Human Readable Validate ROA Payload Notation
draft-ietf-sidrops-vrp-notation-04

Network Working Group                                     T. Bruijnzeels
Internet-Draft                                                T. de Kock
Intended status: Informational                                  RIPE NCC
Expires: 5 April 2026                                        O. Borchert
                                                                    NIST
                                                                   D. Ma
                                                                    ZDNS
                                                          2 October 2025

              Human Readable Validate ROA Payload Notation
                   draft-ietf-sidrops-vrp-notation-04

Abstract

   This document defines a human readable notation for Validated ROA
   Payloads (VRP, RFC 6811) based on ABNF (RFC 5234) for use with RPKI
   tooling and documentation.

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Copyright Notice

   Copyright (c) 2025 IETF Trust and the persons identified as the
   document authors.  All rights reserved.

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Table of Contents

   1.  Requirements notation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   2.  Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   2
   3.  VRP Notation Definition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.1.  roa-prefix  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   3
     3.2.  origin-asn  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   4.  Example Notations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   5.  IANA Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   6.  Security Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   7.  Acknowledgements  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   8.  Normative References  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   4
   Authors' Addresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   5

1.  Requirements notation

   The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
   "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "NOT RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and
   "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described in BCP
   14 [RFC2119] [RFC8174] when, and only when, they appear in all
   capitals, as shown here.

2.  Introduction

   This informational document defines a human readable notation for
   Validated ROA Payloads (VRPs) [RFC6811].

   We provide this notation because it can help to create consistency
   between RPKI Relying Party software output, making it easier for
   operators to compare results.  It can also be used by RPKI
   Certificate Authorities (CA) command line interfaces and/or
   configuration.  E.g. allowing a CA to provide a listing of intended
   VRPs which can be easily compared to RP output.  Our final goal is
   that this will be helpful for documentation.

   The chosen notation style can be read from left to right to mean that
   the holder of the prefix (and optional max length) on the left
   authorises annoucements by the ASN on the right.

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   That said, this document is informational.  Implementations can
   choose to use their own notation styles instead of, or in addition to
   this.

3.  VRP Notation Definition

   This specification uses ABNF syntax specified in [RFC5234].

   notation      = vrp-prefix separator origin-asn
   vrp-prefix    = v4-vrp-prefix / v6-vrp-prefix

   v4-vrp-prefix = v4-cidr ["-" v4-max-length]
   v4-cidr       = v4-address "/" v4-pfx-length
   v4-address    = v4-byte "." v4-byte "." v4-byte "." v4-byte
   v4-byte       = %d0-255
   v4-pfx-length = %d0-32
   v4-max-length = %d0-32

   v6-vrp-prefix = v6-cidr ["-" v6-max-length]
   v6-cidr       = v6-address "/" v6-pfx-length
   v6-address    = (v6-un / v6-no-0 / v6-l-0 / v6-m-0 / v6-t-0)
   v6-un         = "::"
   v6-no-0       = v6-bytes 7*7(":" v6-bytes)
   v6-l-0        = ":" 1*7(":" v6-bytes)
   v6-m-0        = 1*6(v6-bytes ":") ":" 1*6(":" v6-bytes)
   v6-t-0        = 1*7(v6-bytes ":") ":"
   v6-bytes      = %x0-FFFF
   v6-pfx-length = %d0-128
   v6-max-length = %d0-128

   separator     = " => "

   origin-asn    = "AS" uint32
   uint32        = %d0-4294967295

3.1.  roa-prefix

   This field denotes a single Validated ROA Prefix (VRP) as defined in
   section 2 of [RFC6811].  VRPs consist of either an IPv4 or an IPv6
   prefix using CIDR prefix notation, optionally followed by a max-
   length value.

   Unfortunately we could not find pre-existing formal ABNF syntax
   specifications for IPv4 and IPv6 CIDR prefix notation.  The fairly
   basic specifications defined above cover the notation of valid CIDR
   prefixes, but it should be noted that they also allow for the
   notation of invalid IPv6 addresses, and allow for prefix length
   values that are not applicable to the base IP address.  Rather than

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   trying to define these rules in detail here we refer to section 3.1
   of [RFC4632] for guidelines on IPv4 CIDR notation and section 2.3 of
   [RFC4291] for IPv6.

   If the max-length is specified then its value needs to be the same as
   or longer than the length of the prefix within the bounds applicable
   to the address family of the prefix.  If it is omitted then the
   effective max-length for the VRP will be the same as the VPR prefix
   length.

3.2.  origin-asn

   This field consists of the string "AS" followed by a decimal value of
   a 32-bit Autonomous System Number using the asplain presentation as
   specified in [RFC5396].  Decimal values MUST represent a 32 bit
   value, and therefore MUST be part of the range 0-4294967295.

4.  Example Notations

   192.0.2.0/24 => AS65000
   192.0.2.0/24-24 => AS65000
   192.0.2.0/24-32 => AS65000
   192.0.2.0/32 => AS65000

   2001:db8::/32 => AS65000
   2001:db8::/32-32 => AS65000
   2001:db8::/32-128 => AS65000
   2001:db8::/128 => AS65000

5.  IANA Considerations

   This document has no IANA actions.

6.  Security Considerations

   TBD

7.  Acknowledgements

   Thanks to Nan Geng for the editorial feedback.  Thanks to Randy Bush
   for suggesting to allow only one possible notation for AS numbers.

8.  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>.

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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/info/rfc4291>.

   [RFC4632]  Fuller, V. and T. Li, "Classless Inter-domain Routing
              (CIDR): The Internet Address Assignment and Aggregation
              Plan", BCP 122, RFC 4632, DOI 10.17487/RFC4632, August
              2006, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc4632>.

   [RFC5234]  Crocker, D., Ed. and P. Overell, "Augmented BNF for Syntax
              Specifications: ABNF", STD 68, RFC 5234,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC5234, January 2008,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5234>.

   [RFC5396]  Huston, G. and G. Michaelson, "Textual Representation of
              Autonomous System (AS) Numbers", RFC 5396,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC5396, December 2008,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc5396>.

   [RFC6811]  Mohapatra, P., Scudder, J., Ward, D., Bush, R., and R.
              Austein, "BGP Prefix Origin Validation", RFC 6811,
              DOI 10.17487/RFC6811, January 2013,
              <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc6811>.

   [RFC8174]  Leiba, B., "Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC
              2119 Key Words", BCP 14, RFC 8174, DOI 10.17487/RFC8174,
              May 2017, <https://www.rfc-editor.org/info/rfc8174>.

Authors' Addresses

   Tim Bruijnzeels
   RIPE NCC
   Email: tbruijnzeels@ripe.net

   Ties de Kock
   RIPE NCC
   Email: tdekock@ripe.net

   Oliver Borchert
   NIST
   Email: oliver.borchert@nist.gov

   Di Ma
   ZDNS
   Email: madi@zdns.cn

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