RIPE Whois Database Software v3.0

# RIPE Whois Database Software v3.0 ### Introduction Welcome to Version 3.0 of the RIPE Whois Database Software. This version is completely different from the previous versions of the software, i.e. v2.3.2 and below. For instance, Version 3.0 of the Software uses RPSL. The old object syntax, based on RIPE-181, is not supported anymore, except that you can convert RIPE-181 objects to store them in the database in RPSL format. Check out the RIPE-181 to RPSL migration page that the RIPE NCC has prepared to ease your transition from RIPE-181 to RPSL. Furthermore, the whole Whois database software has been completely rewritten. It now stores the objects in a SQL backend instead than in flat files, thus making it more scalable. Many new features have been added, such as: Dynamic access control and authorization Loading in memory the primary keys of certain types of objects (the so-called radix tree) A runtime administrative interface The parsing of MIME messages for database updates Just to name a few. The languages used in v3.0 are C/C++ (PERL was used in v2). ### Compiling and Installing the Package For detailed instructions about compiling and installing the RIPE Whois Database Software, please read the files README and INSTALL, provided with this distribution. Please note that the current status of this package is "Beta". The core functionalities of the software have all been implemented, but we still need to improve some details. We also need more testing of the software, in order to find and fix bugs. And this is where you can help. The software is being developed and tested in the Solaris environment. We managed to make it run on Solaris 2.6, 7 and 8 for SPARC, and on Solaris 7 for Intel. More effort will be spent on portability in the next months. ### Documentation This package includes for you to read some design specifications; you can also browse through our source code or view the source files commented using CXREF style. In the not-so-far future, we will include more documentation as to how the RIPE Whois Database Software v3.0 works, and some manpages. ### The transition from RIPE Database v2 to v3 At a certain point in future, the RIPE Database will switch to RPSL format, and abandon the RIPE-181 format. This will not happen in a sudden way, however. There is a transition plan, described in a "Transition" document that you can find linked here. Please check the transition document for the various phases and timelines of the transition. ### RPSL RPSL is an acronym for Routing Policy Specification Language. Its specifications are defined in RFC2622. You can also check RFC2650, "Using RPSL in Practice", and a tutorial on RPSL given by the RIPE NCC Database group. ### Is There a Way I Can Help? Of course! There are many ways in which you can help. The version 3.0 of the Software is still in Beta phase, so it needs testing and bugfixing. You can try to query the v3.0beta server which is running on host rpsl.ripe.net at port 43. This server is a near-real-time mirror of the live RIPE Database. All the objects are converted in RPSL format, and then stored in the mirror database. You can query the beta server to find what your objects look like in RPSL format; you can also use the beta server for the normal queries, in order to get used to the new format. If you have any scripts which fetch data from the RIPE Database and then process it, we strongly suggest you to test these scripts with the feed from the beta server. There is a high possibility that your scripts may experience some problems, due to the fact that RPSL format is quite different from RIPE-181 format. Please note that in a few months, RPSL will be the default format for the RIPE Database! Try our CGI interface to the beta server: you can find it at http://www.ripe.net/ripencc/pub-services/db/reimp/. You can use our test RPSL database, and try to create, update and delete objects in the beta database. This is a separate database from the one described in the previous points. It is a "sandbox" database, where you can insert, update or delete any kind of object, just to get a feeling of how it works and possibly spot some bugs. The updates have to be sent, in RPSL format, to auto-rip@ripe.net, and the corresponding database can be queried on host rpsl.ripe.net at port 4343. If you have a Near-Real-Time Mirror of the RIPE Database, please contact ripe-dbm@ripe.net! In a few months, the RIPE Database will run in RPSL format, and v2 of the RIPE Whois Database Software will no longer be able to mirror the RPSL stream. Thus you will need to use v3 of the software. We strongly suggest you to start testing the mirroring of RPSL stream with v3.0 as soon as possible. Check the code. Try to compile it, install it, hack it if you have time, and report to us any bugs you found or any features you might implement. The most important thing, if you want to help us, is that you send us feedback. If you have any comments, questions, requests; or if you find any bug in any way you might test this version 3.0beta, please let us know. You can either write to dbrip@ripe.net, which is the address for Whoisd v3.0-related issues at the RIPE NCC, or you can send it to the db-beta@ripe.net discussion list. Please note that only subscribers are allowed to post on this list; follow the instructions in the README file for how to subscribe. There is also a Migration Task Force that has been created at the RIPE 37 Meeting. The purpose of this Task Force is to increase the awareness of the RIPE Community for the forthcoming of the new RIPE Database in RPSL format. If you want to be part of this Task Force, please write to ripe-dbm@ripe.net.