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RIPE Database FAQ

  1. What is the RIPE Database?
  2. What is acceptable use of the RIPE Database?
  3. What is a netname?
  4. What is a nic-hdl?
  5. Can I use a nic-handle from another Regional Internet Registry in the RIPE Database?
  6. What is a tech-c and what is an admin-c?
  7. Can I register a domain namein the RIPE Database?
  8. How do I register a person/role object in the RIPE Database ?
  9. Someone has created a person object with my personal details in the RIPE Database. Why did they do this?
  10. My information in the RIPE Database is not correct, can you please update my object(s)?
  11. How do I delete an object from the RIPE Database?
  12. My update failed. Please explain why it failed.
  13. What are the authorisation rules for route object creation?
  14. How to create a route object when the matching IP range is not allocated or assigned from the RIPE NCC?
  15. I received a message with the subject "Notification of RIPE Database changes", but I didn't do anything and don't understand the message. What is it?
  16. Can I download the RIPE Database software?
  17. Can I download the RIPE Database?
  18. I cannot find any information about a network in the RIPE Database. Can I look somewhere else?
  19. When one uses the RIPE NCC whois client, is it necessary to specify"-h whois.ripe.net" or is that pre-set by default?
  20. How do I register reverse-delegations in the RIPE Database?
  21. I want to have an IP to country conversion table; from where can I get it?
  22. I want to peer with an Autonomous System (AS). How do I do this?
  23. Can I enter several contacts in one RIPE Database object?
  24. How do I update an object in the RIPE Database?
  25. Is the "changed:" attribute updated automatically?
  26. Which date should be used in a "changed:" attribute in a RIPE Database object?
  27. Which date should be used as "changed-date" in a RIPE Database object?
  28. Can I use a nic-handle from another database?
  29. Where can i find more information about the RIPE Database?

1. What is the RIPE Database?
The RIPE Database contains information about:

     

  • Allocations and assignments of IP address space;
  • Routing Registry Information;
  • Reverse DNS Delegations;
  • Related objects.

The data is entered into the RIPE Database mainly by operators of IP networks within the RIPE NCC service region. These are the maintainers of the data. The RIPE NCC supports the operation of the RIPE Database. The maintainers are primarily responsible for the data but the RIPE NCC also has some responsibility as a Database Controller. The responsibilities are explained in more detail in the RIPE Database Terms and Conditions.

The data is accessible by a whois query (whois.ripe.net) and through a web interface, subject to the RIPE Database Terms and Conditions.

2. What is acceptable use of the RIPE Database?
The purpose and use of the RIPE Database is defined in the RIPE Database Terms and Conditions The purpose of the RIPE Database is to assist the operation of the Internet in the RIPE region. Use of information from the RIPE Database for activities such as marketing, advertising and distributing Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (UCE) is covered by Terms and Conditions.

3. What is a netname?
A netname is a mandatory attribute of an inetnum object which contains a short but meaningful name of the IP allocation or assignment. Two or more inetnum objects can have the same netname. The netname attribute is a look-up key, one can query the RIPE Database supplying the netname as an argument. The result of the query will show all inetnum objects with that netname.

4. What is a nic-hdl?
A "nic-handle" is a unique identifier that references RIPE Database objects containing contact details for a specific person or role. Other RIPE Database objects list contact details by their nic-handle. This is a more reliable identifier than an email address or a person's name (which may not be unique).

5. Can I use a nic-handle from another Regional Internet Registry in the RIPE Database?
Yes, but you must create a person/role object in the RIPE Database to ensure referential integrity. There is no existing distributed database of person/role objects (i.e. contact information) as proposed in "rps-dist" (RFC-2769).

Please note that updating an object in one database does not mean the object will be updated in any other database.

6. What is a tech-c and what is an admin-c?
"admin-c" (administrative contact) and "tech-c" (technical contact) are network contacts, required to be listed by their nic-handles in certain RIPE Database objects. This is done for operational correspondence such as Network troubleshooting. The admin-c must be physically located at the site of the network. The tech-c does not need to be physically located at the site of the network. You can have multiple admin-c, tech-c and zone-c attributes in an object, each of them referencing different person or role objects.

7. Can I register a domain name in the RIPE Database?
No, the RIPE NCC does not register domain names. Currently, the RIPE Database contains non-authoritative information about some domain names but this information will be moved to the databases of the national country-code domain registries. A decision was made by the RIPE community to remove all forward domain names from the RIPE Database.

8. How do I register a person or role object in the RIPE Database?
There are two ways of registering an object in the RIPE Database:

For your convenience the RIPE NCC has developed an on-line updating service. This service makes it possible to add, edit or delete existing objects via a web interface. It also includes online help about the RIPE Database.

A second way of adding a person or role object is to obtain a copy of the appropriate template from the RIPE Database. You can do this through a normal query, either using a client or the RIPE Database web interface:

person template
role template

Complete the details in this template and send it to: auto-dbm@ripe.net.

Note that in order to create a role object, you need to refer to at least one person object registered in the RIPE Database. The logical order is to create person objects before you create a role object.

Please refer to the Database Reference Manual or the RIPE Database User Manual: Getting Started if you need help.

The RIPE Database is not a "white-pages" service; person objects registered in the RIPE Database should be referenced from other objects in the RIPE Database, either directly or through a role object. Unreferenced person objects may be deleted from time to time. Please see the News Archive of the Database section on the website for more information.

9. Someone has created a person object with my personal details in the RIPE Database. Why did they do this?
Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) put information about their customers in the RIPE Database. This is usually because you have signed an agreement with the ISP to obtain Internet services from them and given your consent to publish your personal details in the RIPE Database. If you are unhappy with this, please contact your ISP. If you cannot resolve this issue with your ISP, the RIPE NCC has a procedure to handle the Removal of Personal Data from the RIPE Database.

10. My information in the RIPE Database is not correct, can you please update my object(s)?
The RIPE Database Terms and Conditions detail who is responsible for maintaining data in the RIPE Database. We suggest you contact the maintainer of the data that is incorrect and ask them to change it. If it is personal data that is incorrect and you are not satisfied with the response from the maintainer, the RIPE NCC has a procedure to handle Removal of Personal Data from the RIPE Database.

11. How do I delete an object from the RIPE Database?
There are two ways of deleting an object in the RIPE Database:

  1. For your convenience the RIPE NCC has developed an on-line updating service. This service makes it possible to add, edit or delete existing objects via a web interface. It also includes online help about the RIPE Database.

  2. A second way of deleting an existing object is to obtain a copy of the object as it appears in the RIPE Database. You can do this through a normal query, either using a client or the RIPE Database web interface.

Copy and Paste the object in an editor and append a new line to the object which will read: 

 "delete: <reason>"

For example "delete: Not needed anymore" (without the quotes) and send it to: auto-dbm@ripe.net. Note that you must not change anything in the object, nor add or delete anything else. This also applies to "changed:" attributes. A new "changed:" attribute should not be added.

Please keep in mind that most objects have to pass a check with the "mnt-by:" attribute to clear authorisation for editing or deleting. Please see the RIPE Database documentation for more information about maintainers.

12. My update failed. Please explain why it failed.
There are many reasons why an update could fail. Usually, the failure reasons listed in the acknowledgement message you received are self-explanatory. The errors and warnings are contained in the "***ERROR:" and "***WARNING:" lines attached to the object which failed. Please read these lines carefully. Often the errors are simple syntax errors in the object. Check your object for typing mistakes.

Another common mistake is to query the RIPE Database for an object without using the "-B" query flag, then submit the returned object in an update. This results in submitting a filtered object, indicated by the line 'source: RIPE # Filtered' in the query response.

Sometimes, your update fails with this error message: "***Error: Authorisation failed". This means that you haven't supplied the correct credentials to satisfy the authorisation needed for the maintainer that protects the object. The maintainer is notified of a failed attempt to update this object.

Please note that if you send several objects in one message and at least one of them fails, the subject of the acknowledgment message will start with "FAILED:". This does not mean that the whole update failed, only that some updates were unsuccessful. Please check the message carefully to see which objects were not updated.

RIPE Database: reading dbupdate acknowledgments.

13. What are the authorisation rules for route object creation?
There are three phases of authentication checks when creating a route object:

  • a check with the relevant aut-num object,
  • a check with the "IP space"
  • a check with the "mnt-by:" attribute of the route object itself.

All of these three phases must be passed individually. If any of them fails, the route object creation is rejected. Take a look at the graphical presentation of this process.

You cannot create a route object if the origin AS refers to an aut-num object that does not exist in the RIPE Database. Therefore, before creating the route object, the aut-num object must be created in the RIPE Database, even if the AS number is registered in another whois database. If you are the party that has been assigned this AS number, please create the corresponding aut-num object by using the aut-num template. If the AS number is assigned to another party, please contact them to create the aut-num object.

14. How to create a route object when the matching IP range is not allocated or assigned from the RIPE NCC?
Before creating the route object, the "origin" AS number object must be created in the RIPE Database, even if the AS number is registered in another whois database. If you are the party that has been assigned this AS number, please create the corresponding aut-num object by using the aut-num template. If the AS number is assigned to another party, please contact them to create the aut-num object.

To authenticate successfully for the IP space, you need to include the password for RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT, along with the passwords for the maintainer of the aut-num and actual route object.

The RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT clear text password is mentioned in the object itself:

mntner:     RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT
descr:      This maintainer may be used to create objects to represent
descr:      routing policy in the RIPE Database for number resources not
descr:      allocated or assigned from the RIPE NCC.
<snip>
remarks:    *******************************************************
remarks:    * The password for this object is 'RPSL', without the *
remarks:    * quotes. Do NOT use this maintainer as 'mnt-by'.     *
remarks:    *******************************************************
<snip>

The mnt-by: attribute of the route object should refer to your own maintainer object. Do *not* use RIPE-NCC-RPSL-MNT as the maintainer of the route object; the route object will not be protected with this public maintainer.

15. I received a message with the subject "Notification of RIPE Database changes", but I didn't do anything and don't understand the message. What is it?
The message you received has been automatically sent to you from the RIPE Database software. The purpose of this notification is to inform you that some objects have been changed in the RIPE Database. You received the message because you were either listed in a "notify:" attribute of the object itself, or in a "mnt-nfy:" attribute of the mntner that protects the object.

If you did not create or update the object yourself, then someone else did this. The e-mail address from which the update came is usually mentioned in the notification message. Please contact that e-mail address for questions and clarifications about the update.

16. Can I download the RIPE Database software?
Yes, you can find links to download both the server and client software at:
http://www.ripe.net/db/tools/index.html.

17. Can I download the RIPE Database?
You cannot download the RIPE Database in the way you can download software from the Internet. This is because the database is dynamic and is constantly being updated. It is also subject to European Data Protection Laws.

We produce daily snapshots which are available to the public. You can find these files at our FTP site at: ftp://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/dbase/ripe.db.gz
or split by object type at: ftp://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/dbase/split

These daily snapshots exclude the object types: person, role, organisation and mntner. For data protection reasons, personal data is not available in bulk format.


Another way to "download" the RIPE Database is to become a Near-Real-Time Mirror (NRTM). This means that you run a copy of the database at your site that keeps up-to-date with the master server by regularly downloading the most recent updates. All personal data is excluded from the NRTM download and updates. You must be authorised to become a NRTM.

If you are interested, please contact ripe-dbm@ripe.net explaining why you want to become a NRTM.

18. I cannot find any information about a network in the RIPE Database. Can I look somewhere else ?
Yes; try http://www.ripe.net/db/whois-free.html. This is a full text search.

19. When one uses the RIPE NCC whois client, is it necessary to specify"-h whois.ripe.net" or is that pre-set by default?
You can configure the RIPE NCC whois client to look at any server by default. You should define the 'NICHOST' variable in the source code. By default, it is defined as "whois.ripe.net".

20. How do I register reverse-delegations in the RIPE Database?
To register reverse-delegations in the RIPE Database, see the Reverse Delegations FAQ

21. I want to have an IP to country conversion table; can I get it?
The inetnum object represents IP address space in the RIPE Database; this object has a 'country' attribute. However, you should not rely on this information to be 100% accurate. Please contact ripe-dbm@ripe.net to discuss your application for this data.

22. I want to peer with an Autonomous System (AS). How do I do this?
Once an AS number has been assigned to you, you are responsible for keeping it up to date. It is important that your aut-num object in the RIPE Database reflects reality. If you have new peers and/or stop peering with one or more Autonomous Systems, please update your aut-num object. You update this object in the same way as any other object in the RIPE Database.

23. Can I enter several contacts in one RIPE Database object?
Yes. You can have multiple admin-c, tech-c and zone-c attributes in an object, each of them referencing different contact record, person or role objects.

24. How do I update an object in the RIPE Database?
There are two ways of updating an object in the RIPE Database:

  1. For your convenience the RIPE NCC has developed an on-line updating service. This service makes it possible to add, edit or delete existing objects via a web interface. It also includes online help about the RIPE Database.

  2. A second way of updating an existing object is to obtain a copy of the object as it appears in the RIPE Database. You can do this through a normal query, either using a client or the RIPE Database web interface.
    Copy and paste the object in an editor and change the attributes to their new values. You cannot change the key attributes, e.g. person name or nic-hdl values, since these are the unique identifiers of an object.
    Finally, send the object as a plain-text e-mail to <auto-dbm@ripe.net>. If the object is maintained (that is, if it has one or more "mnt-by:" attributes), then you must meet the authentication specified by one of the maintainers. Please see the Database documentation for more information about maintainers.

25. Is the "changed:" attribute updated automatically?
No. You must add these yourself when required on an update. It is recommended that you keep the previous "changed:" attributes. If there are many "changed:" attributes, keep at least the first (the oldest) and the last (the newest) one.

26. Which date should be used in a "changed:" attribute in a RIPE Database object?
The date in the "changed:" attribute should be the date you submit the object to the RIPE Database. Make sure your new object has at least one "changed:" attribute. If you edit an existing object, it is recommended you do not delete previous "changed:" attributes. Add a new "changed:" attribute at the end of the existing ones so the history of the object remains visible.

27. Can I use a nic-handle from another database?
Yes, but you must create a person/role object in the RIPE Database to ensure referential integrity.  There is no existing distributed database of person/role objects (i.e. contact information) as proposed in "rps-dist" (RFC-2769).  

Please note that updating an object in one database does not mean the object will be updated in any other database.

28. Where can i find more information about the RIPE Database?
More information about the RIPE Database is available at: http://www.ripe.net/db/.
Additional information can be found in the Routing Registry Training Course and LIR Training Course material.
If you cannot find the information you are looking for, please contact ripe-dbm@ripe.net.

RELATED TOPICS
RIPE DATABASE SEARCH


 

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