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Introduction to the RIPE Database

RIPE Database Documentation Overview

Intended Audience

Conventions Used in the RIPE Database Documentation

What is the RIPE Database

Purpose and Content of the RIPE Database

History of the RIPE Database

Personal Data Database Management and Reponsabilities

RIPE Database Structure

Database Object

Primary and Secondary Objects

List of Primary Objects

List of Secondary Objects

The Attributes in Database Objects

Attribute Names

Attributes in an Object

Attribute Values

Attribute Properties

How to Organise Your Data

REST API Data model

RPSL Object Types

Descriptions of Primary Objects

Descriptions of Secondary Objects

Available Databases

RIPE Database

TEST Database

Release Candidate Database

Experimental Databases

Update Methods

RESTful API

Webupdates

Syncupdates

Email Updates

Updating Objects in the RIPE Database

Format of the Update Message

Accessing the Object Templates

Object Processing

Update Operations

Historical Data

Special Considerations for Object Creation

Garbage Collection

Dry run

Set Objects

Notifications

Acknowledgment Message

Notification Messages

Authorisation

Authorisation Model

Using the Authorisation Methods

Security of Data Using Authorisation

Protection of PERSON and ROLE Objects

Protection of AUT NUM Object Space

Protection of Address Space

Protection of Route Object Space

Protection of Reverse Delegation Objects

Protection of Objects with Hierarchical Names

Protecting Membership of a Set

Referencing an ORGANIZATION Object

Referencing an IRT Object

IRT Object

Force Delete Functionality

Request ENUM delegation

Request DNSSEC delegation

How to Query the RIPE Database

The Structure of a Query

Web Query Form

RESTful API Queries

Command Line Queries

Query Responses

Registration Data Access Protocol

Access to Personal Data

Types of Queries

Queries Using Primary and Lookup Keys

Queries for IP Networks

Queries for Autonomous Systems

More and Less Specific Lookups For Reverse Domains

Inverse Queries

Abuse Contacts

Grouping the RIPE Database Output

Filtering the Query Reponse

IRR Toolset Support

Persistent Connections and Keeping State

Getting All the Members of Set objects

Access Control for Queries

RIPE NCC Global Resource Service

Other Query Flags

Referenced Objects in Query Response

Historical Queries

Related Software and Tools

Geolocation in the RIPE Database

RIPE Database Mirror

Setup RIPE Database Mirror

Near Real Time Mirroring v3

Near Real Time Mirroring v4

Access to NRTM

Tables of Query Types Supported by the RIPE Database

How to Recover Access to a Maintainer Object

Installation and Development

Getting started on macOS

Getting started on Ubuntu Linux

Building whois

Configure MariaDB

Coding standard

Installation instructions

Database Support

Support Overview

Clean up of Unreferenced Data

Database Security

Configuring Reverse DNS

Database Business Rules

Highlighted Values in the RIPE Database

Create First Role Mntner

Removal of personal data

Release Notes

FAQ

Appendices

Appendix A Syntax of Object Attributes

Appendix B Copyright Statement

Appendix C RIPE Database Query Server Response Codes and Messages

Appendix-D--Route-Object-Creation-Flowchart

Appendix-E--Domain-Object-Creation-Flowchart

Appendix F Special Considerations for Object Types

Appendix G Object Types with Personal Data

Appendix H PGP Authentication Method

Appendix I Client Certificate Authentication

Appendix J Ripe Test Database

Appendix K API Keys

Glossary

Legal Information

RIPE Database Acceptable Use Policy

HTML Terms And Conditions

All Documentation Combined

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Security of Data Using Authorisation ​

Individual data objects must be protected with a mntner object. The mntner is referenced by the "mnt-by:" attribute in the object. This attribute is defined as multiple in all object types, so several mntner objects can be used to protect one object.

Only those mntner objects referenced by the "mnt-by:" attributes are authorised to modify or delete the object. Authorisation checks work in line with the logical "OR" - for the operation to be authorised, you must supply information required by at least one credential from one of the referenced mntner objects. As you can supply information required by any credential for the operation to be authorised, this means that an object's protection level is determined by the weakest authorisation method used in the mntner objects referenced by that object.

When the "mnt-by:" attribute is added to an object for the first time (as part of object creation or modification), the operation should pass authorisation checks for at least one of the mntner objects referenced by one of the "mnt-by:" attributes.

If the operation is a modification and the old object already has one or more "mnt-by:" attributes, then one of the mntner objects referenced in one of the "mnt-by:" attributes in the old object must authorise the change. If the old object does not have any "mnt-by:" attributes, then one of the mntner objects referenced in one of the "mnt-by:" attributes in the new object must authorise the change. All new objects must have at least one "mnt-by:". There are still some historic person and role objects that do not have any "mnt-by:" attributes.

Authorisation is also used in a hierarchical way. Much of the operational data in the RIPE Database is structured hierarchically. For example, the address space is allocated in large blocks, which can then be divided in a number of ways and then finally assigned to End Users. Authorisation in a hierarchy works from the top down to the bottom. So each child object needs to be authorised by the holder of the parent object. There are a range of additional attributes for this including "mnt-lower:", "mnt-routes:" and "mnt-domains:".

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