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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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Other Query Flags ​

  • The "-T" ("--select-types") Query Flag
  • The "-K" ("--primary-keys") Query Flag
  • The "-t" ("--template") Query Flag
  • The "-v" ("--verbose") Query Flag
  • The "-q" Query Flag
  • The "-a" ("--all-sources") Query Flag
  • The "-s" ("--sources") Query Flag
  • The "-S" ("--resources" Query Flag)
  • The "-F" ("--brief") Query Flag
  • The "--valid-syntax" and "--no-valid-syntax" Query Flags
  • The "-c" ("--irt") Query Flag
  • The "-C" ("--no-irt") Query Flag

The "-T" ("--select-types") Query Flag ​

This query flag restricts the type of the objects returned to those specified. The query flag argument is a comma-separated list of object types. A space after "T" is optional but the list cannot contain any spaces.

The "-K" ("--primary-keys") Query Flag ​

The -K (--primary-keys) query flag returns only the primary keys of each object in the query response.

There are some exceptions to this:

  • With set objects, the "members:" attributes will also be returned.
  • With route and route6 objects both the prefix and the "origin:" attribute are returned as these jointly provide the primary key.
  • No information is returned for person, role or organisation objects.

The "-t" ("--template") Query Flag ​

The -t (--template) query flag returns a template of the specified object type as shown for each object in the section RPSL Object Types.

The "-v" ("--verbose") Query Flag ​

The -v (--verbose) query flag returns a verbose description of the specified object type as shown for each object in the section RPSL Object Types.

The "-q" Query Flag ​

The RIPE Database server supports the retrieval of certain information about itself and the data sets served, using a -q query flag.

The -q query flag requests the server to reply with information about the system setup. It does not return any information extracted from any of the databases that it serves. This query flag takes a single argument, which has three possible values:

  • Version (usage: -q version). This will display version information for the server software
  • Types (usage: -q types). This will list all the object types recognised by the RIPE Database
  • Sources (usage: -q sources). This will list all available sources. That is, the local RIPE Database and all the mirrored databases

The "-a" ("--all-sources") Query Flag ​

The -a (--all-sources) query flag requests that the server searches all the sources available to it and the response will include any output found from any of the available sources. These are the sources listed by using the -q sources query.

The "-s" ("--sources") Query Flag ​

The -s (--sources) query flag requests that the server searches all the sources specified and the response will include any output found from any of these sources. The available sources are the sources listed by using the -q sources query. The argument to this flag can be a comma-separated list of sources. They will be queried in the order specified by the user. Search other mirrored databases, not only the RIPE Database.

The "-S" ("--resources") Query Flag ​

The -S (--resources) query flag search in other mirrored databases, such as: RIPE-GRS or ARIN-GRS, not only the RIPE Database. For example: whois -S ARIN-GRS 193.201.1.1

The "-F" ("--brief") Query Flag ​

The "-F" ("--brief") query flag changes the format of the returned objects. The attribute names are represented in a short hand notation. For example, "person:" becomes "*pn:". Using the -F query flag includes the non-recursive action of the -r query flag

The "--valid-syntax" and "--no-valid-syntax" Query Flags ​

Over time, the syntax of database objects changes. The existing data is not always updated when these changes occur. Therefore, there are many objects in the RIPE Database with invalid syntax according to current rules. These query flags filter the objects in the query response. Either those objects with valid syntax, or those without valid syntax, will be returned in the response depending on the choice of flag.

The "-c" ("--irt") Query Flag ​

The "-c" ("--irt") query flag can only be used with queries for address space objects. The appropriate address space object for this query is returned in the query response. The query software then searches up the address space hierarchy (moving through the less specific objects) until an address space object is found that references an irt object, and then the referenced irt object is included in the query response. The default behaviour is not to return any referenced irt object.

The "-C" ("--no-irt") Query Flag ​

The "-C" ("--no-irt") query flag turns off the behaviour given with the "-c" query flag. Related irt objects are not returned by default.

The "-Z" ("--charset") Query Flag ​

The "-Z" ("--charset") query flag specifies which character set the client expects. The default is latin-1 (ISO-8859-1) encoding.

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