draft minutes, DB-WG meeting, RIPE-23, Jan.96, Amsterdam

[...]
>   The Role: or NOC: object needs more thought and detailed definition.
>   There is still some uncertainty whether a full-blown new object (with a
>   handle) is really needed, or whether the person object can be extended.
>   Input was received from Michael H. Behringer that proposed a common
>   format for describing contact information, coverage and emergency
>   preocedures. This object is to be re-visited on the mailing list and a
>   decision about implementation is being sought on the list.
[...]
>
> List of new actions:
> 
[...]
> 
> Wilfried Woeber, Michael H. Behringer: To initiated discussion on the
> 	mailing list about the need and possible format for a role: or
> 	noc: object.
[...]

Right, here we go: 

>From my perspective: I do not really *need* the role object. If this object
will not be implemented, we will find some sort of a workaround by using
comments in a person object. Then we would define a person "XY-NOC" for
example, address and such is obvious, and the additional information we need
will be put into the comment fields, using our own sub-definition, ie,
we would put essentially the same thing I proposed into the comments, and
only the parser would need to be different. Not nice - but it does the job.

The reason why I am pursuing this here though is that I think that the 
role object is really missing in the DB. And I get back to the same old 
example: When someone is leaving a company, and the route/AS/other objects
containing this person are not updated, it looks like the AS/route/other is
maintained by someone from a different organisation. And you have to make 
changes in all objects that refer to this person. 

I still maintain: An AS/route/other object is *not* maintained by persons, 
but for example by a NOC. The DB should reflect that, and give the possibility
to get the level of abstraction right. For that you need this role object. 
It is just a clean solution.

Okay, if others think this is too much effort, no problem with me. For the
thing we want to do we have a dirty hack. I just thought it is worthwhile 
trying to pursue a "clean" solution first, before doing the hack. 

Michael