RFC 1881

IPv6 Address Allocation Management

📅 published December 1995, from ietf

RFC 1881: IPv6 Address Allocation Management 🌸

  • Group: Network Working Group 💖
  • Author: IAB and IESG ✨
  • Category: Informational 🎀
  • Date: December 1995 🦋
  • Obsoletes: none listed 🧚
  • Updates: none listed 🌈

Status of this Memo ✨

okay so this memo is here to provide information for the Internet community 🫶. It does not specify an Internet standard of any kind, so please don't treat it like one 🙈. Distribution of this memo is unlimited, so share it with everyone bestie 💅.

Abstract 🦋

tl;dr: the IPv6 address space will be managed by the IANA for the good of the Internet community 🌍. The IANA gets advice from the IAB and the IESG, and it hands the actual work off to the regional registries 💜.

Statement 💅

okay so the IPv6 address space must be managed for the good of the Internet community 💖. Good management needs at least a small amount of central authority over how the space gets delegated and allocated 👑.

The Internet community recognizes the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) as the right entity to be responsible for managing the IPv6 address space 🎀. It's giving official, it's giving trust ✨.

The IANA will rely on advice from the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) when it manages the IPv6 address space 🧠.

The IANA will delegate to regional (and other) registries the job of making specific address allocations to network service providers and other subregional registries 🌸. Individuals and organizations may get address allocations straight from the appropriate regional (or other) registry, or from their service provider. Main character energy, choose your path 🦋.

Delegation of address space by the IANA is not irrevocable 😭. If, in the judgement of the IANA, a registry has seriously mishandled the address space delegated to it, the IANA may revoke the delegation, with due notice and with due consideration of the operational implications ⭐. IANA will make every effort in such a case not to revoke addresses that are in active use, unless there are overwhelming technical reasons for doing so 🫶. Respect the addresses that people are actually using, periodt 💅.

Any revenues (such as transaction fees) received with respect to the IPv6 address space should be used only for expenses related to registry activities, and not to subsidize any other activities 💰. There will be no charges for the address space itself, only fees to recover the registry costs 🍓. No cap, the address space is not for sale, it's just cost recovery ✨.

Any situation in the management of the IPv6 address space that leads to monopoly control or predatory practices must be avoided 🚫. Absolutely no villain arcs here 👑.

The IANA will develop a plan for the initial IPv6 address allocation, including a provision for the automatic allocation of IPv6 addresses to holders of IPv4 addresses 🧚. IANA will also develop mediation and appeals procedures concerning delegation and revocation 🌈. So yeah, there's a whole plan for disputes too, iconic 🎀.

Security Considerations 💀

Security issues are not discussed in this memo.

Plot twist, bestie: this memo doesn't talk about security at all 😭. Security issues are not discussed in this memo, so keep that in mind as you read it 💀.

Contact Information 🫶

Internet Architecture Board
EMail: <iab@isi.edu>

Internet Engineering Steering Group
EMail: <iesg@cnri.reston.va.us>
📦 where this page comes from