[sig-policy] prop-075: Ensuring efficient use of historical AS numbers
The proposal, 'Ensuring efficient use of historical AS numbers', has
been sent to the Policy SIG for review. It will be presented at the
Policy SIG at APNIC 28 in Beijing, China, 25-28 August 2009. The
proposal's history can be found at:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-075
We invite you to review and comment on the proposal on the mailing list
before the meeting.
The comment period on the mailing list before an APNIC meeting is an
important part of the policy development process. We encourage you to
express your views on the proposal:
- Do you support or oppose this proposal?
- Does this proposal solve a problem you are experiencing? If
so, tell the community about your situation.
- Do you see any disadvantages in this proposal?
- Is there anything in the proposal that is not clear?
- What changes could be made to this proposal to make it more
effective?
Randy, Jian and Ching-Heng
________________________________________________________________________
prop-075-v001: Ensuring efficient use of historical AS numbers
________________________________________________________________________
Author: Guangliang Pan
Version: 1
Date: 24 July 2009
1. Introduction
----------------
This is a policy proposal to recover unused historical AS numbers for
eventual reassignment to other APNIC account holders.
2. Definitions
--------------
Historical AS numbers: Historical resources AS numbers that were
registered under early registry policies
without formal agreements. For more
information, see section 2 of "Policies for
historical Internet resources in the APNIC
Whois Database" [1].
Unused AS numbers: Any AS number which has not appeared in the
global routing tables for some specified
period of time, as determined by the Routing
Information Service (RIS) or other agreed
means.
3. Summary of current problem
------------------------------
APNIC has 115 historical AS numbers which transfered to APNIC during the
Early Registry Transfer (ERX) project. The full list is available from:
http://www.apnic.net/erx
Currently, around 45% of the historical AS numbers registered in the
APNIC Whois Database do not appear in the global routing tables.
Assuming these AS numbers remain unused, these AS numbers
could be made available for redistribution to other networks.
While APNIC has the ability to reclaim unused AS numbers assigned under
current policies [2], there is no equivalent policy for historical AS
numbers.
In 2004, to help address the decreasing size of the unallocated IPv4
pool, the APNIC community adopted a policy to recover unused
historical IPv4 addresses:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-017
This proposal would allow a similar mechanism to exist for historical AS
numbers.
4. Situation in other RIRs
---------------------------
No similar policy exists in other regions.
5. Details of the proposal
---------------------------
It is proposed that APNIC recover and reassign historical AS numbers
that have not been used for a reasonable period of time.
Please see Appendix A for the administrative procedure that would be
used to carry out this policy.
6. Advantages and disadvantages of the proposal
------------------------------------------------
6.1 Advantages
This proposal would release unused AS numbers back into the
unassigned pool.
6.2 Disadvantages
This proposal would result in a minor increase in the workload
of APNIC hostmasters.
7. Effect on APNIC members
---------------------------
There is no direct impact to normal APNIC members.
8. Effect on NIRs
------------------
NIRs are encouraged to help APNIC reclaim unused historical AS numbers
within their economies.
9. References
---------------
[1] "Policies for historical Internet resources in the APNIC Whois
Database"
http://www.apnic.net/policy/historical-resource-polices.html
[2] Section 8, Return of unused ASNs, "Policies for Autonomous System
number management in the Asia Pacific region"
http://www.apnic.net/asn-policy#8
10. Appendix A: Administrative procedure for historical AS number
reclamation
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. The APNIC Secretariat will identify unused historical AS numbers
and generate a list.
2. The APNIC Secretariat will notify organizations responsible for
unused historical AS numbers by all available means and contact
the associated NIR if applicable.
The APNIC Secretariat will use all available contact details from
APNIC records. Responses will be tracked using dedicated return
email addresses and APNIC's request tracking system.
3. Responses to these notifications will be handled using one of
three possible options:
A. If a response is received and AS number holder agrees to
return the AS number:
- The AS number will be reclaimed.
B. If a response is received and AS number holder does not agree
to return the AS number:
- The holder retains the AS number.
- All future handling of the historical AS number
will be guided by the "Policies for historical Internet
resources in the APNIC Whois Database"[1] at:
http://www.apnic.net/policy/historical-resource-polices.html
C. If no response is received after 3 contacts in 3 months (or if
only error responses or bounces are received):
- The AS number will be reclaimed.
4. All reclaimed AS numbers will be removed from public APNIC Whois
Database and kept in the APNIC unallocated pool for 12 months
before redistribution to other networks.
