Proposal on applying advisory attribute to "aut-num" object

>   From owner-db-wg at ripe.net Fri Oct 20 21:22:16 1995

Christian,

>       The famous "advisory" attribute which seems to be still needed by ANS to
>       get their routing done is especially cumbersome because it has to be
>       applied to and maintained for every single "route" object.  If the
>       "advisory" attribute could be added to the "aut-num" object, entering an
>       "advisory" there could cover all routes originated by this AS.  Of
>       course the ANS people will have to slightly modify their software.

As far as I see David Kessens has already made the necessary changes in the DB
software. :)

zsako/banknet $ whois -h whois.ripe.net "-t aut-num"
aut-num:     [mandatory]  [single]                 
as-name:     [optional]   [single]                 
descr:       [mandatory]  [multiple]               
as-in:       [optional]   [multiple]               
as-out:      [optional]   [multiple]               
advisory:    [optional]   [single]      <<<<<<----------
interas-in:  [optional]   [multiple]               
interas-out: [optional]   [multiple]               
as-exclude:  [optional]   [multiple]               
default:     [optional]   [multiple]               
guardian:    [optional]   [single]                 
admin-c:     [mandatory]  [multiple]               
tech-c:      [mandatory]  [multiple]               
remarks:     [optional]   [multiple]               
notify:      [optional]   [multiple]               
mnt-by:      [mandatory]  [multiple]               
changed:     [mandatory]  [multiple]               
source:      [mandatory]  [single]                 

>       
>       Comments welcome !

I would like to make some comments on the above.

First of all, with respect to the `[single]' qualifier. If we indeed allow only
one such advisory attribute for the AS (aut-num), then the AS can express its
advisory recommendations to only one other AS for ALL of it routes. I know
that this is somewhat theoretical, since only ANS use the advisory...
Nevertheless ripe-130 says it could be used by any other organisation, although
*everybody* is discouraged from using it at all.

An other approach to this problem would not need any change in the DB schema.
We have the `remarks' attribute which can be used for any additional information
related to the AS. I think it could also contain something like:
"advisory:    AS690 1:1800 2:1133 3:1239" which means, the aut-num would have
the following remarks attribute:
remarks:     advisory:    AS690 1:1800 2:1133 3:1239
In this case any AS could add as many remarks as needed for the advisories...

This is true for the `route' object as well.

I know it is not a good practice to use the attributes for other purpose than
they are designed for,  but in this case I feel the advisory is not more than a
remark (actually an important one if you want to have NSFnet connectivity...).
Two other arguments are in favour of this second solution: first is that RIPE
descourages people from using the advisory, second is that ANS should be ready
with the new software soon, and then nobody would (or at least should) use the
advisory any more.

As you said, ANS have to make some (probably minor) changes in their software
in order to get the advisory from the aut-num for all the routes originating in
the AS corresponding to the aut-num.
I do not think these changes are significantly less in the case there is an
`advisory' attribute in the aut-num object, than in the case they have to parse
the `remarks' attributes of the aut-num.

Further comments welcome!

Best regards,
Janos


Janos Zsako		zsako at banknet.net
BankNet
Tel: +36 1 160 16 42
Fax: +36 1 160 14 06