# Queries for IP Networks

The RIPE Database provides information about IP networks allocated or assigned within the RIPE NCC service region. This information is mainly stored as inetnum, inet6num, route and route6 objects. These objects store information about a single IP address or ranges of addresses.

The route and route6 objects use prefix notation to specify the single address or range of addresses about which they contain information.

"Prefix notation" specifies ranges using two parts: the prefix and its length.

For IPv4, the prefix is a 32-bit integer written in dotted quad notation with the value of the lowest IP address in the range. The prefix length is a whole number in the range 0-32 (for example 193.0.0.0/22 specifies the range of 1024 IPv4 addresses starting with,and including, 193.0.0.0).
For IPv6 address ranges, the prefix length must be in the range 0-128 and is a 128-bit whole number, written in hexadecimal groups of two bytes separated by colons and with the possible use of shorthand notation for strings of consecutive 0s.

The inetnum objects represent an IPv4 address space in range notation. The inet6num objects represent IPv6 address space in standard prefix notation.

When you query the RIPE Database for information about IP addresses, you can specify query arguments with the following notations:

A prefix (IPv4 or IPv6).
An explicit range (IPv4 only).
A single IP address. This is interpreted as a range of just one address. For IPv4, this can be written in range notation using the same start and end address. It could also be written as a single address. For IPv6, this has a prefix length of 128 or again it could also be written as a single address.

For IPv4 address space, the query argument can be specified with either prefix or range notation. When prefix notation is used, the database software converts this into range notation. An information message is included in the query response showing the conversions performed. For IPv6 address space, the query argument can only be specified in prefix notation. The single IP address is accepted as a short hand notation for a prefix. See Table 2: Queries For IP Networks table

We use three terms in these types of queries. These are all defined relative to the specified(reference) range:

An exact match refers to a range that is identical to the reference range.
A more specific range is contained within the reference range and is smaller. It contains fewer IP addresses than the reference range. We also call this a sub range.
A less specific range contains the whole of the reference range and is bigger. It has a greater number of IP addresses than the reference range. We also call this an encompassing range.

There are a number of options that describe how you can retrieve different types of information relative to a particular range of IP addresses (IPv4 or IPv6) including more and less specific queries.

# Default Queries for IP Network

If you do not specify one of the following IP related query flags, and your query argument is a range of IP addresses in any one notation, a RIPE Database server will try to find an object with an exact match range for the specified range. If found, the exact match range is returned. If an exact match range cannot be found, the server looks for the object with the smallest less specific range. This will be the smallest, existing, encompassing range.

# Exact Match Queries

If you want to change the default behaviour so that the server returns only an object with an exact match range, you need to use the –x (or --exact) query flag. This flag stops the server from looking for any less specific ranges if no exact match range exists. Not even the smallest encompassing range will be returned. If no exact match range is found, no object will be returned in the query response.

# More Specific Range Queries

These refer to queries qualified by the use of the -M and -m query flags.

These queries will return information about objects with ranges of IP addresses that are fully contained within the reference range specified in the query argument. The returned objects contain fewer addresses than the specified range. More specific range queries do not return the exact match range if it exists.

-M (or --all-more) - requests that the server should return all the sub-ranges that are completely contained within the reference range. When there are hierarchies of sub-ranges, all levels of the hierarchies will be returned down to the smallest sub-range in each hierarchy. Many objects can be returned.
-m (or --one-more) - requests that the server should return all the sub-ranges that are completely contained within the reference range. When there are hierarchies of sub-ranges, only the top level of the hierarchies will be returned. These are usually called one level more specific ranges. Many objects can be returned.

# Less Specific Range Queries

These refer to queries qualified by the use of the -L and -l query flags.

These queries will return information about objects with ranges of IP addresses that fully contain the reference range specified in the query argument. The returned objects contain a greater number of addresses than the specified range.

-L (or --all-less) - requests that the server returns the object with an exact match range, if it exists, and all objects with ranges that are bigger than the reference range and that fully contain, or encompass, it. Many objects can be returned.
-l (or --one-less) - requests that the server does not return the object with an exact match range, if it exists. It returns only the object with the smallest range that is bigger than the reference range and that fully contains, or encompasses, it. This is usually referred to as the one level less specific range. Only one object can be returned.

# Less Specific Range Queries For Referenced IRT Objects

An irt object represents a Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT). It includes contact and security information. It is optionally referenced from inet(6)num objects using the "mnt-irt:" attribute (even though the irt object is not a mntner object). This shows which CSIRT is responsible for handling computer and network incidents for that address range.

A reference to an irt object does not only apply to the inet(6)num object that contains the reference. It also applies to all inet(6)num objects that are more specific to the one containing the reference. Not every inet(6)num object needs to contain a reference to the irt object. The irt reference only needs to be placed in the least specific encompassing object to apply to a whole hierarchy of objects. This makes it easier to apply and maintain.

There may be more than one inet(6)num object in a hierarchy referencing an irt object. In this case, the one referenced from the smallest encompassing object is the one that applies to the range in question.

There is a -c (or --irt) query flag to make it easy to find the inet(6)num object containing the reference to an irt object for any specific range.

This flag makes the server search up the hierarchy of less specific range objects from the range specified as the query argument. The search will stop when the first object is found containing a reference to an irt object. This can be either the specified range or an encompassing inet(6)num object at any level in a hierarchy. The query will return the inet(6)num object found for the range specified in the query argument. The referenced irt object found in the hierarchy will also be returned.

Sometimes, no inet(6)num object is found in the hierarchy that contains a reference to an irt object. In this case, the query response will only contain the inet(6)num object found for the range specified in the query argument.