Reserving Additional IPv6 Address Prefixes for Use in Documentation
draft-horley-v6ops-expand-doc-01

Network Working Group                                          E. Horley
Internet-Draft                                                T. Coffeen
Intended status: Informational                                   S. Hogg
Expires: January 28, 2022                                      HexaBuild
                                                             N. Buraglio
                                                             C. Cummings
                                                 Energy Sciences Network
                                                                K. Myers
                                                           IP ArchiTechs
                                                                R. White
                                                        Juniper Networks
                                                           July 27, 2021

  Reserving Additional IPv6 Address Prefixes for Use in Documentation
                    draft-horley-v6ops-expand-doc-01

Abstract

   To reduce the likelihood of conflict and confusion when relating
   documented examples to deployed systems, the IPv6 unicast address
   prefix 2001:db8::/32 is reserved for use in examples in documentation
   including RFCs, books, articles, vendor manuals, etc.  This document
   proposes the reservation of additional IPv6 prefixes for this
   purpose; specifically, 3ffe::/16 (formerly 6bone) and fec0::/10
   (formerly site-local).

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
   provisions of BCP 78 and BCP 79.

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   This Internet-Draft will expire on January 28, 2022.

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Copyright Notice

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   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   described in the Simplified BSD License.

Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Requirements Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  Documentation IPv6 Address Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   4.  Operational Implications  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
   5.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     8.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
     8.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Introduction

   The address architecture for IPv6 [RFC4291] does not specifically
   allocate any IPv6 address prefixes for documentation purposes.  The
   current IPv6 documentation prefix of 2001:db8::/32 defined in
   [RFC6890] is not large enough for many design and documentation
   requirements.  No additional documentation prefix(es) were allocated
   in the most recent IPv6 Specification [RFC8200].

   These are example use cases that require a documentation IPv6 prefix
   larger than a /32:

   o  Ability to document network architectures (including addressing
      plans) larger than a /32 (Service Providers, Enterprise,
      Government, IoT, Energy),

   o  Ability to document mergers and acquisitions designs for large
      networks (multiple /32 prefix space or larger, plus networks with
      multiple ASNs),

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   o  Reduction of operational impacts by having sufficiently large IPv6
      prefixes dedicated for documenting and sharing designs and best
      practices,

   o  Ability to depict unique IPv6 prefix identification (simple visual
      representation to identify separate networks)

   The following existing criteria are beneficially extended to the
   additional documentation prefixes:

   o  Filters are already commonly in use to block the existing
      documentation prefix from the Internet.

   o  There are no operational impacts to IANA or the RIRs with
      documentation prefix space.

2.  Requirements Language

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to are to be interpreted as described
   in BCP 14 [RFC2119] when, and only when, they appear in all capitals,
   as shown here.

3.  Documentation IPv6 Address Prefixes

   The additional IPv6 address prefixes allocated for documentation
   purposes are 3ffe::/16 (formerly 6bone - [RFC3701]) and fec0::/10
   (formerly site-local - [RFC3879]), resulting in the following
   prefixes for use in documentation:

   o  fec0::/10

   o  3ffe::/16

   o  2001:db8::/32 - existing as defined in [RFC3879]

4.  Operational Implications

   The addition of IPv6 address prefixes for documentation implies that
   IPv6 network operators should add these address prefixes to their
   lists of non-routable/bogon IPv6 address space.  If packet filters
   are deployed in live networks, these address prefixes should be added
   to those filters intended to prevent any public routing of such
   address space.

   Because the 3ffe::/16 address prefix was previously used for the
   subsequently decommissioned 6bone network, this address prefix is

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   included in many existing non-routable prefix filters and lists.  Its
   precedence value per [RFC6724] is 1, which limits its usability in
   production networks.  In addition, the 3ffe::/16 address prefix was
   returned to IANA and is available to be reserved for documentation
   purposes.

   Similarly the fec0::/10 address prefix was previously used for site-
   local addressing, and thus is already included in many non-routable
   prefix filters and lists.  Its precedence value per [RFC6724] is 1,
   which limits its usability in production networks.  In addition, the
   fec0::/10 address prefix was returned to IANA and is available to be
   reserved for documentation purposes.

   As a documentation prefix, the former site-local scope of fec0::/10
   is considered deprecated and filters may be required and used with
   any scope.

5.  IANA Considerations

   These documentation prefixes have limited impact on IANA and no
   impact on any RIRs.

   IANA is to record the allocation of the IPv6 global unicast address
   prefix 3ffe::/16 and fec0::/10 as documentation-only prefixes in the
   IPv6 address registry.  No end-user or service provider/LIR is to be
   assigned these addresses.

6.  Security Considerations

   IPv6 addressing documentation has no direct impact on Internet
   security.

   However, the assignment of a new address space for documentation
   purposes does mean, as indicated above, that these addresses SHOULD
   be added to any filters required by individual operators to prevent
   their use for globally routed destinations.

7.  Acknowledgements

   The authors acknowledge the work of Geoff Huston, assisted by Anne
   Lord, and Philip Smith, in authoring the previous proposal for the
   IPv6 documentation prefix.

8.  References

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8.1.  Normative References

   [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
              Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2119, March 1997,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc2119>.

   [RFC3701]  Fink, R. and R. Hinden, "6bone (IPv6 Testing Address
              Allocation) Phaseout", RFC 3701, DOI 10.17487/RFC3701,
              March 2004, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3701>.

   [RFC3879]  Huitema, C. and B. Carpenter, "Deprecating Site Local
              Addresses", RFC 3879, DOI 10.17487/RFC3879, September
              2004, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3879>.

   [RFC8200]  Deering, S. and R. Hinden, "Internet Protocol, Version 6
              (IPv6) Specification", STD 86, RFC 8200,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC8200, July 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8200>.

8.2.  Informative References

   [RFC3513]  Hinden, R. and S. Deering, "Internet Protocol Version 6
              (IPv6) Addressing Architecture", RFC 3513,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC3513, April 2003,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc3513>.

   [RFC4291]  Hinden, R. and S. Deering, "IP Version 6 Addressing
              Architecture", RFC 4291, DOI 10.17487/RFC4291, February
              2006, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4291>.

   [RFC6724]  Thaler, D., Ed., Draves, R., Matsumoto, A., and T. Chown,
              "Default Address Selection for Internet Protocol Version 6
              (IPv6)", RFC 6724, DOI 10.17487/RFC6724, September 2012,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6724>.

   [RFC6890]  Cotton, M., Vegoda, L., Bonica, R., Ed., and B. Haberman,
              "Special-Purpose IP Address Registries", BCP 153,
              RFC 6890, DOI 10.17487/RFC6890, April 2013,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6890>.

Authors' Addresses

   Ed Horley
   HexaBuild

   Email: ed@hexabuild.io

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   Tom Coffeen
   HexaBuild

   Email: tom@hexabuild.io

   Scott Hogg
   HexaBuild

   Email: scott@hexabuild.io

   Nick Buraglio
   Energy Sciences Network

   Email: buraglio@es.net

   Chris Cummings
   Energy Sciences Network

   Email: chriscummings@es.net

   Kevin Myers
   IP ArchiTechs

   Email: kevin.myers@iparchitechs.com

   Russ White
   Juniper Networks

   Email: russ@riw.us

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