Network Working Group                                         J. OnionsRequest for Comments: 1606                                   Nexor Ltd.Category: Informational                                    1 April 1994         A Historical Perspective On The Usage Of IP Version 9Status of this Memo   This memo provides information for the Internet community.  This memo   does not specify an Internet standard of any kind.  Distribution of   this memo is unlimited.Abstract   This paper reviews the usages of the old IP version protocol. It   considers some of its successes and its failures.Introduction   The take-up of the network protocol TCP/IPv9 has been phenomenal over   the last few years. Gone are the days when there were just a few   million hosts, and the network was understood. As the IP version 9   protocol comes to the end of its useful life, once again due to   address space exhaustion, we look back at some of the success of the   protocol.Routing   The up to 42 deep hierarchy of routing levels built into IPv9 must   have been one of the key features for its wide deployment. The   ability to assign a whole network, or group of networks to an   electronic component must be seen as one of the reasons for its   takeup. The use of the Compact Disk Hologram units is typical of the   usage. They typically have a level 37 network number assigned to each   logical part, and a level 36 network number assigned to the whole   device. This allows the CDH management protocol to control the unit   as a whole, and the high-street vendor to do remote diagnostics on   discreet elements of the device. This still allows sub-chip routing   to be done using the 38th level addressing to download new nanocode.   As yet, no requirement has been found for levels 40-42, with level 39   still being used for experimental interrogation of atomic structure   of components where required.Onions                                                          [Page 1]RFC 1606         Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9      1 April 1994Allocation   The vast number space of the IPv9 protocol has also allowed   allocation to be done in a straight forward manner. Typically, most   high street commercial internet providers issue a range of 1 billion   addresses to each house. The addresses are then dynamically   partitioned into subnet hierarchies allowing groups of a million   addresses to be allocated for each discreet unit (e.g., room/floor   etc.) The allocation of sub groups then to controllers such as light   switches, mains sockets and similar is then done from each pool.   The allocation process is again done in a hierarchical zoned way,   with each major application requesting a block of addresses from its   controller. In this way the light bulb requests an address block from   the light switch, the light switch in turn from the electrical system   which in turn requests one from the room/floor controller. This has   been found to be successful due to the enormous range of addresses   available, and contention for the address space being without   problems typically.   Whilst there are still many addresses unallocated the available space   has been sharply decreased. The discovery of intelligent life on   other solar systems with the parallel discovery of a faster-than-   light transport stack is the main cause. This enables real time   communication with them, and has made the allocation of world-size   address spaces necessary, at the level 3 routing hierarchy. There is   still only 1 global (spatial) level 2 galaxy wide network required   for this galaxy, although the establishment of permanent space   stations in deep space may start to exhaust this. This allows level 1   to be used for inter-galaxy routing. The most pressing problem now is   the case of parallel universes.  Of course there is the danger of   assuming that there is no higher extrapolation than parallel   universes...   Up to now, the hacking into, and setting of holo-recorder devices to   the wrong channel from remote galaxies, has not been confirmed, and   appears to be attributable to finger problem with the remote control   whilst travelling home from the office.Applications   The introduction of body monitors as IPv9 addresseable units injected   into the blood stream has been rated as inconclusive. Whilst being   able to have devices lodged in the heart, kidneys, brain, etc.,   sending out SNMPv9 trap messages at critical events has been a useful   monitoring tool for doctors, the use of the blood stream as both a   delivery and a communication highway, has been problematic. The   crosstalk between the signals moving through the blood stream and theOnions                                                          [Page 2]RFC 1606         Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9      1 April 1994   close proximity of nerves has meant that patients suffering multiple   events at once, can go into violent spasm. This, coupled with early   problems with broadcasts storms tending to make patients blood boil,   have led to a rethink on this whole procedure. Also, the requirement   to wear the silly satellite dish hat has led to feelings of   embarrassment except in California, where it is now the latest trend.   The usage of IPv9 addresseable consumer packaging has been a topic of   hot debate. The marketing people see it as a godsend, being able to   get feedback on how products are actually used. Similarly, the   recycling is much improved by use of directed broadcast, "All those   packages composed of cardboard respond please." Consumers are not so   keen on this seeing it as an invasion of privacy. The introduction of   the handy-dandy directed stack zapper (which is also rumoured to be   IPv9 aware) sending directed broadcasts on the local food package net   effectively resetting the network mask to all 1's has made this an   area of choice.   The advent of the IPv9 magazine was universally approved of. Being   able to ask a magazine where its contents page was the most useful of   the features. However combined with the networked newspaper/magazine   rack, the ability to find out where you left the magazine with the   article that was concerned with something about useage of lawn mowers   in outer space is obvious. The ability to download reading habits   automatically into the house controller and therefore alert the   reader of articles of similar ilk is seen as marginal. Alleged   querying of this information to discover "deviant" behaviour in   persons within political office by members of contending parties is   suspected   Sneakernet, as pioneered by shoe specialists skholl is seen to be a   failure. The market was just not ready for shoes that could forward   detailed analysis of foot odour to manufacturers...Manufacture   Of course, cost is one of the issues that was not considered when   IPv9 was designed. It took a leap of imagination to believe that one   day anything that wished to be could be IPv9 addresseable. It was   assumed that IPv9 protocol machines would drop in price as with   general chip technology. Few people would have forseen the advance in   genetic manipulation that allowed viruses to be instructed to build   nano-technology IPv9 protocol machines by the billion for the price   or a grain of sugar. Or similarly, the nano-robots that could insert   and wire these in place.Onions                                                          [Page 3]RFC 1606         Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9      1 April 1994   The recent research in quark-quark transistors, shows some promise   and may allow specially built atoms to be used as switches. The   manufacture of these will be so expensive (maybe up to 10cent an IPv9   stack) as to be prohibitive except for the most highly demanding   niches.Conclusions   Those who do not study history, are doomed to repeat it.Security Considerations   Security issues are not discussed in this memo.Author's Address   Julian Onions   Nexor Ltd.   PO Box 132   Nottingham NG7 2UU, ENGLAND   Phone: +44 602 520580   EMail: j.onions@nexor.co.ukOnions                                                          [Page 4]