[db-wg] Proposal for Test Database Cleanup

Proposal for Periodic Clean-up for the TEST RIPE Database

Motivation
----------

The RIPE NCC provides a TEST RIPE Database for users to learn how to
use the software and try out new updates without the risk of damaging
data in the real database. This database uses the same software as the
production version of the RIPE Database.

The data in the TEST database is NOT a copy of that in the RIPE
Database, it is not authoritative data. Therefore no value should be
put on it.

The RIPE NCC only carries out maintenance operations in the RIPE
Database and not in the TEST database. Over time, however, outdated
features in the database software may make some parts of the TEST
database unusable.

To ensure a clean functioning test environment, we propose a periodic
clean-up of the TEST database.

Objectives
----------

- To increase the availability of the TEST database with a minimum of
administrator interference.

- To clean up unneeded items from the TEST database.

- To provide a consistent starting point for the TEST database.

Implementation
--------------

- Every first Tuesday of each month, the TEST database will be reloaded
with a set of database objects. Downtime will be brief, and is
estimated to be at most half an hour.

- After the reinitialisation, the database will contain:

   * One PERSON, one ROLE, one ORGANISATION and one MAINTAINER object
for test purposes.
   * One MAINTAINER object to maintain the test MAINTAINER object.
   * 0/0 network ranges for IPv4 and IPv6.
   * 0/0 ROUTE and ROUT6 objects.
   * One as-block containing as0 - as65535.
   * Three DOMAIN objects for 'in-addr.arpa', 'ip6.arpa' and 
'e164.arpa'.

-- 
Can Bican
Software Engineering Department