Guidelines for creation, selection, and registration of an Autonomous System (AS) (RFC1930)

Publishing Venue

Internet Society Requests For Comment (RFCs)

Related People

J. Hawkinson: AUTHOR [+2][-]

T. Bates: AUTHOR

Abstract

This memo discusses when it is appropriate to register and utilize an Autonomous System (AS), and lists criteria for such. ASes are the unit of routing policy in the modern world of exterior routing, and are specifically applicable to protocols like EGP (Exterior Gateway Protocol, now at historical status; see [EGP]), BGP (Border Gateway Protocol, the current de facto standard for inter-AS routing; see [BGP-4]), and IDRP (The OSI Inter-Domain Routing Protocol, which the Internet is expected to adopt when BGP becomes obsolete; see [IDRP]). It should be noted that the IDRP equivalent of an AS is the RDI, or Routing Domain Identifier.

Network Working Group J. Hawkinson

Request for Comments: 1930 BBN Planet

BCP: 6 T. Bates

Category: Best Current Practice MCI

March 1996

Guidelines for creation, selection, and registration

of an Autonomous System (AS)

Status of this Memo

This document specifies an Internet Best Current Practices for the

Internet Community, and requests discussion and suggestions for

improvements. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

Abstract

This memo discusses when it is appropriate to register and utilize an

Autonomous System (AS), and lists criteria for such. ASes are the

unit of routing policy in the modern world of exterior routing, and

are specifically applicable to protocols like EGP (Exterior Gateway

Protocol, now at historical status; see [EGP]), BGP (Border Gateway

Protocol, the current de facto standard for inter-AS routing; see

[BGP-4]), and IDRP (The OSI Inter-Domain Routing Protocol, which the

Internet is expected to adopt when BGP becomes obsolete; see [IDRP]).

It should be noted that the IDRP equivalent of an AS is the RDI, or

Routing Domain Identifier.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction ............................................ 2

2. Motivation .............................................. 2

3. Definitions ............................................. 2

4. Common errors in allocating ASes ........................ 5

5. Criteria for the decision -- do I need an AS? .......... 5

5.1 Sample Cases ........................................... 6

5.2 Other Factors .......................................... 7

6. Speculation ............................................. 7

7. One prefix, one origin AS ............................... 8

8. IGP issues .............................................. 8

9. AS Space exhaustion ..................................... 8

10. Reserved AS Numbers .................................... 9

11. Security Considerations ................................ 9

12. Acknowledgments ........................................ 9

13. References ............................................. 9

14. Authors' Addresses ..................................... 10

1. Introduction

This memo discusses when it is appropriate to register and utilize an

Autonomous System (AS), and lists criteria for such. ASes are the

unit of routing policy in the modern world of exte...