[db-wg] improve --list-sources query to display latest serial?

Hi Job,

this is due to a difference between the Whois Query service (port 43) and NRTM (port 4444).

> On 28 Aug 2018, at 00:33, Job Snijders via db-wg <db-wg at ripe.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> It appears there currently is no easy way to retrieve the current serial
> from the RIPE DB. We're implementing some software to monitor whether
> our local mirror is wildly out of sync with the RIPE DB or not.
> 

The current serial is only returned from the NRTM service (whois.ripe.net <http://whois.ripe.net/>:4444) by using the "-q sources" command.

> I kind of expected th serial to be listed in the --list-sources command,
> but that field is set to 0.
> 
>    hanna:~ job$ whois -h whois.ripe.net -- --list-sources | grep RIPE
>    % This is the RIPE Database query service.
>    % The RIPE Database is subject to Terms and Conditions.
>    RIPE:3:N:0-0
>    RIPE-GRS:3:N:0-0
>    % This query was served by the RIPE Database Query Service version 1.91.2 (HEREFORD)
> 

The "--list-sources" or "-q sources" command on the Whois service (whois.ripe.net <http://whois.ripe.net/>:43) lists all the available sources, but with zero serial (as port 43 is not used for mirroring).

> In comparison, IRRd will display the current serial when the !j query is
> issued:
> 
>    hanna:~ job$ whois -h rr.ntt.net -- '!jNTTCOM'
>    A25
>    NTTCOM:N:0-978492:978492
>    C
>    hanna:~ job$
> 
> I came up with a really ugly oneliner:
> 
>    $ whois -h 193.0.6.135 -p 4444  -- \
>        "-g RIPE:3:$(curl -s https://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/dbase/RIPE.CURRENTSERIAL)-LAST" | \
>        grep -v : | sed '/^$/d' | tail -n 2 | head -1 | awk '{ print $NF }'
>    42486238 
> 
> Depending on the time of day that oneliner may be quite quick, or take
> several minutes to complete... obviously not ideal.
> 
> Can --list-sources perhaps be improved to list the current serial?
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> Job
> 

Regards
Ed Shryane
RIPE NCC


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