[ncc-services-wg] Re: [db-wg] Implementation of ASPLAIN Format

[Apologies for duplicates]


Dear Colleagues,

With the publication of RFC 5396, the IETF has standardised the
representation of all Autonomous System (AS) Numbers in the ASPLAIN
format. This covers both 16-bit and 32-bit AS Numbers. The previous
ASDOT format is now obsolete. The RIPE NCC plans to start using the
ASPLAIN format on March 25, 2009.

 From that time, any AS Numbers or references must be in the ASPLAIN
format. The ASDOT format will no longer be accepted in RIPE NCC
services such as the LIR Portal and the RIPE Database.

The update of RIPE NCC systems to ASPLAIN will take place on
Wednesday, March 25, according to the following schedule (all times
are in UTC and are approximations):

7:00  1. Updates to the RIPE Database via webupdates and syncupdates
          will be disabled.  Mail updates will be queued.

          After the update mechanism has been stopped, all objects
          containing an AS Number in ASDOT format will be
          automatically converted to identical objects with the AS
          Number in ASPLAIN format. Technical details of the
          conversion process will be published shortly.

       2. The LIR Portal will be stopped.

10:00    The RIPE Database will now accept queries in ASPLAIN format;
          it will no longer accept queries in ASDOT format.

12:00 1. The LIR portal will be restarted.  Any reference
          to an AS Number should be made in ASPLAIN format.

       2. Any mail updates to the RIPE Database submitted after 7:00
          will be processed. Webupdates and syncupdates will be enabled
          again.

The Routing Information Service (RIS) will not be updated on March 25.

If you use AS Numbers internally, or with other tools that have not yet
been updated, you may be interested in a conversion tool that has been
provided by APNIC. This tool converts ASDOT format AS Numbers to ASPLAIN
and back. It can be downloaded from: http://www.apnic.net/cgi-bin/convert-asn.pl

If you have any concerns about this matter, please send an email to
<asn32 at ripe.net>

Kind regards,

Henk Uijterwaal
Senior Project Manager, RIPE NCC



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Henk Uijterwaal                           Email: henk.uijterwaal(at)ripe.net
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