Whois queries in the RIPE database v3.0

Dear Colleagues,

Please find below an inventory of the query part of the new database
software (v3.0). I tried to highlight the differences from the current
RIPE Database implementation, but also to explicitly mention some
features of the current software that were not documented before.

Most of this document is a summary from a more detailed documentation,
which is available from
http://www/ripencc/pub-services/db/reimp/queries.ps

However, some features, like '-d' or '-q sources' flags, are new and we
would like to know your opinion and comments on these.

Almost all functionality is already implemented, although some minor
parts are missing, mainly because we would like to receive your comments
first.

We will appreciate your comments and suggestions,

Best regards,
 
Andrei Robachevsky
DB Group Manager
RIPE NCC




Whois queries in the RIPE database v3.0
=======================================

1. New queries
--------------

-l <ip range>

One level less specific. Does NOT return the exact match but only the
smallest of the IP ranges that is bigger than the user supplied range
and that fully contains it.

-x <ip range>

Exact match. Returns the inetnum or route object with the ip range
matching exactly the user supplied range. If no matching object is found
nothing is returned.

-K

Requests that only primary keys of the objects are to be returned. The
exception is a set object, where the members attribute is also returned.

-q sources

List all available sources. The format of the output is:

<source>:<NRTM protocol version>:<mirroring>:<first>-<last>

Where

<source> - is the string that identifies the Database (e.g. RIPE) NRTM
protocol version identifies the version of mirroring protocol (currently
1).

<mirroring> can take one of the following values:

Y/N/X - can mirror/cannot mirror/obscured

<first> is the lowest serial number available
<last> is the most recent serial number available

The following semantics apply:

Y:<first>-<last>  mirroring allowed, serials from range <first>-<last>
available
N:<first>-<last>  mirroring not allowed for administrative reasons. Ask
Database Administration for permission.
N:0-<last>        mirroring physically not possible (e.g. static
snapshot of serial <last>)
X:<msg>           no mirroring allowed. An explanation is given in
<msg>.

-q version

Displays version number of the server software.

-d

Triggers inclusion of in-addr.arpa and ip6.int domain objects in the
result of IP lookup. By default in-addr.arpa and ip6.int domain objects
are not
included in the output. With -d flag it is possible to have More/less
specific lookups for in-addr.arpa and ip6.int domains. Their use is
similar to those for IP numbers except that lookups have to be on 8 bit
boundaries for IPv4 lookups and 4 bit boundaries for IPv6 lookups.


2. Inverse queries.
------------------

The following inverse queries are supported by v3.0 software:

-iac (or -iadmin-c) <nic-handle|name>

Returns all objects whose admin-c attribute matches the query argument.


-itc (or -itech-c) <nic-handle|name>

Returns all objects whose tech-c attribute matches the query argument.


-izc (or -izone-c) <nic-handle|name>

Returns all objects whose zone-c attribute matches the query argument.


-iah (or -iauthor) <nic-handle|name>

Returns all objects whose author attribute matches the query argument.


-icn (or -icross-nfy) <nic-handle|name>

Returns all objects whose cross_nfy attribute matches the query
argument.


-ipn (or -iperson) <nic-handle|name>

Equivalent to -iac,tc,zc,ah,cn (or
-iadmin-c,tech-c,zone-c,author,cross-nfy).


-iny (or -inotify) <e-mail address>

Returns all objects whose notify attribute matches the query argument.


-idt (or -iupd-to) <e-mail address>

Returns all objects whose upd-to attribute matches the query argument.


-imb (or -imnt-by) <maintainer name>

Returns all objects whose mnt-by attribute matches the query argument.


-iml (or -imnt-lower) <maintainer name>

Returns all objects whose mnt-lower attribute matches the query
argument.


-imr (or -imbrs-by-ref) <maintainer name>

Returns all objects whose mbrs-by-ref attribute matches the query
argument.


-imn (or -imnt-nfy) <e-mail address>

Returns all objects whose mnt-nfy attribute matches the query argument.


-imu (or -imnt-routes) <maintainer name>

Returns all objects whose mnt-routes attribute matches the query
argument.


-ict (or -icross-mnt) <maintainer name>

Returns all objects whose cross-mnt attribute matches the query
argument.


-ior (or -iorigin) <AS key>

Returns all objects whose origin attribute matches the query argument.


-ila (or -ilocal-as) <AS key>

Returns all objects whose local-as attribute matches the query argument.


-imo (or -imember-of) <set name>

Returns all objects whose member-of attribute matches the query argument
and their claim is validated by mbrs-by-ref attribute of the set.
Absence of mbrs-by-ref attribute means that the membership is only
defined by the members attribute of the set.


-irz (or -irev-srv) <hostname|IP address>

Returns all objects whose rev-srv attribute matches the query argument.


-ins (or -inserver) <hostname|IP address>

Returns all objects whose nserver attribute matches the query argument.


-isd (or -isub-dom) <domain name>

Returns all objects whose sub-dom attribute matches the query argument.


-irb (or -ireferral-by) <maintainer name>

Returns all objects whose referral-by attribute matches the query
argument.



3. Other differences from v2.x software
---------------------------------------

-iro (or -irole)  <nic-handle|name>

This query is not supported.


-k

Is accepted without an argument. In this case it just opens a persistent
connection to a server. The next -k without argument will close the
connection.