Re: [RRG] Consensus? End-user networks need their own portable address space

[David Williamson <dlw+rrg@tellme.com>]

On Fri, Jun 20, 2008 at 08:39:59AM -0700, Tony Li wrote:
>  
> 
> |> The key point for this group is simply this: the IP address *is* an 
> |> identifier, an index key, and many other things that we'll 
> |never fully 
> |> know.  It is possible to change, but only gradually over 
> |time.  If it 
> |> doesn't have to, all the better.
> |
> |Whats your conclusion?  That we need to assume the IP address will be 
> |used as an identifier by higher layers for the foreseeable future, and 
> |figure out how to live with it?
> 
> 
> My conclusion is that if we want to truly fix the architecture, we need to
> have an explicit, distinguishable identifier partitioned from the locator.
> Yes, the transition to this is not smooth, but unless we create a new
> namespace, we are effectively endorsing the semantic overload that we have
> today and will have to live with it in perpetuity.
> 
> People have used the address as an identifier precisely because they had no
> other choice.  We have the opportunity to give them a better alternative.

Just to cause trouble, I entirely agree with both Bill and Tony.  As a
holder of PI space, and a site that sees PI as a hard requirement in
the present network, I entirely agree with Bill that some multi-homed
non-transit services, like my own, need unique identifiers in the
network to support VPNs, SMTP, etc.

On the other hand, I don't like it.  I'd really prefer to have a set of
unique identifiers for my site such that I never have to change them,
regardless of who my routing providers are - but I also don't want to
destroy the scaling properties of the network, and I'd like to have a
locater that is specified by my provider(s).

In short, Tony's right: we need to find an alternative to the current
regime.  Lacking any ability to do that, then my requirements suddenly
look just like PI, and we'll wonder where we're going in a handbasket.
This is definitely the time to fix this.

-David

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