Discussion Summary: Status field for inet6num objects

Dear Colleagues,

The RIPE NCC needs to implement a new status attribute for the
inet6num object to reflect the new policy agreed by the RIPE, ARIN
and APNIC communities.

The RIPE NCC suggested the following new status attributes for the
inet6num objects:

 - RIR-ALLOCATED
   (For allocations made by an RIR to an LIR)

 - LIR-ALLOCATED
   (For allocations made by an LIR or an LIR's downstream customer
   to another downstream organisation)

 - ASSIGNED
   (For assignments made to End User sites)

There was discussion as to whether the terms ALLOCATED and ASSIGNED
should be used or whether DELEGATED was the preferred term. It was
pointed out that changing the terminology would require a full
rewrite of all documentation, web sites and training material
referring to these terms. It would also require the re-education of
those who are familiar with these terms from IPv4. This process
would be expensive.

In addition to this, these terms are already defined in Section II
of the IPv6 Address Allocation and Assignment Policy document. 
Changing these terms in the Database would require a significant
rewrite to the policy itself.

There was also a discussion as to whether the status attribute
should reflect the portability of IPv6 address space. In the
RIPE NCC Service Region there is a policy allowing /32 blocks
to be issued to the networks hosting Root Nameservers. There is
also a policy allowing IXP networks to receive a /64 or /48
for neutral peering meshes. However, there is not (yet) a policy
allowing End User networks to receive a block of Provider
Independent address space. Until there is a policy allowing
End Users to carry address space with them when they change
providers it is probably not appropriate to give assignments
a status indicating that they are *not* portable.

For these reasons the RIPE NCC would like to implement the new
status attribute, as described on 31 May 2002 and above, as soon 
as possible.

The software implementation will allow configuration of different
labeling for the status attribute quite easily.

Kind regards,

-- 
leo vegoda
RIPE NCC, Registration Services
Assistant Manager