44Net House Terminology

This page defines how certain terms are used within 44Net documentation and the program in general. These definitions reflect our internal usage and may differ from broader industry usage in minor ways.

Address space and routing

Allocate

To set aside address space or another resource for a defined purpose.

Allocations are structural decisions. They are not tied to an individual user.

Example: We allocate a block for 44Net Connect infrastructure.

Assign

To grant a specific resource to a specific account for use.

Assignments are tied to a responsible party and may be modified, returned, or reclaimed.

Example: “Assign a /24 prefix to a licensed amateur operator.”

Participation and services

Provision

To configure a device or system to use a 44Net resource or service.

Provisioning refers to the technical setup, including configuring things and hooking things up. It does not refer to administrative processes such as requesting an assignment or registering a gateway. ARDC does not provision things, operators do.

Example: “Provision a 44Net Connect subnet on a mobile hotspot. Provision a BGP session on a router to announce a prefix.”

Connect

In 44Net documentation, “Connect” refers specifically to 44Net Connect, the managed WireGuard-based tunnel system.

It does not refer generically to routing, BGP participation, or IPIP Mesh links. We try to avoid using “connect” as a verb in those contexts, but if we do, it is not meant to refer to the 44Net Connect service.

Announce

To advertise a prefix into BGP so that other networks can route traffic to it.

In user-facing documentation, “announce” is slightly preferred over more formal terms like “originate” and “advertise,” but all three are fine to use.

Delegate

To transfer administrative control of a resource to another party while retaining overall stewardship. In the case of DNS, it is both technical and administrative, in that it involves configuring name servers and granting control over a zone.

Responsibility and governance

Steward

The individual or organization responsible for the use of an assigned resource.

“Steward” is preferred over “owner,” reflecting the shared and non-proprietary nature of 44Net resource. 44Net participants are stewards of their assigned resources, and ARDC is the steward of the 44Net address space and the 44Net program as a whole.

Avoid using “owner” or similar terms that imply property rights, as this is not the intended relationship between participants and resources in 44Net. That wades into legalistic territory that is usually not relevant to participants.

Prefix

A block of IP addresses identified by CIDR notation (for example, 44.127.128.0/24).

“Prefix” is the general technical term, particularly when IPv4 and IPv6 are both considered. “Subnet” is also widely used in user documentation and is perfectly acceptable, especially in IPv4 contexts.

Service

A managed capability provided by the 44Net program. Take care when referring to a service. Not all activities on 44Net are services.

Services

• 44Net Connect
• DNS
• The Portal

Not services

• The 44Net address space itself (it is a shared resource)
• The IPIP Mesh (it is a project)
• BGP (it is a protocol)

Policy

A normative rule governing use, eligibility, or responsibility.

Policies describe what is required or prohibited, though being formal or legalistic is usually less important than being clear, direct, enabling, and enforceable.

Procedure

A defined series of steps to accomplish a task or achieve a result. A how-to guide is a type of procedure. How to handle tickets is a procedure.

Guideline

A recommended practice that allows room for judgment. Verification is often subjective, and exceptions may be made when justified. A guideline is not binding but expresses strong preference.