INTERNET-DRAFT                                                  R. Fink
June 12, 2003                                                 R. Hinden


              6bone (IPv6 Testing Address Allocation) Phaseout

                     <draft-fink-6bone-phaseout-04.txt>


Status of this Memo

     This document is an Internet-Draft and is in full conformance with
     all provisions of Section 10 of RFC2026.

     Internet-Drafts are working documents of the Internet Engineering
     Task Force (IETF), its areas, and its working groups.  Note that
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     The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT",
     "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this
     document are to be interpreted as described in [RFC2119].

     This Internet-Draft expires on December 12, 2003.


Abstract

     The 6bone was established in 1996 by the IETF as an IPv6 Testbed
     network to enable various IPv6 testing as well as to assist in the
     transitioning of IPv6 into the Internet. It operates under the IPv6
     address allocation 3FFE::/16 from RFC 2471. As IPv6 is beginning its
     production deployment it is appropriate to plan for the phaseout of
     the 6bone. This note establishes a plan for a multi-year phaseout of
     the 6bone and its address allocation on the assumption that the IETF
     is the appropriate place to determine this.

     This document is intended to obsolete RFC 2471, "IPv6 Testing Address



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     Allocation", December, 1998.  RFC 2471 will become historic.


1.0 Introduction

     The 6bone IPv6 Testbed network was established in March 1996,
     becoming operational during the summer of 1996 using an IPv6 testing
     address allocation of 5F00::/8 [TEST-OLD] using the original (and now
     obsolete) provider based unicast address format. In July 1998 a new
     IPv6 Addressing Architecture [ARCH] replaced the original provider
     based unicast address format with the now standardized Aggregatable
     Global Unicast Address Format [AGGR].

     To allow the 6bone to operate under the revised IPv6 address
     architecture with the new Aggregatable Global Unicast addressing
     format, [TEST-OLD] was replaced with a new IPv6 testing address
     allocation" of 3FFE::/16 in [TEST-NEW]. During the fall of 1998, in
     anticipation of [AGGR], the 6bone was re-addressed under the 3FFE::/16
     prefix with little problems.

     From the fall of 1998, until the issuance of this note, the 6bone has
     continued to successfully operate with Aggregatable Global Unicast
     Address prefixes from the 3FFE::/16 allocation, using a set of 6bone
     routing practice rules specified in [GUIDE], and later refined to
     6Bone backbone routing guidelines in [PRACTICE].

     During its lifetime the 6bone has provided:

        - a place for early standard developers and implementers to test
          out the IPv6 protocols and their implementations;

        - a place for early experimentation with routing and operational
          procedures;

        - a place to evolve practices useful for production IPv6 prefix
          allocation;

        - a place to provide bootstrap qualification for production IPv6
          address prefix allocation;

        - a place to develop IPv6 applications;

        - a place for early users to try using IPv6 in their hosts and
          networks.

     As clearly stated in [TEST-NEW], the addresses for the 6bone are
     temporary and will be reclaimed in the future. It further states that
     all users of these addresses (within the 3FFE::/16 prefix) will be



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     required to renumber at some time in the future.

     Since 1999 planning for, and allocation of, IPv6 production address
     prefixes by the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) community has been
     underway. During 2002 more production IPv6 address prefixes had been
     allocated than are allocated by the 6bone at the top level. It is
     generally assumed that this is one reasonable indicator that planning
     for a 6bone phaseout should begin.

     It is generally assumed that there is still some remaining need for
     the 6bone, at least for current usage that will take time to evaluate
     and possibly move to production IPv6 networks when possible.

     It is generally viewed that the 6bone is an IETF activity as it was
     established by IETF participants to assist the IETF in developing
     IPv6 protocols, and also to assist in the IPv6 transition. To this
     end, the [TEST-NEW] RFC specified that the 6bone testing was to be
     under the auspices of the IETF IPng Transition (ngtrans) Working
     Group 6bone testbed activity. However, during 2002 the ngtrans
     working group was terminated and replaced to a certain degree by the
     v6ops working group, which did not include oversight of the 6bone in
     its charter. Therefore it is assumed that it is appropriate to use
     the IETF Informational RFC process to determine a 6bone
     phaseout plan, as well as an appropriate way to get community
     feedback on the specifics of the 6bone phaseout.

     This plan for a 6bone phaseout specifies a multi-year phaseout
     timeline to allow sufficient time for continuing operation of the
     6bone, followed by a sufficient time for 6bone participants to
     convert to production IPv6 address prefixes allocated by the relevant
     Regional Internet Registry (RIR), National Internet Registry, or
     Local Internet Registries (ISPs).

     It is anticipated that under this phaseout plan the 6bone will cease
     to operate by June 6, 2006, with all 6bone prefixes fully reclaimed
     by the IANA.

     This document is intended to obsolete RFC 2471, "IPv6 Testing Address
     Allocation", December, 1998.  RFC 2471 will become historic.


2.0 6bone Phaseout Plan

     To provide for the continuing useful operation of the 6bone, to the
     extent that IETF consensus judges it to be useful, 6bone top level
     address prefixes known as pseudo TLA's (pTLAs) MAY continue to be
     allocated until January 1, 2004.




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     Thus after the pTLA allocation cutoff date January 1, 2004, it is
     REQUIRED that no new 6bone 3FFE pTLAs be allocated.

     To provide for sufficient planning time for 6bone participants to
     convert to production IPv6 address prefixes, all 6bone prefixes
     allocated by the cutoff time specified above, except for allocations
     withdrawn as a matter of 6bone operating procedures, SHALL remain
     valid until June 6, 2006.

     Thus after the 6bone phaseout date June 6, 2006, it is the intent
     that no 6bone 3FFE prefixes, of any size/length, be used on the
     Internet in any form. Network operators may filter 3FFE prefixes on
     their borders to ensure these prefixes are not misused.


     It should be noted that this RFC does not intend to imply that a
     6bone prefix holder, whether at the pTLA top level or lower, should
     seek a production IPv6 address prefix at any specific level. It may
     be entirely reasonable for a 6bone prefix holder to seek a higher
     level, or a lower level, IPv6 prefix as their specific needs dictate.


3.0 Normative References

     [ARCH]     Hinden, R., S. Deering, "Internet Protocol Version 6
                (IPv6) Addressing Architecture", RFC 3513, April 2003.

     [AGGR]     Hinden, R., S. Deering, M. O'Dell, "An Aggregatable Global
                Unicast Address Format", RFC 2374, July 1998.

     [RFC2119]  Bradner, S., "Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
                Requirement Levels", BCP 14, RFC 2119, March 1997.

     [TEST-NEW] Hinden, R., R. Fink, J. Postel, "IPv6 Testing Address
                Allocation", RFC 2471, December 1998.

     [TEST-OLD] Hinden, R., J. Postel, "IPv6 Testing Address Allocation",
                RFC 1897, January 1996


4.0 Informative References

     [GUIDE]    Rockell, R., R. Fink, "6Bone Backbone Routing Guidelines",
                RFC 2772, February 2000.

     [PRACTICE] Durand, A, B. Buclin, "6bone Routing Practice", RFC 2546,
                March 1999.





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5.0 Security Considerations

     This document defines a phaseout plan for the usage of the IPv6
     Testing Address Allocation [TEST-NEW], which uses addresses
     consistent with [AGGR].  It does not have any direct impact on
     Internet infrastructure security.


6.0 IANA Considerations

     This document defines a phaseout plan for the usage of the IPv6
     Testing Address Allocation [TEST-NEW]. The IANA MUST reclaim the
     3FFE::/16 prefix upon the date specified in 2.0.

     When the 6bone Testing Address Allocation is reclaimed by the IANA,
     it is expected that many network operators will filter it on their
     borders to ensure these prefixes are not misused.

     There is experience from the IPv4 world that such filters may not be
     removed promptly should this address space be reallocated, and it is
     recommended that the IANA bears this in mind before reallocating it
     in a manner that would require it to be routed globally within the
     current Internet.


7.0  Authors' Addresses

     Robert L. Fink
     email: bob@thefinks.com


     Robert M. Hinden
     Nokia
     313 Fairchild Drive
     Mountain View, CA 94043
     US

     phone: +1 650 625-2004
     email: bob.hinden@nokia.com


8.0  Full Copyright Statement

     Copyright (C) The Internet Society (2003).  All Rights Reserved.

     This document and translations of it may be copied and furnished to
     others, and derivative works that comment on or otherwise explain it
     or assist in its implementation may be prepared, copied, published



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     and distributed, in whole or in part, without restriction of any
     kind, provided that the above copyright notice and this paragraph are
     included on all such copies and derivative works.  However, this
     document itself may not be modified in any way, such as by removing
     the copyright notice or references to the Internet Society or other
     Internet organizations, except as needed for the purpose of
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     The limited permissions granted above are perpetual and will not be
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