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North American Network Operators Group Date Prev | Date Next | Date Index | Thread Index | Author Index | Historical Dealing with ARIN.. my experiences & tips
Just passing on my experience with ARIN and a few tips I've found to make my life easier. I used to handle allocations for a large cable provider, and was requesting along the lines of 1-2 /17s every three months. Flame away if you wish, but this is what worked for me. 1) Keep records of your IP allocations and assignments (and not just with SWIP, you need utilization numbers). I know this is a royal pain in the rear end, and it's not always easy to do with customers. But if you don't know how your customers are using their assigned space, you really can't effectively plan for their future growth. They should have to show you their projected space usage before receiving an initial assignment. They should have to justify 80% usage to you before receiving another assignment. In practice, I realize this isn't always easy. But keeping records is not just for ARIN's benefit, it is for yours as well. I had a database that pulled the statistics per subnet. When application time came, I put it into the pretty format that ARIN wanted (POP - block - total IPs - used IPs - unused IPs - utilization % etc.) and sent it in with my request. Yes, it made the size of my application huge with two dozen POPs and scores of blocks each. Yes, it took some time to compile, even though I was pulling from a database. But this is the information ARIN looks at in excruciating detail. Scrimp on this, and they will squawk. Guaranteed. 2) If you commit a 'violation', ie. one of your blocks was less than the required utilization before assigning another, explain. If you are able to justify, even if you simply say 'I messed up', for the most part they will accept that. I have made mistakes in allocations, and have not been denied additional space because of them. I just had to be very sure I explained clearly (and up-front in the initial request !) what the mistake was and what I was doing to fix it. In most cases, it was simply waiting until the first allocation filled, then using the second. 3) You have to request every three months or so. I'm sorry Jeff M., but there's really no way around this, no matter how inefficient it may seem. Their policy is to give allocations sufficient for three months' worth of usage, based on past growth. If your growth increases greatly, you may need to request after two months (yes, I've done it, and I'm sure many others have too). If you're in the midst of renumbering, and utilization is increasing, you may have to request again after two months, or even less. It takes time to make up the requests. It's even more frustrating having to do it after two months instead of three. But in the case of increased utilization, you may just have demonstrated a need for a larger IP block. Suffer a bit, and you will eventually reap the rewards. Jeff, you've demonstrated that you are doing the Right Thing. Your utilization is good and your practices seem well in-line with best practices. ARIN will recognize this. Perhaps you don't think they do right now, but if you were not in-line, they wouldn't have given you any allocation at all. 4) DO NOT TRY TO BEND THEIR RULES. This should actually be Rule #1. I made sure I put this in big, bold letters in the document I gave to my successor. ARIN's rules are there and, unlike gravity in The Matrix, are not meant to be broken. You can ask until your blue in the face for six months' worth of IP space, or whatever else you like, but you won't get it. Unfortunately this is one of those things that we all just have to accept. They may cut you a little bit of slack to help recover from a mistake, but that's it. Their rules are their rules. If you want to protest them, the person who is doing your allocation isn't the right person to protest to. 5) See Rule #4. If they give you an allocation that you don't agree with, and they won't budge, accept it. Jeff M., I see your point that going back to ARIN after renumbering half of the network is a tad on the ridiculous side. Unfortunately there are times when you just have to take your lumps and do what they want you to do. I find it unlikely that they will deny you the second half of an allocation once you've renumbered into the first half, demonstrated good block usage percentage, and promised your firstborn that you'll give the original allocation back. :) 6) What Jon L. said was true. It does take a bit of practice in dealing with ARIN and giving them exactly the information they need, in the format they want it. Your first few dealings with them may result in multiple clarification requests. Take it as a learning experience, and be sure to include the information they ask for in the next request. 7) And finally.. ARIN are nice people. Really ! They're not big red devils with flaming pitchforks just waiting to stab you in the hiney at every chance they get. Work with them and they will work with you. I actually started to *enjoy* my tri-montly interactions with them after a while, if you can believe that. :) Andrea Abrahamsen Software Engineer, Intelligent Network Services Cisco Systems
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