FAQ: LIR Auditing Procedure

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Why does the RIPE NCC audit LIRs? →

At the 1996 Contributors Committee Meeting, which became the RIPE NCC General meeting, the contributors agreed that the RIPE NCC should actively check the quality and validity of registry data. Since that time, audits have been a RIPE NCC activity.

When is an LIR audited? →

1. Regularly scheduled:
   The RIPE NCC performs regularly scheduled random audits every month.


2. On request:
   An audit may be requested by a third party or by the RIPE NCC itself. LIRs also request audits on their own registry to assist in correcting their own data quality.


3. Out of contact LIRs:
   Some LIRs, due to the nature of their business and their assignment window, have little contact with the RIPE NCC. These LIRs are audited from time to time to ensure that they are aware of current policies and procedures.


4. Additional allocation:
   With every request for a new allocation, a mini audit of the usage of previous allocations is performed. This includes asking for the documentation on previous assignments made with the LIR's assignment window (usually three). This shows whether LIRs are complying with the current assignment policies. LIRs should have documentation available for all assignment requests they have made. If the LIR has failed to archive requests, it may delay the additional allocation.

I received an email saying my LIR is being audited. What should I do? →

Please reply to the audit email message stating who from your LIR will be responsible for the audit. That person will then receive all the details necessary to complete the audit.

I have been asked to update the contact persons in my LIR internal registry file. All relevant staff have been replaced. What should I do? →

If the currently registered contacts are no longer available, please send us a signed authorisation letter for the new contacts on company letterhead. A person authorised to sign legal documents for your company should sign this letter. Please include the names and NIC handles of the new contact persons in the letter.

The person(s) who took care of IP administration left, leaving us with no documentation. Where should we start? →

Please let us know. This is the kind of thing audits are there to help with. We will help your new contact become familiar with the RIPE community policies and procedures as documented in various policy documents.

What are overlapping assignments and how should I fix these? →

Public IP addresses must not be configured on more than one network at a time to avoid address collisions. In the same way, it is not valid to register the same IP addresses in more than one RIPE Database inetnum ASSIGNED PA object. Please check which database object represents the address range that is actually in use and then delete the redundant inetnum object.

I found address ranges that are not in use with (an) End User(s) anymore. What should I do with these? →

Please confirm with the End User that the addresses are not in use anymore, and then inform the audit team.

The assignment netname has changed. Should I update the INETNUM objects? →

Please inform the audit team of the details of this change so they can give you correct advice.

Should I archive the details of each and every address space request? Why? →

Yes. LIRs must maintain proper records about all registration activities. This is a requirement of the RIPE community policies and the terms and conditions of the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement, which every LIR signs. LIRs should archive all information collected when evaluating a request for an IP address space assignment.

The records must include:

• The original request
• All supporting documentation
• All related correspondence between the registry and the End User
• The assignment decision, including:
  • Reasons behind any unusual decision
  • The person/organisation responsible for making the decision.

 

In order to facilitate the exchange of information, it is strongly recommended that documents are kept electronically and that they are readily accessible. This information should be made available to the RIPE NCC in English, if requested.

I am very busy with other projects within my LIR and the audit has a low priority for us. What should I do? →

The RIPE NCC is very flexible in this regard and will do everything possible to reach a mutual agreement on a date for completion of the audit. Having said that, the completion of audits within a reasonable period of time is a requirement of the terms and conditions of the RIPE NCC Standard Service Agreement.

What happens if I do not respond to audit reminders? Is there a penalty? →

Non-responsive LIRs may have their membership status reviewed. If an LIR has been non-responsive for 90 days or more, the LIR may be closed. For further information, please see this document.

 

How can I check RIPE Database inconsistencies? Do you have tools available? →

RIPE Database invalid data is only available from the RIPE NCC. The public ASused tool does not provide this. If you wish to see this data for your LIR, please send an email to LIR-HELP [at] ripe [dot] net.

Various other tools are available to check RIPE Database inconsistencies.

I need a new allocation soon. To save time, I want to fix the inconsistencies first before requesting a new allocation. Can I request audit results myself? →

Yes. We encourage LIRs to do this. You may find that some approved assignments are no longer in use, that End Users use more address space, etc. This gives both the LIR and the RIPE NCC the opportunity to improve the quality of registry data.

The Web Asused tool can be used to run a check on your registry's allocations in the RIPE Database.

Various other tools are available to run checks on allocated address blocks for your LIR. We encourage LIRs to do this regularly.

My LIR has been taken over and the name/address/contacts have changed. Where can I find more information? →

Please inform the RIPE NCC and refer to the RIPE Document "Mergers, Acquisitions, Takeovers and Closures of Organisations Operating an LIR".