pool to hold addresses
in and distribute from in compliance with this policy. This policy
establishes the process by which IPv4 addresses can be returned to and
re-issued from the IANA post Exhaustion Phase.

The intent of this policy is as follows:
    * Includes all post Exhaustion Phase address space returned to the IANA.
    * Allows allocations by the IANA from the Reclamation Pool once
the Exhaustion Phase has been completed.
    * Defines "need" as the basis for further IPv4 allocations by the IANA.
    * Does not differentiate any class of IPv4 address space unless
defined by RFC 1918.
    * Encourages the return of IPv4 address space by making this
re-allocation process available.
    * Disallows transfers of addresses sourced from the Reclamation
Pool in the absence of an IPV4 Global Transfer Policy to neutralize
transfer process inequities across RIR regions.
    * Applies to legacy IPv4 Address Space initially allocated by the
IANA to users including the allocations to RIRs.
    * Includes any length of fragments currently held by the IANA now
or in the future.


1. Reclamation Pool
Upon adoption of this IPv4 address policy by the ICANN Board of
Directors, the IANA shall establish a Reclamation Pool to be utilized
post RIR IPv4 exhaustion as defined in Section 5. As soon as the first
RIR exhausts its inventory of IP address space, this Reclamation Pool
will be declared active.

2. Returning Address Space to the IANA
The IANA will accept into the Reclamation Pool all eligible IPv4
address space that is offerred for return. Eligible address space
includes any addresses not previously designated for special use by an
IETF published RFC explicitly offerred for return to the IANA by:
a) The RIR to which the space is assigned
b) The registrant of record where no RIR holds authority

3. Address Allocations from the Reclamation Pool by the IANA
Allocations from the Reclamation Pool may begin once the pool is
declared active. Aggregates in the Reclamation Pool may be divided on
a CIDR boundary to the longest minimum allocation or assignment of any
of the RIRs in order to complete these allocations. Addresses that are
left over will be held in the Reclamation Pool until additional IP
addresses are returned, or a minimum allocation unit is achieved that
allows continued allocations from the pool.

4. RIR Eligibility for Receiving Allocations from the Reclamation Pool
Upon the exhaustion of an RIR's free space pool, an RIR will become
eligible to request address space from the IANA Reclamation Pool when
it publicly announces via its respective global announcements email
list and by posting a notice on its website that it has exhausted its
supply of IPv4 address space. Exhaustion is defined as an inventory of
less than the equivalent of a single /8 and the inability to further
assign address space to its customers in units equal to or shorter
than the longest of the RIR's policy defined minimum allocation unit.
Any RIR that is formed after this policy has been adopted by the ICANN
Board of Directors is not eligible to utilize this policy to obtain
IPv4 address space from the IANA.

5. Reporting Requirements
The IANA shall publish on at least a weekly basis a report that is
publicly available which at a minimum details all address space that
has been received and that has been allocated. The IANA shall publish
a Returned Address Space Report which indicates what resources were
returned, by whom and when. The IANA shall publish an Allocations
Report on at least a weekly basis which at a minimum indicates what
IPv4 address space has been allocated, which RIR received the
allocation and when. The IANA shall publish a public report confirming
RIR eligibility subsequent to Section 4.

6. No Transfer Rights
Address space assigned from the Reclamation Pool is not subject to
transfer outside of an ICANN Board adopted globally adopted transfer
policy. The definition of Global Transfer Policy for the purpose of
this policy is a global policy that has been processed and adopted by
ICANN in compliance with the MoU [2] and attachments as agreed to in
October 2004 between ICANN and the RIRs.

7. Definitions
IANA - Internet Assigned Numbers Authority or it's successor
ICANN - Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or it's successor
RIR - Regional Internet Registry as recognized by ICANN
MOU - Memorandum of Understanding between ICANN and the RIR's
IPV4 - Internet Protocol Version Four, the target protocol of this Global Policy

8. References
1. http://www.icann.org/en/general/allocation-remaining-ipv4-space.htm
Global Policy for the Allocation of the Remaining IPv4 Address Space,
IANA, Retrieved 27 April 2010
2. http://www.nro.net/documents/aso-mou.html ICANN Address Supporting
Organization (ASO) MoU , Retrieved 27 May 2010.

##

Thanks again for your time and attention!
~Chris


-- 
@ChrisGrundemann
weblog.chrisgrundemann.com
www.burningwiththebush.com
www.coisoc.org