[afnog] Clarification on temporary resource usage

[Geert Jan de Groot]

Hi folks,

On 11/04/2019 23:15, Willy Manga wrote:
> I need advice/inputs from the organizers of technical event in the 
> community on how they can manage IP resources (especially v4) during 
> upcoming trainings (2020 and later). 
..
> I'd like to publish an update to this proposal but it may helpful to 
> have more opinions. From AFNOG perspective I'm particularly interested 
> on what you think of the section 2.0 b of staff comments [2] where they 
> say "could be adversely affected if restricted to use the /22 maximum". 
> Can you manage to deal with that and use more v6 ? (please say 'yes' :) )

I'd like to give a few comments on the "temporary resource" proposal,
2018-GEN-004.

Background: I am one of the volunteers who has ran the AfNOG/AIS 
networks in past years.
I am writing in a personal capacity - didn't confer with the other guys 
in team when I wrote this.

We have been running the network dual-stack since, if my memory serves 
me correctly, 2003. There have been quite some cases where our 
conference network has been the first time attendees have seen IPv6 in 
operation.

Running the AfNOG/AIS network brings some additional challenges.
For one, equipment proves to be a challenge every year.
Certainly these days running an AIS-size network requires significant 
equipment, equipment that isn't just lying idle because it is has 
significant cost.

In some years, a local organisation was able to loan us something (many, 
many thanks!).

In other years, we used something that was "flown in" and in those 
years, equipment often got stuck at the border because of customs 
issues. It is not uncommon that we spend most of setup week trying to 
get the equipment released, or work on a B-plan, or even a C-plan or 
D-plan. (we even had a local host literally sleep at the customs office
for a week to get our kit "released")
What you get during the event is the finished result, without the "setup 
fun".

Another issue is getting address space routed and filters adjusted.
As anyone can agree who provisions new prefixes, this is a lengthy and 
error-prone process, and expensive if one needs to do this from a hotel 
room. We try to get all of this done beforehand, but in reality things 
don't materialize the way we like, and in many cases, emergency calls 
and personal favors are required.
Shortening the period isn't helping us.

IPv6 adds an additional challenge. In some cases, we can "just hook in".
In other years years the local connectivity provider enabled/modified 
their infra for IPv6, just for us, and we get to spend additional time 
ironing out issues of introducing a new protocol on a network.
And there have been years where this just wasn't feasible, and IPv6 was 
run through a tunnel, from another location. I hope some attendees on 
the list have ran traceroute to see some of the measures we took.

Adding a V4-V6 transition device to the mix adds complexity, especially 
again because of customs/logistics issues. Instead of having to beg or 
loan a border router, we'd also need to do same for a translator, and 
you just doubled the requirements and doubled the customs fun.
Remember we're doing this as volunteers?

For this reason, if we're going IPv6-only, I would strongly push on just 
running IPv6-only, without translation, but that would leave legacy 
users in the cold.

Don't get me wrong, I use IPv6 (can't even tell I'm using it these 
days). We have been teaching dual-stack for at least a decade (check 
https://www.ws.afnog.org), but the challenge isn't "conference network", 
it is "users of conference network".

Unless you're willing to bring your own conference-grade 
transition-device, during setup time, in your own hand luggage (that is 
how much of the network equipment is carried - not checked luggage for 
fear of lost luggage, hand-luggage), adding the complexity of a 
translation box isn't happening.

 From a conference-network point I'm not looking forward to the 
additional effort, sleep-deprived I'll probably be at that time.

While there have been many "IPv6-only" events already and it isn't 
bringing much, I can talk to the conference organizers to switch off 
IPv4 on the conference network and see what that will bring you. I know 
that I personally will be OK, I know the conference equipment will 
likely be OK, but I'm not sure about the attendees?

And perhaps you want to give us volunteers some consideration?

Geert Jan

PS: and THANKS THANKS THANKS to the folks who have helped us in the past 
- we may need to call on you again soon!

PPS: I may not have time to respond to all RPD mail, it's work, if there 
is time left, conference, if there is still time left, mail list. Sorry!