RIPE Database Template for Networks
-----------------------------------
D.Karrenberg
1 April 1992
ref.: ripe-50
What is the RIPE Database ?
RIPE (Reseaux IP Europeens) coordinates TCP/IP networking for the
research community in Europe. It operates under the auspices of RARE
(Reseaux Associees pour la Recherche Europeene).
One of the activities of RIPE is to maintain a database of European IP
networks, DNS domains and their contact persons. This database content
is public information. This supports NICs/NOCs all over Europe to
perform their respective tasks.
A network and its contact persons are represented by different database
objects. This means that for each network there has to be a network
object describing the network and one or more person entries describing
the persons.
Objects are described by attributes one per line separated by empty
lines. The information stored about netowrk 192.16.192.0 consists
of four objects, one network object and 3 person objects and looks
like this:
inetnum: 192.16.192.0
netname: RIPE-X25
descr: RIPE X.25 net
descr: Europe
country: NL
admin-c: Rob Blokzijl
tech-c: Piet Beertema
tech-c: Daniel Karrenberg
connect: RIPE
gateway: cwi kth cern inr udo ukc
remarks: country is really Europe
rev-srv: mcsun.eu.net sering.cwi.nl
changed: dfk@cwi.nl 900911
source: RIPE
person: Rob Blokzijl
address: NIKHEF section H
address: Science Park Watergraafsmeer (WCW)
address: Kruislaan 409
address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam
address: The Netherlands
phone: +31 20 592 0413
fax-no: +31 20 592 5155
e-mail: k13@nikhef.nl
changed: dfk@cwi.nl 900802
source: RIPE
person: Piet Beertema
address: CWI
address: Science Park Watergraafsmeer (WCW)
address: Kruislaan 413
address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam
address: Netherlands
phone: +31 20 5924112
fax-no: +31 20 5924199
e-mail: piet@cwi.nl
nic-hdl: PB13
changed: dfk@cwi.nl 900802
source: RIPE
person: Daniel Karrenberg
address: CWI
address: Science Park Watergraafsmeer (WCW)
address: Kruislaan 413
address: NL-1098 SJ Amsterdam
address: The Netherlands
phone: +31 20 5924112
fax-no: +31 20 5924199
e-mail: dfk@cwi.nl
nic-hdl: DK58
nic-hdl: DK85
changed: dfk@cwi.nl 900802
source: RIPE
How to access the Database ?
The database is public. It can be accessed via a whois server
on host whois.ripe.net (tcp port 43). The whole database is also
available via anonymous ftp from ftp.ripe.net as file ripe.db in
directory ripe/dbase.
How to submit information to the Database ?
Database updates should be sent via electronic mail to
auto-dbm@ripe.net
Below you find two templates, one for network objects and one for
person objects. Be sure to supply a person object for each contact
person mentioned in the network objects. Of course you need not supply
person objects if they are already present in the database and the
information is still correct.
Before submitting please delete all indented explanatory text from the
templates to save mail bandwidth. The text you submit should start in
column one.
Thank you for your cooperation.
RIPE Database Management
------------------------------------------------------------------
inetnum:
IP network number
Format: dotted quad including trailing 0s
Example:
inetnum: 192.19.2.0
Mandatory
netname:
Official network name
Format: capitals, numerals and "-" only, starting with capital
Example:
netname: TBIT-BUGS
Mandatory
descr:
Description of the network.
Give organisation and place.
Postal address is not needed, this can be found via the contacts.
You can't send postal mail to a bunch of routers and transceivers,
can you? The country is given in country:.
Format: free text, one line per entry, multiple lines in sequence
Example:
descr: Network Bugs Feeding Facility
descr: Terabit Labs Inc.
descr: Northtown
Mandatory
country:
Country where the network is located.
Format: ISO3166 two letter code.
We know this gives problems for networks crossing
national boundaries. Choose most appropriate country in
this case, probably the location of the admin-c.
Example:
country: IE
Mandatory
admin-c:
Name of administrative contact person.
This is someone who will be contacted about administrative
things such as network registration etc.
This must be the same string as in the corresponding
person entry. Such a person entry has to exist.
If the person name is ambiguous, use the nic handle.
Format: <firstname> <initials> <lastname>
Example:
admin-c: John E. Doe
Mandatory, Multiple
tech-c:
Name of technical contact person.
This is someone to be contacted for technical problems
such as routing, (mis)behavior of hosts on the net etc.
See admin-c above.
connect:
Connectivity Indicators.
This attribute is used for data about routing policy
routing in general. Its values are a combination of
the strings defined below. New strings can be registered
at the database update address.
The definition of this is arbitrary and should be
replaced by something more rational as e.g. AS's that
may be traversed or some such later.
If you are not sure what to fill in here, put ? and RIPE
will try to fill in something sensible.
Format: A sequence of the strings blow separated by white space.
LOCAL This means routing updates will be
blocked in RIPE routers.
RIPE European
This means RIPE routers will distribute
routes for this net.
NSF NSFnet
This means the net is (supposed to be)
in the NSFnet routing database and thus
has access to NSFnet
EU member of InterEUnet
NORDU member of NORDUnet
Example:
connect: RIPE EU NSF
Mandatory
aut-sys:
Autonomous system number the network belongs to.
The definition of this is not clear yet.
Format: AS number
Example:
aut-sys: 4711
Optional
nsf-in:
NSFnet routing. Inbound announcements to NSFnet.
This is used for consistency checks with the NSF routing database.
Format: <order>=<AS#> <order>=<AS#>
Example:
nsf-in: 1=703 2=224 3=97
Optional
nsf-out:
NSFnet routing. Outbound announcements from NSFnet.
This is used for consistency checks with the NSF routing database.
see nsf-in:
gateway:
RIPE gateway for this network.
This attribute was the first attempt at putting routing information
in the database. It is for local use and slated for removal.
Optional
rev-srv:
Reverse address translation servers for this network.
White space seperated list of domain names of the servers
serving this network's reverse mapping subdomain of in-addr.arpa.
Optional
remark:
Remarks
Format: text string
Example:
remark: currently inoperative
remark: will be operational 01-apr-91.
Optional
changed:
Who and when changed this last.
Format: <email-address> YYMMDD
Example:
changed: johndoe@terabit-labs.nn 900401
source: RIPE
Source of the information.
This is used to separate information from different sources
kept by the same database software.
Format: RIPE
Mandatory
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
person:
Full name.
This must be the same as the corresponding contact attributes.
Format: first names first, no commas etc.
Example:
person: John E. Doe
address:
Postal address
Include everything necessary for paper mail to be delivered.
Format: multiple lines of text
City and post code on a single line.
Country on the last line.
Example:
address: Terabit Labs Inc.
address: Industrial Estate North
address: North Perpendicular Road 12
address: NN-1234 Northtown
address: Northern Nowhere
Mandatory
phone:
Telephone
Multiple numbers in the desired order please (secretariats etc.).
Format: International +<country-code> <city> <subscriber>
If no direct inward dialing is available,
please append "ext." and extension number.
Example:
phone: +31 20 12334676
phone: +44 123 987654 ext. 4711
Mandatory, Multiple
fax-no:
Telefax
see phone
e-mail:
Electronic mail address.
Format: Valid domain address please (if possible no !, %, ::)
Example:
e-mail: johndoe@terabit-labs.nn
nic-hdl:
NIC handle. An identifier used by SRI-NIC to unambiguously refer
to Internet people.
Format: NIC format
Example:
nic-hd: JD0401
Optional but strongly suggested for those who have a NIC handle.
remark:
Remarks
Format: text string
Example:
remark: RIPE coordinator Northern Nowhere
Optional
changed:
Who and when changed this last.
Format: <email-address> YYMMDD
Example:
changed: johndoe@terabit-labs.nn 900401
source: RIPE
Source of the information.
This is used to separate information from different sources
kept by the same database software.
Format: RIPE
Mandatory