________________________________________________________________________ prop-049-v001: IANA policy for allocation of ASN blocks to RIRs ________________________________________________________________________ Author: AfriNIC APNIC ARIN LACNIC RIPE NCC Version: 1 Date: 23 July 2007 1. Introduction ---------------- This proposal is to have a global policy for the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) to receive blocks of Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) from the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). 2. Summary of current problem ------------------------------ There are global policies governing the allocation of IPv4 and IPv6 blocks from the IANA to RIRs. At this point there is no specific policy regarding the allocation of Autonomous System Numbers from the IANA to the RIRs. This proposal will create a policy to fill this gap. 3. Situation in other RIRs ---------------------------- This proposal was adopted by the LACNIC region and is in its concluding phase in the RIPE region. It will soon be submitted to the AfriNIC and ARIN communities for discussion. 4. Details of the proposal ---------------------------- Abstract This document describes the policy governing the allocation of Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) from the IANA to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). This policy document does not stipulate performance requirements in the provision of services by the IANA to an RIR. Such requirements will be specified by appropriate agreements between ICANN and the Number Resource Organization (NRO). 1. Allocation principles IANA allocates ASNs to RIRs in blocks of 1024 ASNs. In this document the term "ASN block" refers to a set of 1024 ASNs. Until 31 December 2009, allocations of 2-byte only and 4-byte only ASN blocks will be made separately and independent of each other.[1] This means until 31 December 2009, RIRs can receive two separate ASN blocks, one for 2-byte only ASNs and one for 4-byte only ASNs from the IANA under this policy. After this date, IANA and the RIRs will cease to make any distinction between 2-byte only and 4-byte only ASNs, and will operate ASN allocations from an undifferentiated 4-byte ASN allocation pool. 2. Initial allocations Each new RIR will be allocated a new ASN block. 3. Additional allocations An RIR is eligible to receive (an) additional ASN block(s) from the IANA if one of the following conditions is met: 1. The RIR has assigned/allocated 80% of the previously received ASN block or 2. The number of free ASNs currently held by the RIR is less than two months need. This projection is based on the monthly average number of ASNs assigned by the RIR over the previous six months. An RIR will be allocated as many ASN blocks as are needed to support their registration needs for the next 12 months, based on their average assignment rate over the previous six months, unless the RIR specifically requests fewer blocks than that for which it qualifies. 4. Announcement of IANA allocations The IANA, the NRO and the RIRs will make announcements and update their respective websites/databases when an allocation is made by the IANA to an RIR. ICANN and the NRO will establish administrative procedures to manage this process. [1] 4-byte AS number policy proposal http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-032-v002.html 5. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposal ------------------------------------------------- Advantages: The criteria being proposed has already been the practice between IANA and RIRs so far and it has been proven to work. It is designed to allow RIRs to request ASN blocks from the IANA in a timely fashion and maintain enough ASNs in holding to ensure that their registration services can be sustained. It is also proposed that the RIRs be allocated as many ASN blocks as are needed to support their registration needs for the next 12 months. This will generally mean that each RIR will only need to make one ASN request from the IANA each year, thus lowering operational overhead for the RIRs. Disadvantages: None. 6. Effect on APNIC members ---------------------------- None. 7. Effect on NIRs ------------------- None.