Clarification of IPv6 Address Assignment Policy
draft-ietf-6man-addr-assign-02

6man                                                     B. E. Carpenter
Internet-Draft                                         Univ. of Auckland
Updates: 7249 (if approved)                                  S. Krishnan
Intended status: Best Current Practice                             Cisco
Expires: 14 June 2025                                          D. Farmer
                                                      Univ. of Minnesota
                                                        11 December 2024

            Clarification of IPv6 Address Assignment Policy
                     draft-ietf-6man-addr-assign-02

Abstract

   This document specifies the approval process for changes to the IPv6
   Address Space registry.  It also updates RFC 7249.

About This Document

   This note is to be removed before publishing as an RFC.

   Status information for this document may be found at
   https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-6man-addr-assign/.

   Discussion of this document takes place on the 6MAN Working Group
   mailing list (mailto:ipv6@ietf.org), which is archived at
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   https://www.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/ipv6/.

Status of This Memo

   This Internet-Draft is submitted in full conformance with the
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   Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
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   This Internet-Draft will expire on 14 June 2025.

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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2024 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

   This document is subject to BCP 78 and the IETF Trust's Legal
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   Please review these documents carefully, as they describe your rights
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Table of Contents

   1.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Approval Level of IPv6 Address Allocations  . . . . . . . . .   3
   3.  RFC Editor Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   4.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   5.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     7.1.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
     7.2.  Informative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5
   Appendix A.  IPv6 Registry Title Inconsistencies  . . . . . . . .   6
   Appendix B.  Change Log [RFC Editor: please remove] . . . . . . .   6
     B.1.  draft-carpenter-6man-addr-assign-00 . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     B.2.  Draft-01  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     B.3.  Draft-02  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   6
     B.4.  draft-ietf-6man-addr-assign-00  . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     B.5.  Draft-01  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
     B.6.  Draft-02  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   7

1.  Introduction

   Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) and its address space are
   currently defined by [STD86] and [RFC4291].  The management of the
   IPv6 address space was delegated to IANA by [RFC1881], some years
   before the current relationship between the IETF and IANA was
   formalized [RFC2860] and registry details were clarified [RFC7020],
   [RFC7249].

   Occasionally, IPv6 address space allocations are performed outside
   the scope of routine allocations to regional address registries.  For
   example, recently a substantial allocation was requested by an IETF
   document approved by the IESG [RFC9602].

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   The allocation policy in the IANA IPv6 Address Space registry [IANA1]
   is currently shown as "IESG approval", whereas for major allocations
   a more stringent policy is appropriate.  The present document
   therefore strengthens the approval level needed for non-routine
   address allocations, which requires an update to RFC 7249.

   This document also clarifies the status of RFC 1881.  This
   clarification is necessary because RFC 1881, a joint publication of
   the IAB and IESG following an IETF Last Call, is incorrectly listed
   in the RFC index at the time of writing as "legacy", whereas it
   remains current.

2.  Approval Level of IPv6 Address Allocations

   Portions of the IPv6 address space are shown in the registry as
   "Reserved by IETF".  This is the address space held in reserve for
   future use if ever the current 125-bit unicast space (2000::/3) is
   found inadequate or inappropriate.

   RFC 1881 did not specify an allocation policy for this space.  At
   some point, IANA listed "IESG approval".  As defined in [BCP26], this
   is a rather weak requirement ("Although there is no requirement that
   the request be documented in an RFC, the IESG has the discretion to
   request documents...") and is "a fall-back mechanism in the case
   where one of the other allowable approval mechanisms cannot be
   employed...".

   For something as important as the majority of the spare IPv6 address
   space, the currently defined process is clearly insufficient.  The
   present document replaces the "IESG approval" process by the "IETF
   Review" process as defined by BCP 26.  It is not considered necessary
   to require the stricter "Standards Action" policy, because there
   might be cases where opening up a new range of address space did not
   in fact require a new protocol standard.

   It may be noted that the recent allocation for [RFC9602], which was
   processed as a working group document, did indeed follow the more
   stringent "IETF Review" process proposed by this document.  Indeed,
   the other two related registries [IANA2] [IANA3] do cite the "IETF
   Review" policy, consistently with RFC 7249.

   This document therefore extends the first paragraph of section 2.3 of
   [RFC7249] as follows:

   OLD:

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   |  The vast bulk of the IPv6 address space (approximately 7/8ths of
   |  the whole address space) is reserved by the IETF [RFC4291], with
   |  the expectation that further assignment of globally unique unicast
   |  address space will be made from this reserved space in accordance
   |  with future needs.

   NEW:

   |  The vast bulk of the IPv6 address space (approximately 7/8ths of
   |  the whole address space) is reserved by the IETF [RFC4291], with
   |  the expectation that further assignment of globally unique unicast
   |  address space will be made from this reserved space in accordance
   |  with future needs, through "IETF Review" as defined in [BCP26].

3.  RFC Editor Considerations

   The RFC Editor is requested to update the "Stream" information for
   [RFC1881] to "IETF" in place of "Legacy".

4.  IANA Considerations

   IANA is requested to update the "Registration Procedure(s)" section
   of the Internet Protocol Version 6 Address Space registry to show the
   policy as "IETF Review".

5.  Security Considerations

   Carefully reviewed address allocation mechanisms are necessary for
   any form of address-based security.

6.  Acknowledgements

   Useful comments were received from Dale Carder, Bob Hinden, Philipp
   Tiesel, and others.

7.  References

7.1.  Normative References

   [BCP26]    Best Current Practice 26,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/bcp26>.
              At the time of writing, this BCP comprises the following:

              Cotton, M., Leiba, B., and T. Narten, "Guidelines for
              Writing an IANA Considerations Section in RFCs", BCP 26,
              RFC 8126, DOI 10.17487/RFC8126, June 2017,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8126>.

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

   [STD86]    Internet Standard 86,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/std86>.
              At the time of writing, this STD comprises the following:

              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>.

7.2.  Informative References

   [IANA1]    "IPv6 Address Space registry", n.d.,
              <https://www.iana.org/assignments/ipv6-address-space>.

   [IANA2]    "IPv6 Global Unicast Address Assignments", n.d.,
              <https://www.iana.org/assignments/ipv6-unicast-address-
              assignments>.

   [IANA3]    "IANA IPv6 Special-Purpose Address Registry", n.d.,
              <https://www.iana.org/assignments/iana-ipv6-special-
              registry>.

   [RFC1881]  IAB and IESG, "IPv6 Address Allocation Management",
              RFC 1881, DOI 10.17487/RFC1881, December 1995,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1881>.

   [RFC2860]  Carpenter, B., Baker, F., and M. Roberts, "Memorandum of
              Understanding Concerning the Technical Work of the
              Internet Assigned Numbers Authority", RFC 2860,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC2860, June 2000,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2860>.

   [RFC7020]  Housley, R., Curran, J., Huston, G., and D. Conrad, "The
              Internet Numbers Registry System", RFC 7020,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7020, August 2013,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7020>.

   [RFC7249]  Housley, R., "Internet Numbers Registries", RFC 7249,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC7249, May 2014,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc7249>.

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   [RFC9602]  Krishnan, S., "Segment Routing over IPv6 (SRv6) Segment
              Identifiers in the IPv6 Addressing Architecture",
              RFC 9602, DOI 10.17487/RFC9602, October 2024,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9602>.

Appendix A.  IPv6 Registry Title Inconsistencies

   The authors would like to draw attention to inconsistencies in the
   titles for two of the IPv6 Address Registries: the "Internet Protocol
   Version 6 Address Space" registry [IANA1] and the "IPv6 Global
   Unicast Address Assignments" registry [IANA2].  These two titles are
   inconsistent with the titles for the "IANA IPv6 Special-Purpose
   Address Registry" [IANA3] and the similar IPv4 registries, the "IANA
   IPv4 Address Space Registry" and the "IANA IPv4 Special-Purpose
   Address Registry."

   While these are mostly editorial issues, likely within IANA's
   control, confusion caused by these different titles could have easily
   contributed to not updating the Registry Procedures for the "Internet
   Protocol Version 6 Address Space" registry at the time of RFC 7249.

   The "IANA IPv6 Address Space Registry" and the "IANA IPv6 Global
   Unicast Address Space Registry" are possibly more consistent titles
   for these registries.

Appendix B.  Change Log [RFC Editor: please remove]

B.1.  draft-carpenter-6man-addr-assign-00

   *  Original version

B.2.  Draft-01

   *  Added author

   *  Added citations

   *  Small update to RFC 7249

   *  Added appendix on registry names

B.3.  Draft-02

   *  Clarified some details

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B.4.  draft-ietf-6man-addr-assign-00

   *  Adopted by WG

B.5.  Draft-01

   *  Changed stream for RFC 1881 to IETF

   *  Editorial improvements

B.6.  Draft-02

   *  Further editorial improvements

Authors' Addresses

   Brian E. Carpenter
   The University of Auckland
   School of Computer Science
   PB 92019
   Auckland 1142
   New Zealand
   Email: brian.e.carpenter@gmail.com

   Suresh Krishnan
   Cisco Systems, Inc.
   Email: suresh.krishnan@gmail.com

   David E. Farmer III
   University of Minnesota
   Office of Information Technology
   Minneapolis MN 55455
   United States of America
   Email: farmer@umn.edu

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