    Network Working Group                                         J. Onions
    Request for Comments: 1606                                   Nexor Ltd.
    Category: Informational                                    1 April 1994

             A Historical Perspective On The Usage Of IP Version 9

    Status 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.

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    RFC 1606         Historical Perspective Usage of IP V9      1 April 1994

    Allocation

       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 the

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    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.

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    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.uk

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