APNIC guidelines for IPv6 allocation and assignment requests
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APNIC Document identity
Title: APNIC guidelines for IPv6 allocation and assignment
requests
Short title: ipv6-guidelines
Document ref: APNIC-114
Version: 005
Date of original publication: 2 July 2004
Date of this version: 4 August 2008
Review scheduled: n/a
Obsoletes: Previous versions
Status: Active
Comments: n/a
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APNIC guidelines for IPv6 allocation and assignment requests
About this document
-------------------
These guidelines are intended to complement the document "IPv6 address
allocation and assignment policy", available at:
http://www.apnic.net/docs/policy/ipv6-address-policy.html
These guidelines will be updated from time to time, in consultation
with the Asia Pacific and global Internet communities, to ensure that
they remain appropriate to the current addressing environment.
Table of contents
-----------------
Section 1: Background
1 Introduction
2 Scope
3 Additional guidance
4 Goals of address space management
5 Application of guidelines
Section 2: General guidelines
6 Definition of an "end site"
7 IPv6 allocations
7.1 Initial allocation criteria
7.1.1 A plan for 200 assignments
7.1.2 Existing LIRs with IPv4 allocations from APNIC or an NIR
7.1.3 Justifying an initial allocation larger than /32
7.1.3.1 Expanding initial a;;pcatopms received before August 2004
7.1.4 Supporting documentation
8 Assignments to end sites
8.1 Assignment size
8.2 Second opinion request
8.2.1 Sub-allocations and second opinion request
8.2.2 Supporting documentation
9 Subsequent allocations
9.1 Prior allocations to be used first
9.2 Special circumstances - large assignments
10 Requesting a reverse delegation
10.1 Reverse DNS delegations in ip6.int and ip6.arpa
11 Registration requirements
11.1 Updating registration details
11.2 Registering contact persons
Section 1: Background
_____________________________________________________________________
1 Introduction
--------------------
These guidelines are developed within the APNIC community, and are
consistent with the goals and policies applicable to IPv6 address space
management. They are intended to assist organisations requesting IPv6
address space only.
Nothing in these guidelines should be considered to replace or modify
any of the specific policies defined in other APNIC documents.
2 Scope
-------------
This document applies to the management of global unicast IPv6 public
address space in the Asia Pacific region.
This document does not apply to IPv4, multicast, or unique local IPv6
unicast addresses, or Autonomous System numbers. It should be read in
conjunction with other APNIC documents, particularly APNIC-089 "IPv6
address allocation and assignment policy".
3 Additional guidance
---------------------------
These guidelines are not intended to be exhaustive. Additional guidance
and examples are available from the help information available for each
APNIC request form and in FAQs and other information on the APNIC web
site:
* Resource guides
http://www.apnic.net/services
* APNIC FAQs
http://www.apnic.net/info/faq
* RFC 3152 "Delegation of IP6.ARPA"
http://www.ietf.cnri.reston.va.us/rfc/rfc3152.txt
* RFC 3177 "IAB/IESG Recommendations on IPv6 Address
Allocations to Sites"
http://www.ietf.cnri.reston.va.us/rfc/rfc3177.txt
4 Goals of address space management
-----------------------------------------
In this document, all reference to the goals of address space
management refer to the goals described in "IPv6 address allocation and
assignment policy", namely:
* uniqueness;
* registration;
* aggregation;
* conservation;
* fairness; and
* minimised overhead.
5 Application of guidelines
---------------------------------
This document is primarily intended to guide ISPs when making
assignments to their customers or requesting address space from APNIC.
The issues discussed in this document reflect many of the
considerations used by APNIC in evaluating requests for initial
allocations and subsequent allocations.
It is intended that NIRs will either adopt these or similar guidelines
for their own members.
Section 2: General guidelines
_____________________________________________________________________
6 Definition of an "end site"
-----------------------------------
Section 2.9 of "IPv6 address allocation and assignment policy" defines
an end site as "an end user (subscriber) who has a business
relationship with a service provider". That section also lists some
possible business relationships (which would normally be found in the
contract between the LIR and their customer) that typically indicate
end sites. End sites do not re-assign any of their IP addresses to
other organisations.
Examples:
Single end site
* A home or corporate user who has a single contract with a
service provider for their own device or network.
* A home or corporate user who has multiple devices to connect
the Internet, but has only one contract with a service
provider.
Multiple sites
* A home or corporate user who has multiple contracts with one
or more service providers.
* A home or corporate user who has multiple separate networks
that are not connected each other because each network has
different management policy, even if they are in the same
place (for example, a merged company with independent
networks).
7 IPv6 allocations
------------------------
APNIC will allocate IPv6 address space to a network with global or
local connectivity provided the network meets the criteria stated in
"IPv6 address allocation and assignment policy".
The following networks are examples of the types of organisations that
most commonly apply for an IPv6 allocation from APNIC. This list is not
intended to be exhaustive:
* An ISP providing IPv6 connectivity to the global Internet.
* An ISP providing IPv6 services to end sites and restricting
connectivity to its own closed network.
* An ISP providing IPv6 services to end sites and restricting
connectivity to peering partners.
* A large organisation providing IPv6 connectivity to its group
companies or subsidiaries and restricting connectivity to its
own network.
7.1 Initial allocation criteria
To qualify for an initial allocation of IPv6 address space, an
organisation must meet the criteria stated in section 5.1.1 of
"IPv6 address allocation and assignment policy". UNder d) in section
5.1.1, an organisation can choose frlom one of the two alternative
criteria:
* have a plan for making at least 200 assignments ot other
organizations within two years OR
* be an existing LIR with IPv4 allocations from APNIC or an
NIR which will make IPv6 assignments or sub-allocations to
other organizations and announce the allocation in the
inter-domain routing system within two years.
These two alternative criteria are explained in sections 7.1.1
and 7.1.2 below.
7.1.1 A plan for 200 assignments
An organisation must provide a plan to make at least 200
assignments within two years. However, APNIC regards the
existence of the plan as a demonstration of the LIR's readiness
to commence IPv6 services and does not assess the feasibility
of the plan. For example, an LIR with at least 200 customers
currently using IPv4 address space can meet the initial
allocation criteria of 200 assignments if it plans to
provide them with IPv6 connectivity service within two years.
IPv4 sub-allocations made by an LIR to downstream ISPs can be
used to justify the corresponding amount of /56 assignments.
Below is an example of a plan that that includes a
sub-allocation to a downstream ISP that meets the initial
allocation criteria of a plan to assign 200 /48s within two
years:
/52 sub-allocation to ISP: 16 /56s
Assignments to PoPs: 20 /56s
Assignments to end sites: 170 /56s
----------------------------------------
Total number of /56s: 206 /56s
For example, if a CATV provider has 4,000 IP static connection
customers in IPv4 and 5% of the customers (200 customers) are
expected to subscribe to IPv6 services, then this provider will meet
the initial allocation criteria of 200 assignments. (A /56 can be
assigned to end sites using either static or dynamic addressing).
If an LIR assigns a single static IP address in IPv4, the ISP
can assign up to a /48 in IPv6. The LIR may also assign a
smaller prefix in accordance with recommendations in RFC 3177.
7.1.2 Existing LIRs with IPv4 allocations from APNIC or an NIR
To qualify under this criterion, an organisation must:
* Document an existing IPv4 allocation made to it by APNIC or an
NIR
* Commit to making IPv6 assignments and/or sub-allocations
* Agree to announce the IPv6 allocation in the routing table
within two years
Please note that historical IP ranges do not meet the criteria of
being 'an existing IPv4 allocation from APNIC or an NIR". Historical
IP ranges are defined in section 2.2 of:
Policies for historical Internet resources in the APNIC Whois
Database:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/historical-resource-policies.html
7.1.3 Justifying an initial allocation larger than /32
LIRs can use existing IPv4 customers and IPv4 network
infrastructure to justify an initial allocation larger than a /32 by
providing documentation on the number of their existing IPv4
users as well as the extent of their IPv4 network
infrastructure.
The HD ratio is used to determine the appropriate size of the
IPv6 allocation based on IPv4 customer and infrastructure
assignments. For more information, refer to:
IPv6 allocations to IPv4 networks
http://www.apnic.net/docs/policy/proposals/prop-016-v001.html
LIRs are likely to be eligible for an initial allocation if
they meet both of the following conditions:
* They have received an IPv4 allocation as an LIR or meet the
criteria to receive an IPv4 allocation; and
* They plan to transfer the existing IPv4 infrastructure or
customers partly or wholly to IPv6 in two years.
LIRs are still requested to provide information on how many /56s
they expect to assign within the first two years.
Below is a brief table based on the HD ratio table that states
the number of IPv4 customers needed to justify an allocation
size greater than /32. For the full HD ratio table, please see
Appendix A of the "IPv6 address allocation and assignment
policy".
Prefix No. of customers needed to
justify the prefix length
------ --------------------------
32 6,183,533
31 11,863,283
30 22,760,044
29 43,665,787
24 1,134,964,479
7.1.3.1 Expanding initial allocations received before August 2004
Organisations that received an initial allocation of IPv6 can take
advantage of the August 2004 policy permitting initial allocations
larger than /32. To expand the initial allocation size without needing
to meet subsequent allocation criteria, the LIR must have received its
initial allocation before 16 August 2004 and must meet the initial
allocation criteria described in section 5.1.2 of the "IPv6 address
allocation and assignment policy"). For more information, see:
Expansion of the initial allocation space for existing IPv6 address
space holders:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-021-v001.html
7.1.4 Supporting documentation
The APNIC IPv6 Allocation Request Form gives LIRs the
opportunity to include additional documentation to support the
request for an initial IPv6 allocation. Examples of the types
of information an LIR can include in the "Additional
information" section of the form to support the request are:
* Network diagrams
* Approximate deployment dates
* A brief descriptino of IPv6 deployment method (use of IPv6
tunneling, dual stack, etc.)
* Service plans (web hosting, access service, etc.)
* Network equipment information to demonstrate that the LIR has
a plan to implement IPv6-ready infrastructure
* IPv4 infrastructure and/or customer information if the LIR
chooses the option of using existing IPv4 infrastructure to
justify the request (see Section 7.1.2)
When requesting an initial allocation from APNIC, network
equipment information, such as the vendor and model name of an
LIR's equipment, is not mandatory; however, if an LIR requests
a large pool of address space for CATV or ADSL operations,
APNIC may ask for information on the network's equipment.
For more information, see:
APNIC IPv6 Allocation Request Form
http://ftp.apnic.net/apnic/docs/ipv6-alloc-request
8 Assignments to end sites
--------------------------------
8.1 Assignment size
An LIR can assign a /64 to /48 to an end site customer network based
on their requirements. The following guidelines may be useful:
* /64 where it is known that only one subnet is required.
* /56 for small sites where it is expected only a few subnets
will be required within the next two years. Subscribers can
receive a /56 when connecting through on-demand or always-on
connections such as small office and home office enterprises.
* /48 for larger sites, or if an end site is expected to grow
into a large network.
An LIR must submit a second opinion request to APNIC if it plans to
assign more than a /48 to a single end site (see Section 8.2 below).
8.2 Second opinion request
Currently, the global Internet community considers a /48
assignment to be sufficient address space for an end site.
Therefore, when an end site requires an assignment larger than
/48, or it requires additional /48 assignments after the
initial assignment, the LIR must first submit a second opinion
request using the following form:
APNIC Second Opinion Request Form
Web: http://www.apnic.net/services/second-opinion/index.html
Text: http://ftp.apnic.net/apnic/docs/second-opinion-request
8.2.1 Sub-allocations and second opinion request
LIRs do not need to submit a second opinion request before
making sub-allocations to downstream ISPs (please see Section 9
below). However, APNIC encourages LIRs to contact APNIC
hostmasters for advice if LIRs are unsure how much address
space to sub-allocate.
8.2.2 Supporting documentation
The APNIC Second Opinion Request Form gives LIRs the
opportunity to include additional documentation to support the
request for an assignment to an end site that is larger than a
/48. Examples of the types of information an LIR can include in
the Additional information section of the form to support the
request are:
* Network diagram of an end site
* Network equipment information
* Full details to justify multiple /48 assignments to an end
site (for example, the number of clients (PCs or other
network equipment) or other information which justify
multiple /48 assignments)
9 Subsequent allocations
------------------------------
9.1 Prior allocations to be used first
An LIR is not eligible to receive subsequent allocations until its
current assignments reach a HD ratio of 0.94 based on /56
assignments.
9.2 Special circumstances - large assignments
An LIR may request an exception to the HD 0.94 rule if its
demonstrated requirement is larger than the amount of remaining
space.
10 Requesting a reverse DNS delegation
-------------------------------------------
LIRs should maintain reverse DNS delegations for their customers'
networks. If a network is not specifically associated with an LIR then
the reverse DNS delegation should be maintained by APNIC. In both IPv4
and IPv6 networks, it is the LIR's responsibility to delegate or to
maintain PTR records for its customers' networks.
The size of a reverse DNS delegation by an LIR to an end site will
usually be a /48, which is the recommended minimum assignment to an
end-site specified in RFC 3177. However, it is possible to delegate
a prefix longer than /48. Some organisations may delegate such a
prefix in their internal network.
10.1 Reverse DNS delegations in ip6.int and ip6.arpa
As specified in RFC 3152, reverse DNS delegations in the
ip6.int tree have been deprecated, and APNIC has now removed
all ip6.int reverse delegations from the APNIC Whois Database.
For more information, see:
Reverse DNS delegations resource guide
http://www.apnic.net/services/dns_guide.html
11 Registration requirements
---------------------------------
LIRs are responsible for promptly and accurately registering their
allocations, sub-allocations, and assignments in the APNIC Whois
Database, as follows:
* All allocations and sub-allocations must be registered.
* Assignments for networks greater than /48 must be registered.
* Assignments for networks of /48 or less may be registered, at
the discretion of the LIR and the network administrator.
* Assignments to hosts may be registered, at the discretion of
the LIR and the end site.
When an LIR makes a sub-allocation to a downstream ISP, the LIR is
responsible for ensuring that assignments from the sub-allocated range
are registered in the database; however, the LIR may delegate the
responsibility to the downstream ISP.
If an LIR registers a /64 assignment, it will be counted as a utilised
/48 when assessing existing address utilisation for future IPv6
allocation requests.
Note: Privacy of customer assignments (prop-007-v001) will be
implemented in 2004. This new policy no longer requires the
registration of assignments and sub-allocations to be publicly
available. The registration of customer assignments is still required,
but will be 'hidden' by default.
11.1 Updating registration details
LIRs must update the APNIC Whois Database when any of the
registration information changes. This is the responsibility of
the LIR concerned, but may be formally delegated to the end
user as a condition of the original assignment.
11.2 Registering contact persons
Administrative and technical contact persons must be registered
.
The registered administrative contact (admin-c) must be someone
who is physically located at the site of the network, subject
to the following exceptions:
* For residential networks or users, the network's technical
contact may be registered as admin-c.
* For networks in exceptional circumstances that make it
impractical to maintain an on-site administrative contact, an
off-site person may be registered as the admin-c.
The technical contact (tech-c) need not be physically located
at the site of the network, but must be a person who is
responsible for the day-to-day operation of the network.
