1. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan RWhois Database SIG Tim Christensen Database Administrator ARIN

2. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Overview What is RWhois? Why do we use it? Who is using it? What is wrong with it? What do we fix? How do we fix it? Where are we in the project?

3. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan What is RWhois? A distributed system for query and maintenance of network information that: Provides network and contact information Portrays utilization Decentralizes data storage Moves queries closer to the data source Offers local control A distributed system for query and maintenance of network information that:

4. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Manual Referral What is RWhois? rwhois.arin.net rwhois.example.net client

5. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Client Referral What is RWhois? rwhois.arin.net rwhois.example.net client

6. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan rwhois.arin.net rwhois.example.net client Query Routing What is RWhois?

7. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan rwhois.arin.net rwhois.example.net client Re-referred Query Routing What is RWhois? rwhois.referral.net rwhois.another.net …

8. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Purpose of RWhois Why do we use it? Technical Support Makes publicly available network technical contact information Provides alternative to SWIP (ARIN’s process for permitting ISPs to report subdelegations) Justification Documents 80% usage of existing address space as justification for future allocations Local control of subdelgation data Increases accessibility for local update Promotes accuracy and currency Enables custom interface development Follows good engineering practice to keep the data in just one place and as close to the source as possible

9. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Current Installation Base Who is using it? One in six organizations receiving allocations have told ARIN that they run RWhois servers 1/3 of these have referrals in ARIN’s RWhois 53% do not currently respond 47% are active 2/3 of these do not have referrals in ARIN’s RWhois but purport to be reachable via RWhois protocol

10. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Deficiencies As Identified by ARIN DBWG What is wrong with it? Query routing doesn’t work rwhois.arin.net rwhois.example.net client

11. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Deficiencies As Identified by ARIN DBWG What is wrong with it? Query routing doesn’t work Uses a non-standard database format Insufficient documentation Set-up and administration is too difficult Query routing doesn’t work

12. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Additional Deficiencies What is wrong with it? Code Architecture Server unavailability Limited reporting of RWhois server locations

13. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Approach What do we fix? Current-release RWhois support Identify bug-type problems with RWhois Release minor fixes as necessary to support existing base of RWhois users Improved RWhois deployment Establish RWhois design team from community and ARIN staff Charge design team with establishing an approach to following DBWG mandate Implement according to determined approach

14. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Goals How do we fix it? Query routing doesn’t work Fixed in ARIN’s beta release [1.5.8], implementation TBD Leaves recursive reference problem unsolved Uses a non-standard database format Make the default backend an open source solution, e.g., MySQL Make the backend a configurable component Insufficient documentation Identify and evaluate community requirements Develop new FAQs and how-to’s Review RFC2167 and code against requirements Modify code to meet requirements Release informational RFC to supercede RFC2167

15. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Goals How do we fix it? Setup and administration is too difficult Develop a canned set of working configuration and data files Code Architecture Code audit to identify key functional modules Develop new, modular code base Server Unavailability Promote always-on RWhois servers Identify and notify server contacts when down Limited reporting of RWhois server location Promote RWhois referral registration Create data element in Whois for RWhois server Convert existing comment and out-of-band information into new Whois data element

16. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Current RWhois Situation Where are we in the project? RWhois design team established Consensus established on adding RWhois data element to Whois Ongoing discussions for additional requirements Strawman modular code architecture complete Always-on RWhois policy proposal anticipated Software developed to identify lame RWhois servers

17. 26 February 2003 APNIC 15 Taipei, Taiwan Thank You!