Is There a Way I Can Help?
Of course! There are many ways in which you can help. The version 3.0 of the
Software is still in Beta phase, so it needs testing and bugfixing.
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You can try to query the v3.0beta server which is running on host
rpsl.ripe.net at port 43. This server is a near-real-time
mirror of the live RIPE Database. All the objects are converted in RPSL
format, and then stored in the mirror database. You can query the
beta server to find what your objects look like in RPSL format; you can also
use the beta server for the normal queries, in order to get used to the
new format.
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If you have any scripts which fetch data from the RIPE
Database and then process it, we strongly suggest you to test these
scripts with the feed from the beta server. There is a high possibility
that your scripts may experience some problems, due to the fact that RPSL format
is quite different from RIPE-181 format. Please note that in a few
months, RPSL will be the default format for the RIPE Database!
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Try our CGI interface to the beta server: you can find it at
http://www.ripe.net/ripencc/pub-services/db/reimp/.
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You can use our test RPSL database, and try to create, update and delete
objects in the beta database. This is a separate database from the one
described in the previous points. It is a "sandbox" database, where you can
insert, update or delete any kind of object, just to get a feeling of how
it works and possibly spot some bugs. The updates have to be sent, in RPSL
format, to auto-rip@ripe.net,
and the corresponding database can be queried on host
rpsl.ripe.net at port 4343.
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If you have a Near-Real-Time Mirror of the RIPE Database,
please contact ripe-dbm@ripe.net!
In a few months, the RIPE Database will run in RPSL format, and v2 of
the RIPE Whois Database Software will no longer be able to mirror
the RPSL stream. Thus you will need to use v3 of the software.
We strongly suggest you to start testing the mirroring of RPSL stream
with v3.0 as soon as possible.
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Check the code. Try to compile it, install it, hack it if you have time,
and report to us any bugs you found or any features you might implement.
The most important thing, if you want to help us,
is that you send us feedback. If you have any
comments, questions, requests; or if you find any bug in any way you
might test this version 3.0beta, please let us know. You can either
write to dbrip@ripe.net,
which is the address for Whoisd v3.0-related issues at the RIPE NCC,
or you can send it
to the db-beta@ripe.net discussion list.
Please note that only subscribers are allowed to post on this list;
follow the instructions in the README file for
how to subscribe.
There is also a Migration Task Force that has been created at
the RIPE 37 Meeting. The purpose of this Task Force is to increase
the awareness of the RIPE Community for the forthcoming of the
new RIPE Database in RPSL format. If you want to be part of this
Task Force, please write to ripe-dbm@ripe.net.