Requesting a second opinion on a sub-allocation - a guide for LIRs
Contents
- Introduction
- Definitions
- Principles of sub-allocations
- Assignment windows, and second opinions
- Second opinion process for LIR customers
- Sub-allocations and the APNIC Whois Database
- Size of sub-allocations
- Requesting further addresses from APNIC
- Evaluating the Second Opinion Request Form
- Checklists for the Second Opinion Request Form
- Ask APNIC
Introduction
LIRs are entitled to make non-portable sub-allocations of IPv4 address space to their customers. These guidelines are intended to assist LIRs to evaluate the appropriate size of their sub-allocations and seek APNIC's approval of these sub-allocations, using the second opinion process.
Nothing in these guidelines should be considered to replace or modify any of the specific policies defined in other APNIC documents.
Definitions
It is important to understand the difference between "assignments" and "sub-allocations".
Assignments
IP addresses are assigned when they are distributed for a specific use in an end user's infrastructure. An end user who receives an assignment is not entitled to further distribute any address from that assignment. Assignments made by an LIR or its customers will have a status attribute of ASSIGNED NON-PORTABLE in the Whois database.
Sub-allocations
IP address are sub-allocated when they are distributed to an organisation that will further assign them to their own end users. For example, the sub-allocation may be intended to be used for addressing the organisation's infrastructure and making small assignments to that organisation's customers. Sub-allocations made by an LIR will have a status attribute of ALLOCATED NON-PORTABLE.
The difference between an assignment and a sub-allocation can be illustrated as follows:
Principles of sub-allocations
Sub-allocations to customers should follow the same principles as assignments to customers. In particular:
- The assignment window applies to both sub-allocations and assignments
- The second opinion process applies to both sub-allocations and assignments
- A customer must demonstrate an 80% utilisation rate before an LIR can sub-allocate or assign that customer additional address ranges
Assignment windows, and second opinions
The assignment window applies to both assignments and sub-allocations. If you want to make a sub-allocation that exceeds your assignment window, then you must first make a second opinion request to APNIC.
Also, you may request a second opinion from APNIC at any time, regardless of the your assignment window size. This may be particularly useful to LIRs who are unfamiliar with the practice of making sub-allocations.
Second opinion process for LIR customers
Customers who receive a sub-allocation from LIRs do not need to submit a second opinion request to APNIC to justify assignments to end users. However, LIRs should adopt their own second opinion request process to ensure that assignments customers make to end users follow best current practices. The details of how you do this are up to you, but please remember that if request more address space from APNIC, you may be required to provide documentation which shows how your sub-allocations have been used.
Sub-allocations and the APNIC Whois Database
LIRs must record all sub-allocations in the APNIC Whois Database. The LIR's customer must also record the assignments made from the sub-allocated range in the database, subject to the requirements of section 10.4 of Policies for managing address space in the Asia Pacific region '
The LIR should specify their maintainer in the mnt-by attribute of the inetnum object representing the sub-allocated range. To allow customers to record assignments made from that sub-allocation, insert the customer's maintainer in the mnt-lower attribute of the sub-allocated inetnum object.
If the LIR's customer needs help to register assignments in the APNIC Whois Database, APNIC recommends that the customer first approaches the LIR for assistance. If the customer needs further help, APNIC will assist the LIR's customers; however, please remember that priority will be given to APNIC members.
Size of sub-allocations
There is no minimum or maximum sub-allocation size an LIR can make to a customer. LIRs should sub-allocate sufficient address space to their downstream ISPs and customers to meet needs for a one year requirement. However, LIRs may choose to sub-allocate more cautiously in circumstances where the requestor has no previous assignment or sub-allocation history and is providing a service. In cases where the new service is cable, please refer to the new bootstrap guidelines in the draft APNIC guidelines for IPv4 allocation and assignment requests. If an LIR has any doubts about how much to sub-allocate, it is strongly recommended that they contact APNIC for advice.
The size of sub-allocations an LIR can make without consulting APNIC is governed by the size of the LIR's assignment window. If the sub-allocation the LIR wishes to make to a customer is larger than the LIR's assignment window, the LIR must follow the second opinion process.
If your customer requirements meet the APNIC minimum allocation criteria, we recommend that they approach APNIC directly and request a portable allocation.
Requesting further addresses from APNIC
An LIR may request further address space from APNIC provided that the LIR has a total address usage above 80%.
When APNIC calculates your address usage, it will generally count each sub-allocation will be counted as "used".
Please note, however, that APNIC may check the assignments made from sub-allocations. Therefore, an LIR may be required to provide supporting evidence for each sub-allocation.
LIRs may reserve address space for their customers; however, APNIC generally recommends against this, due to the difficulty of predicting how much the customer will actually need. Furthermore, APNIC recommends that any unused reserved customer space be returned to the LIR's general distribution pool after a period of one year. When an LIR applies for further addresses from APNIC, any reserved address space is considered part of the free pool of address space held by that LIR.
Evaluating the Second Opinion Request Form
All sub-allocations of address space must be supported by documentation which describes how the requested address space will be used or has been used.
A second opinion request for a sub-allocation requires details of assignments for planned subnets. To calculate the appropriate assignment sizes for these subnets, use the principles described in section 10.2 of Policies for managing address space in the Asia Pacific region.
Checklists for the Second Opinion Request Form
APNIC recommends that you use the following checklists to assist in evaluating requests from your customers for sub-allocations:
Checklist 1: Future network plan (network plan)
- Are BCPs (best current practices) followed by the customer when deploying technology and assigning IP addresses?
- Does the customer plan to make efficient assignment sizes; that is, will 25% of the address space be used immediately, and 50% be used within one year?
- Does the equipment described in the network-plan attribute match equipment lists or invoices supplied?
- If the customer supplies the LIR with a network diagram, does it match the network and equipment listed in the network-plan and equipment list? Note: a network diagram is optional.
Checklist 2: Infrastructure of network receiving the sub-allocation (sub-alloc-infrastructure)
- Has the customer received address space from other organisations?
- Will the customer be returning any address space, and renumbering?
- Does the network deployment described in the sub-alloc-infrastructure attribute justify the usage of existing address space?
Checklist 3: Sub-allocation customer network (sub-alloc-cust-network)
- Have efficient assignments been made to customers? (see above for guidelines)
- Are the assignments listed in the appropriate whois database? It is essential that all assignments are registered.
Ask APNIC
Finally, if you have any concerns about how to evaluate or register sub-allocations, please contact helpdesk@apnic.net.
