IPv6 Addresses for Internet Root Servers in the RIPE Region

 Joao Luis Silva Damas

 Document ID: ripe-233
 Date: 24 May 2002



 Abstract

 This document describes the special case assignment policy for
 Internet DNS root servers in the RIPE region.



 Internet DNS root servers are particularly critical elements of the
 Internet's infrastructure.  They need to be operated in a neutral and
 professional manner that will not impose any artificial or
 unnecessary barriers for access to their services.

 DNS resolvers and resolving name servers need to be pre-configured
 with the network addresses of the root name servers. This makes these
 addresses special and not easy to change.

 Although it is undesirable to give special status to any IP (IPv4 or
 IPv6) address block, it was agreed by the community that the
 particular need defined in this document is the only justifiable
 exception to that general principle.

 Under this policy, each (current or future) Internet DNS root server
 (as listed in the root-servers.net zone) in the RIPE region will be
 assigned a block of IPv6 address space for purposes of root server
 operations. The size of the block shall be the same as the size of
 the minimum allocation to Local Internet Registries (LIRs) valid at
 the time of the root server assignment.

 The assigned prefix is only for root server operations and support
 functions related directly to the operations, such as monitoring,
 statistics, etc., and is bound to the root server service itself.

 It is not associated with the organisation(s) that operate the root
 server at a particular point in time and these organisations should
 not use the address space to provide any services not related to the
 root server.

 Should the operational responsibility for a DNS root server move to a
 new organisation, the IPv6 address space associated with the server
 will be returned to the RIPE NCC with possible reassignment to the
 new organisation. If the new location of the root name server is
 outside the RIPE region, the address space must be returned to the
 RIPE NCC and a new assignment must be requested from the appropriate
 Regional Internet Registry (RIR).

 If a root server stops operating within the RIPE region, the address
 space will be returned to the RIPE NCC and marked as "reserved" for a
 suitably long period of time.