Autonomous Systems Available via RIPE WHOIS

Autonomous System (AS) information is now available from the RIPE whois
server.  The server will accept queries for AS<number>.  Very basic
information about most existing ASes from the NIC and other sources has
been entered with a source attribute of INTERNIC and will only be found if
the -a flag is passed to the whois server.  This information is also
available as file from ftp.ripe.net in file ripe/dbase/asn.db.Z. 

In order to get things going some instances of the new RIPE AS object
have also been entered already.  For example 

	whois as786 

will produce

aut-num:   AS786
descr:     The JANET IP Service
descr:     UK
as-in:     AS60 50 AS60
as-in:     AS766 100 AS766
as-in:     AS1263 45 DEFAULT
as-in:     AS1275 100 AS1275
as-in:     AS1290 50 AS1290
as-in:     AS1755 102 RIPE-DB AND NOT (LOCAL AS786)
as-in:     AS1849 50 AS1849
as-in:     AS1930 100 AS1930
as-in:     AS2107 100 AS2107
as-in:     AS2111 100 AS2111
as-out:    AS60 AS786 AS766
as-out:    AS766 AS786 AS1755
as-out:    AS1263 AS786 AS766 AS1930 AS2107 AS2111
as-out:    AS1275 AS786 AS1755
as-out:    AS1290 AS786
as-out:    AS1755 AS786 AS766 AS1275 AS1930 AS2107 AS2111
as-out:    AS1849 AS786 AS1755
as-out:    AS1930 AS786 AS1755
as-out:    AS2107 AS786 AS1755
as-out:    AS2111 AS786 AS1755
default:   AS1263 1
guardian:  jips-nosc at noc.ulcc.ac.uk
admin-c:   Duncan Rogerson
admin-c:   Kevin Hoadley
tech-c:    Duncan Rogerson
tech-c:    Kevin Hoadley
remarks:   AS2111 link is not yet active, coming soon.
changed:   D.Rogerson at nosc.ja.net 930226
source:    RIPE

A description of the AS object can be found in appendix A of document
ripe-81.  We also accept updates and additions of AS objects in the RIPE
database at <ripe-dbm at ripe.net>.  We urge everyone to send in AS objects
a.s.a.p..  They do not necessarily need to include the routing policy
information (as-in, as-out, default and guardian).  If you want to jump
in at the deep end you could read ripe-81 and generate the routing
policy as well. We will be happy to help you with this. However don't
put off sending in the basic information because of this. There is a real
benefit in this being available too.

Further plans: The NCC will generate AS objects for all ASes being used
in the European Internet and not present in the database during the next
week and send them to the suspected contact persons for validation. 
Shortly after these are installed, a new update procedure for the aut-sys 
tag of network objects will be anabled. This procedure is described in
ripe-81. Basically it means that aut-sys tags will be generated from
information supplied by the AS guardians. Initially the NCC will be guardian
for all ASes which do not have a guardian yet and process change requests
manually.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about this.

The NCC Staff

PS: A new ripe document containing all database templates and update 
procedures is being prepared and will be released shortly.