RFC 3849 (rfc3849) - Page 2 of 4

IPv6 Address Prefix Reserved for Documentation

RFC 3849               IPv6 Documentation Address              July 2004


   Similar, but different, discussion also applies to top level domain
   names and some have been reserved for similar purposes [2].

2.  Documentation IPv6 Address Prefix

   To allow documentation to accurately describe deployment examples,
   the use of site local or link local addresses is inappropriate, and a
   unicast address block is required.  All IPv6 unicast address space is
   currently marked as reserved, unassigned or has been assigned to the
   Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) for further redistribution
   to the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) [1], but no unicast
   address space has been specifically nominated for the purposes of use
   in documented examples.

   Following acceptance within the Asia Pacific regional addressing
   community of a proposal for a block of IPv6 address space to be
   reserved for documentation purposes, the Asia Pacific Network
   Information Centre (APNIC) allocated a unicast address prefix for
   documentation purposes.  The address block is within the range of a
   conventional allocation size, so that documentation can accurately
   match deployment scenarios.

   The documentation prefix described in this memo can also be used to
   generate multicast addresses for documentation, using the Unicast
   prefix-based proposal [3].  Representing other kinds of multicast
   addresses in documentation is outside the scope of this memo.

   The prefix allocated for documentation purposes is 2001:DB8::/32

3.  Operational Implications

   This assignment implies that IPv6 network operators should add this
   address prefix to the list of non-routeable IPv6 address space, and
   if packet filters are deployed, then this address prefix should be
   added to packet filters.

   This is not a local-use address prefix, and the filters may be used
   in both local and public contexts.

4.  IANA Considerations

   IANA is to record the allocation of the IPv6 global unicast address
   prefix  2001:DB8::/32 as a documentation-only prefix  in the IPv6
   address registry.  No end party is to be assigned this address.







Huston, et al.               Informational