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APNIC Document identity

 Title:    Policies for Autonomous System number management in 
           the Asia Pacific region
 
 Short title:                     asn-policy
 Document ref:                    APNIC-94
 Version:                         004
 Date of original publication:    19 November 2002
 Date of this version:            16 February 2009
 Review scheduled:                n/a                
 Obsoletes:                       Previous versions
 Status:                          Obsolete
 Comments:                        n/a
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           Policies for Autonomous System number management
                     in the Asia Pacific region



About this document
-------------------

This document contains policies relating to requesting, assigning, and
registering AS numbers in the Asia Pacific region. 



Table of contents
-----------------

Part 1:  Background, definitions, and environment	

	1	Introduction
	
	2	Scope	

	3	Definitions	
	3.1	Autonomous System (AS)
	3.2	Autonomous System Number (ASN)
	3.3	aut-num object
	3.4	Multihomed	
	3.5	Routing policy

	4	Policy environment
	4.1	Resource ownership
	4.2	Routing considerations


Part 2:  Policies for ASN management	

	5	Eligibility for ASN assignment
	5.1	Evaluation of eligibility	

	6	Requesting an ASN
	6.1	Using ASN for own network
	6.2	Providing ASN to customer

	7	Registration requirements
	7.1	Registering contact persons
	7.2	Registering routing policy
	7.3	Updating registration details

	8	Return of unused ASNs
	9	Additional guidelines




Part 1: Background, definitions, and environment
_____________________________________________________________________



1   Introduction
----------------

APNIC (the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre) is the Regional
Internet Registry for the Asia Pacific region, responsible for
distributing public Internet address space and related resources,
including Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), in the region and for
coordinating the development and implementation of  policies to manage
those resources.

The policies described in this document have been developed by the
Internet community of the Asia Pacific region through a consensus
process facilitated by APNIC. They are to be implemented by APNIC and
by the National Internet Registries (NIR). 



2   Scope
---------

This document describes the policies relating to the distribution,
management, and use of Autonomous System (AS) numbers in the Asia
Pacific Region. It applies to IPv4 and IPv6 networks.



3   Definitions
---------------

The following terms and definitions are used in this document.


3.1	Autonomous System (AS)

    An Autonomous System (AS) is a connected group of one or more
    IP prefixes run by one or more network operators under a single 
    and clearly defined routing policy.


3.2	Autonomous System Number (ASN)

    An Autonomous System Number (ASN) is a unique two- or four-byte
    number associated with an AS. The ASN is used an identifier to allow
    the AS to exchange dynamic routing information with other
    Autonomous Systems. Exterior routing protocols such as the
    Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) requires ASNs to exchange
    information between networks.

    - Two-byte only AS numbers are AS numbers in the range:
    
         0 - 65535 
    
    - Four-byte only AS numbers are AS numbers in the range:
    
         65,536 - 4,294,967,295

    - Four-byte AS numbers are all AS numbers in the range:
    
         0 - 4,294,967,295


3.3	aut-num object

    An aut-num object is an object in the Whois database used to
    register ASN assignment details. For the purposes of this
    document, aut-num object also refers to the ASN registration
    objects in NIR databases.


3.4 Multihomed

    A multihomed AS is one which is connected to more than one
    other AS. An AS also qualifies as multihomed if it is connected
    to a public Internet Exchange Point.


3.5	Routing policy

    The routing policy of an AS is a description of how network
    prefixes are exchanged  between that AS and other Autonomous
    Systems.



4   Policy environment
----------------------

In addition to the general goals and environmental considerations
described in APNIC-086 Policies for IPv4 address space management in
the Asia Pacific region, the following issues are specific factors in
determining ASN policy.


4.1	Resource ownership

    The Internet community regards ASNs as a public resource that
    should only be distributed according to demonstrated need.
    Neither assignment nor registration confers ownership of
    resources. Organisations that use ASNs are considered
    "custodians" rather than "owners" of the resource, and are not
    entitled to sell or otherwise transfer that resource to other
    parties.


4.2	Routing considerations

    Responsible management of ASNs is necessary to help limit the
    expansion of global routing tables. Aggregating contiguous IP
    address prefixes within single Autonomous Systems helps to
    minimise the number of routes announced to the global Internet.





Part 2:  Policies for ASN management
_____________________________________________________________________



5  Eligibility for ASN assignment
---------------------------------

An organisation is eligible for an ASN assignment if it:

    a.  is multihomed; and 

    b.  has a single, clearly defined routing policy that is
        different from its providers' routing policies.

An organisation will also be eligible if it can demonstrate that it
will meet the above criteria upon receiving an ASN (or within a
reasonably short time thereafter).


5.1 Evaluation of eligibility

    Requests for ASNs under these criteria will be evaluated using
    the guidelines described in RFC1930 Guidelines for the 
    creation, selection and registration of an Autonomous System
    (AS).



6   Requesting an ASN
---------------------

Organisations may request an ASN from either APNIC or their relevant
NIR.

The requesting organisation may request an ASN for use its own network,
or for the purposes of providing the ASN to one of its customers, 
subject to the terms of Sections 6.1 and 6.2 below.


6.1 Using ASN for own network

    Assignments to organisations that will use the ASN in their own
    network are subject to the following additional terms:

    a.  The requesting organisation is responsible for maintaining
        the registration described in Section 7.

    b.  The requesting organisation is entitled to continue using
        the ASN, even if they change network peers or service
        providers.


6.2 Providing ASN to customer

    Assignments to organisations that will provide the ASN to one
    of its customers are subject to the following additional terms:

    a.  The customer that will actually use the ASN must meet the
        criteria in Section 5.

    b.  The requesting organisation is responsible for maintaining
        the registration described in Section 7 on behalf of the
        customer.

    c.  If the customer ceases to receive connectivity from the
        requesting organisation it must return the ASN. The
        requesting organisation is expected to enter into an
        agreement with the customer to this effect. 

    d.  Any ASNs returned to the requesting organisation must then
        be returned to APNIC or the relevant NIR.


6.3 Timetable for moving from two-byte only AS numbers to four-byte AS
    numbers

    Commencing 1 January 2007, APNIC will process applications that
    specifically request four-byte only AS numbers and assign such AS
    numbers as requested by the applicant. In the absence of any 
    specific request for a four-byte only AS number, a two-byte only
    AS number will be assigned.
    
    Commencing 1 July 2009, APNIC will process applications that
    specifically request a two-byte only AS numbers and assign such AS
    numbers as requested by the applicant if the applicant can
    demonstrate that a four-byte only AS number is unsuitable. In the
    absence of demonstrated need for a two-byte only AS number, a
    four-byte only AS number will be assigned.

    Commencing 1 January 2009, APNIC will process applications that
    specifically request two-byte only AS numbers and assign such AS 
    numbers as requested by the applicant. In the absence of any 
    specific request for a two-byte only AS number, a four-byte only AS 
    number will be assigned.

    Commencing 1 January 2010, APNIC will cease to make any 
    distinction between two-byte only AS numbers and four-byte only AS 
    numbers, and will operate AS number assignments from an 
    undifferentiated four-byte AS number pool.



7   Registration requirements
-----------------------------

All ASNs assigned must be publicly registered in the APNIC, or relevant
NIR, Whois Database. APNIC, or the relevant NIR, will create the
aut-num object.

All attributes of the aut-num object must be properly registered in
accordance with the APNIC or NIR Whois database documentation. Without
limiting these general requirements, Sections 7.1, 7.2 describe
particular requirements for ASN registration.


7.1 Registering contact persons

    Administrative and technical contact persons must be registered
    for each ASN assigned.

    The registered administrative contact ('admin-c') is the person
    responsible for the ASN and should generally be someone who is
    physically located at the site of the AS.

    The technical contact ('tech-c') need not be physically located
    at the site of the AS, but must be a person who is responsible
    for the day-to-day operation of that AS.


7.2 Registering routing policy

    APNIC recommends that the routing policy of the AS is
    registered for each ASN assigned.


7.3 Updating registration details

    Organisations responsible for ASNs should update the aut-num
    object in the appropriate database if any of the registration
    information changes. 



8   Return of unused ASNs
-------------------------

It is a condition of ASN assignment that if an ASN is not being used by
the organisation that originally received it, then the ASN should be
returned.



9   Additional guidelines
-------------------------
In addition to the eligibility guidelines described in section 5.1,
APNIC may publish other guidelines relating to ASNs, including:

    a.  further descriptions of evaluation procedures;

    b.  summaries of the best current practices that organisations
        requesting ASNs will generally be expected to adopt; and 

    c.  other information that may assist organisations to request
        ASNs. 

Any guidelines published will be developed within the APNIC community,
and will be consistent with the goals and policies described in this
document.