Independent space from ARIN (fwd)

Thu Apr 17 18:29:37 UTC 2003

Email change kept this off the list originally. . .

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 16:02:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: lhoward at uu.net
To: Stephen Sprunk <stephen at sprunk.org>
Cc: Bill Woodcock <woody at pch.net>,
     North American Noise and Off-topic Gripes <nanog at merit.edu>
Subject: Re: Independent space from ARIN

ObDisclosure:  I'm the Treasurer for ARIN.  It's my job to make sure ARIN
has enough money.

Common wisdom has it that IPv6 will render the RIRs unnecessary, because
no one will ever come back for a second request.

Registration Services Group is certainly the most visible department in
terms of most peoples' day-to-day interaction with ARIN.  But even if we
get to a certain saturation threshhold where North America only requires
one person to handle allocations, other services will still be required.

For instance, we will still need the Engineering group if we expect to
delegate reverse zones IP6.ARPA and provide WHOIS.  Possibly more, if
the public decides you want ARIN to provide CA services related to sBGP
and DNSSEC proposals (as presented at the last two meetings).  Maybe v6
obsoletes those requirements, I don't know.

How much service Member Services has to provide is up to the Members, of
course, but so far the idea of open policy development has seemed to
require open policy meetings.  Education should continue to be a part of
ARIN's charter, especially where other organizations (e.g., governments)
act with insufficient understanding.

In the science-fiction future of inexhaustible addresses, somebody has to 
pay for those services above, which means there has to be a business 
department to handle billing.  By the time you have all those departments, 
you're going to need an administrative group to make sure ARIN can 
actually operate.

Interestingly, an ARIN that never handles a second request for address
space looks a lot like the ARIN of today.

We're still trying to work out the fee structure for IPv6, by the way,
and I'm always soliciting suggestions.  At the moment, the current system
(annual renewals for four categories of space) is the best suggestion.

In direct response to your comment, I should say:

- The RIRs don't technically lease addresses, at least not in the legal 
sense.
- Addresses are not granted permanently because they aren't owned.  The
RIRs coordinate to ensure global uniqueness, not to sell or lease.
- There's always work to do, even if additional allocations is only part.

ppml at arin.net would be a good place to debate the future of ARIN services.

Lee

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003, Stephen Sprunk wrote:

> Date: Mon, 14 Apr 2003 14:09:05 -0500
> From: Stephen Sprunk <stephen at sprunk.org>
> To: Bill Woodcock <woody at pch.net>
> Cc: North American Noise and Off-topic Gripes <nanog at merit.edu>
> Subject: Re: Independent space from ARIN
> 
> 
> Thus spake "Bill Woodcock" <woody at pch.net>
> > When the day arrives when people don't want new IPv4 addresses, or
> > there aren't any to be had, and everybody who needs v6 addresses has
> > them, how is the registry going to be paid for?
> 
> That's why RIRs lease addresses to you, not sell them -- they get to keep
> collecting money forever even if they do no additional work.
> 
> S
> 
> Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
> CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
> K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking
> 