Current policies only work because there's a carrot associated with good behaviour (allocations). When there is no more carrots there's no
Per Heldal wrote: point
trying to make any kind of rules unless we're prepared (technically and legally) to enforce them. Thus 2007-08 is pointless. We could just as well turn RIPE's IPv4 WHOIS registry into some kind of best-effort-run self-service-robot. All that remains is a requirement to be able to identify the user of any address-resources that IANA has allocated to RIPE.
In your opinion, once we run out of space, any policy at all is pointless. I do not agree. Most people don't need a carrot (or a stick, for that matter) to cooperate nicely. What we do need is some non-intrusive rules that are easy to adhere to. The need for an accurate and usable database will remain, combined with an organisational structure for maintaining that. We've got the NCC doing that now - I think we'd like to keep that going forward.
What I meant was to obtain reasonably reliable numbers which show how much address-space might become available for re-use given various schemes and/or pricing. I.e. for the RIRs to perform surveys towards existing LIRs and known legacy-allocation-holders as businesses analyse their markets. Policies and work to deal with a transfer-market is a waste of time and resources unless numbers are significant. Growth is king, and if v4 can't provide for growth it'll go elsewhere.
I would very much like to see some figures as well, but is it relevant for the decision at hand? We have no policy for registering address space other than 'fresh' allocations, and we're going to run out of that space. So we need some replacement policy before that time. Or be content that as far as v4 is concerned, we can burn the database on a DVD and use that as the final distribution of IPv4, ever. I don't think that's what we want, hence 2007-08.
Except the suggested policy explicitly removes any regulation on the receiving LIR. Now you can't just get an initial allocation, but have the blessing to acquire 1000s with no questions asked until the existing requirements to document continued need of current blocks kicks in. Do you expect the NCC to go after those in retrospect, and that it will easier to enforce than a requirement to document need-for-space prior to the acquisition?
Well, LIRs can already do that when they buy another LIR. Which is a cumbersome transaction and not very transparent from a registration perspective. If you want a genuine 'need-for-space' we should reclaim all IPv4 space today and have IANA hand out addresses on a daily basis, DHCP-style. It will of course kill aggregation and a host of other things, but it's as far as you can go from the conservation perspective. If you think that without enforcement there can be no rules, I'd hate to live in your neighborhood. The reward for good behaviour is of course, that your neighbors don't consider you to be an a.....e. The Internet is an infrastructure based on cooperation - appearances count. Best, Remco Any opinions expressed in the email are those of the individual and not necessarily of the company. This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and solely for the use of the intended recipient and do not constitute an offer or acceptance by Equinix, Inc., Equinix Europe Ltd or any of their group entities to buy or sell any products or services in any jurisdiction. If you have received this email in error please delete this email immediately and notify the IT manager. This communication is sent on behalf of one of the European entities in the Equinix, Inc. Group. The ultimate holding company in Europe is Equinix Europe Ltd whose registered address is Quadrant House, Floor 6, 17 Thomas More Street, Thomas More Square, London E1W 1YW and the Company's registered number is 6293383. The registration details of other Group entities are available at www.eu.equinix.com