--------------------------------------------------------------- prop-154-v001: Resizing of IPv4 assignment for the IXPs ---------------------------------------------------------------- Proposer: Simon Sohel Baroi (sbaroi@gmail.com) Aftab Siddiqui 1. Problem statement -------------------- According to APNIC Internet Number Resource Policies ( Ref – APNIC-127, Dated: 22 DEC, 2022 ), an Internet Exchange Point ( IXP ) is eligible to receive a maximum /23 of IPv4 and /48 of IPv6 resources. Usually APNIC assign one /24 to start a new IXP. But from analysis through PeeringDB, we found most of places the resources have been under-utilised and new IXPs are wasting a large amount of valuable IPv4 spaces. On the other side there are large IXP, who can’t grow due to lack of IP resources, where /23 is not enough as the membership number is big. The size of the minimum and maximum range of IP delegation to new or existing IXPs is the main problem in the current policy. Present IXP Status in APAC region from PeeringDB [5] : +-------------------+-------+------------+-------+---------------------------+ | IX Names | Peers | ....Vs.... | Peers | IX Names | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | BBIX Tokyo | 299 | | 17 | BBIX-Thailand | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | JPIX TOKYO | 257 | | 3 | MekongIX | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | Equinix Tokyo | 131 | | 2 | Equinix Mumbai | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | JPNAP Tokyo | 211 | | 13 | npIX JWL | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | HKIX | 296 | | 3 | Vanuatu Internet Exchange | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | Equinix Hong Kong | 216 | | 4 | MyNAP | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | Equinix Singapore | 422 | | 25 | DE-CIX Kuala Lumpur | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | IIX-Jakarta | 449 | | 13 | IIX-Lampung | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | DECIX-Mumbai | 446 | | 14 | Decix Kolkata | +-------------------+-------+ +-------+---------------------------+ | MegaIX Sydney | 232 | | 46 | EdgeIX - Melbourne | +-------------------+-------+------------+-------+---------------------------+ 2. Objective of policy change ----------------------------- The objective of this proposal is to modify the default size of IPv4 assignments for IXPs from /23 to /26, which can receive a replacement up to a maximum of a /22, provided the IXP returns the IPv4 address space previously assigned to them. 3. Situation in other regions ----------------------------- Similar policy has been adopted by RIPE NCC ( ripe-733 : IPv4 Address Allocation and Assignment Policies for the RIPE NCC Service Region ) [4] 4. Proposed policy solution --------------------------- Current Policy text: 6.2.4. IPv4 for Internet Exchange Points Internet Exchange Points (IXP) are eligible to receive a delegation from APNIC to be used exclusively to connect the IXP participant devices to the Exchange Point. Global routability of the delegation is left to the discretion of the IXP and its participants. New Policy text: 6.2.4. IPv4 for Internet Exchange Points By default, a /26 of IPv4 address block will be assigned to the new IXPs. IXPs can seek an assignment of up to a /25 when they can justify having more than 60 peers on the IXP fabric (peering LAN) in the next 12 months. IXPs can seek an assignment of up to a /24 when they can justify having more than 100 peers on the IXP fabric (peering LAN) in the next 12 months. If it is a national IXP and the said economy doesn’t have more than 60 registered APNIC members or resource holders (from other RIRs or legacy space holders) then there is no justification to have more than /27 assignments. An IXP which received an assignment less than /24 can request upto /23 IPv4, only if 60% of the original assignment has been used. The existing assignment must be returned by the IXP within 3 months of the new assignment. Existing Large IXPs that already have used their maximum assignment of /23 from current policy can request a contiguous block (if available) of /22, only if they have already used 80% of existing assignment. The existing assignment must be returned by the IXP within 3 months of the new assignment. Any resources less than /24 assigned under this policy will not be announced in the global routing table (mistakes are exempted) and must be used for IXP peering only, in case otherwise the resources will be revoked by APNIC. Global routability of the delegation outside this policy is left to the discretion of the IXP and its participants. 5. Advantages / Disadvantages ----------------------------- Advantages: This proposal will ensure rapid expansion of IXPs in terms of membership and PoP numbers for this region and smoothen allocation of IPv4. Reducing the default assignment size to /26 would stop wasting a large amount of valuable IPv4 space. Disadvantages: When the IXP operator jumps into a bigger block of IPv4 and returns the existing one, then they might be required to renumber all routers connected to that IXP fabric (peering LAN). 6. Impact on APNIC ------------------ The IXP who already became an APNIC member and has less IPv4 Resources can also apply for maximum delegation for their expansion. References ---------- [1] Section 6.2.4. IPv4 for Internet Exchange Points. https://www.apnic.net/community/policy/resources#a_h_6_2_4 [2] Section 9.1.3. IPv6 for Internet Exchange Points. https://www.apnic.net/community/policy/resources#a_h_9_1_3 [3] Section 11.1.2. Conditions on source of the transfer https://www.apnic.net/community/policy/resources#a_h_11_1 [4] IPv4 Address Allocation and Assignment Policies for the RIPE NCC Service Region https://www.ripe.net/publications/docs/ripe-733 [5] PeeringDB https://www.peeringdb.com/