1. IPv6 Documentation Address Policy
APNIC Policy SIG Meeting
Kitakyushu, September 2002
Philip Smith

2. The Problem No IPv6 address space which can be used for documentation
APNIC has no criteria for allocating IPv6 address space for documentation

3. Background
Documentation authors are using Internet Resources from a variety of sources:
RFC1918 IPv4 space and private ASNs
From their employer’s blocks
From well known ISPs
Easy to remember values for IPv4 addresses and ASNs
Unassigned/unallocated resources at the time of writing (e.g. network 222/8 or ASN > 32000)

4. Background – Problems
Apart from private IPv4 and ASN space, all other address ranges conflict with existing or future assignments on the commercial Internet
“cut-and-paste” testing of documentation examples
“cluelessness”
Commercial impact on operational networks – $$$
May be seen as DOS attack

5. Current Status IPv4 addresses ASNs IPv6 addresses RFC1918 address used
Not ideal, but most ISPs filter private addresses
ASNs
Private ASNs used
Not ideal, but more ISPs are now filtering private ASNs
IPv6 addresses
Nothing available
Address space is either reserved or allocated

6. Proposal
The RIRs set aside a block of IPv6 address space exclusively for the purposes of documentation

7. Detail One Address space allocated for documentation purposes
Should be same size as RIR minimum allocation
This is so that documentation examples can match real life

8. Detail Two Address space allocated for documentation purposes
Should come from global unicast address space
Use of site local or link local makes no sense – it is different from global unicast address space

9. Advantages
Documentation authors no longer have to use IPv6 address space of their employers, or of other Internet entities, for worked examples in published works
No more possible risk to the commercial Internet

10. Disadvantages
An IPv6 netblock will be added to the list of non-routable IPv6 address space
Most ISPs filter IPv6 address space anyhow, so this is only one extra network
Some people might think that this is private IPv6 space – it is not

11. Implementation
APNIC should implement this policy three months after consensus has been reached
All supporting docs will be updated before this date
Community will be informed before this date

12. Questions?