RFC 1481

IAB Recommendation for an Intermediate Strategy to Address the Issue of Scaling ✨

okay bestie, so this is RFC 1481 🦋 and it's from the Network Working Group. It was written by C. Huitema, who is the Chair, for the Internet Architecture Board, and it's dated July 1993 🌸. Its category is info-only: it "provides information," so it's not an Internet standard. The title block doesn't list any RFCs that it obsoletes or updates, so there's no drama there 💅.

Status of this Memo

ok so this section is the disclaimer part 🧚. the memo gives info to the Internet community, it does not specify an Internet standard, and distribution is unlimited ✨.

Recommendation

okay this is the main event 🔥. Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) is a set of strategies for handing out the existing IP address space. the goal is to conserve addresses and stop routing tables from exploding in the default-route-free routers run by transit routing domain providers [1] 😭. CIDR is an immediate term strategy meant to stretch the life of the current 32 bit IP address space 💖. it assumes that a real long term solution is being worked on by the Internet technical community 🫶.

the two basic parts of the CIDR plan are: managing how Internet address space gets allocated, and giving routing information a way to get aggregated 🎀. the IP community has put out several RFCs and Internet-Drafts describing the architecture for IP address assignment and routing protocols that help CIDR get deployed. all of that has changed how network addresses get allocated and pushed upgrades to both inter-domain and intra-domain routing protocols 🌈.

here's the tea 🍓: once CIDR changed how allocation works, handing out blocks of Class C numbers caused an explosion of the routing tables 💀. so it matters that the routing protocols' aggregation techniques keep up with the way IP numbers are being allocated ⭐.

the IAB endorses the CIDR architecture and its implementation 👑. it also backs the actions of the IANA and InterNIC, the router vendors, and the network operators who are implementing CIDR to tackle the scaling problem we're facing as the Internet keeps growing 🙈✨.

References

• [1] Fuller, V., Li, T., Yu, J., and K. Varadhan, "Supernetting: an Address Assignment and Aggregation Strategy", RFC 1338, BARRNet, cisco, Merit, OARnet, June 1992.
• [2] Gerich, E., "Guidelines for management of IP Address Space", RFC 1466, Merit, May 1993.
• [3] Topolcic, C., "Schedule for IP Address Space Management Guidelines", RFC 1367, CNRI, October 1992.
• [4] Rekhter, Y., and T. Li, "An Architecture for IP Address Allocation with CIDR", Work in Progress, January 1993.
• [5] Rekhter, Y., and C. Topolcic, "Exchanging Routing Information across Provider/Subscriber Boundaries in CIDR environment", Work in Progress, February 1993.

Security Considerations

bestie, brace yourself 😭💀. Security issues are not discussed in this memo. not a single word. zero. nada. so if security is your whole vibe, this doc is giving absolutely nothing on it 🙈.

Author's Address

this is where you can reach the author 💌:

Christian Huitema
INRIA, Sophia-Antipolis
2004 Route des Lucioles
BP 109
F-06561 Valbonne Cedex
France

Phone: +33 93 65 77 15
EMail: Christian.Huitema@MIRSA.INRIA.FR

that's the whole RFC, bestie. iconic 🌈🦋💅