On 12 Nov 2004, at 03:27, Iljitsch van Beijnum wrote:
ARIN says:
NetRange: 2001:04F8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000 - 2001:04F8:FFFF:FFFF:FFFF:F
FFF:FFFF:FFFF
CIDR: 2001:04F8:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000:0000/32
[...]
NetType: Direct Allocation
I don't exactly know what this means, but something called "allocation" that's bigger than what a single organization could possibly need for its own use doesn't smell like PI to me.
That is exactly what PI is. The word "allocate" used by RIRs usually corresponds to PI. The corresponding word for PA is "assign".
Some clarification is perhaps useful.
PI: If organisation A has addresses assigned directly from an RIR, that means those addresses are Provider-Independent. The addresses are not tied to a particular provider. They were not assigned by a provider. Organisation A can change providers at will without renumbering. The addresses are Provider-Independent. That's what PI stands for.
PA: If organisation A takes some of that PI space and assigns it to organisation B, then the addresses received by organisation B are not Provider-Independent: they are instead tied to organisation A. Organisation A is the Provider. It would be possible for organisation A to announce an aggregate which covered the routes corresponding to B's addresses. That makes B's addresses Provider Aggregatable. That's what PA stands for.
Furthermore, IPv6 PI space is easy for ISPs (LIRs) to get. Really very easy indeed. Cast all thoughts of difficult justification and record-keeping that you might associate with v4 allocations from your mind, at least for your initial v6 request.
In order to obtain a /32 PI allocation you can meet the initial allocation requirements by telling the RIR you have a plan to make a number of /48 assignments to other organisations within two years. For RIPE, APNIC and ARIN that number is 200. For LACNIC, that number appears to be 1.
http://www.apnic.net/docs/policy/ipv6-address-policy.html http://www.arin.net/policy/index.html#six5 http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ipv6policy.html http://lacnic.net/en/ipv6.html
To say "there is currently no PI in IPv6 unless you're an internet exchange or a root server" is incorrect. IPv6 PI addresses are easy for ISPs to get.
Joe
