Dear Colleagues, I am Satoru Tsurumaki from the Japan Open Policy Forum Steering Team.
On February 12, we held a meeting to discuss prop-163. Based on this discussion, I would like to share key feedback from our community. While I am sending this message, it summarizes the opinions of the 14 Japanese community members who attended the meeting. Many participants expressed opposition to this proposal. (comment details) - As noted in the Secretariat's Impact Assessment, RDAP should be used instead of RWhois. - Since implementation will take 12 months, some feel that the effort required is not worth it. - JPNIC is already in the process of implementing RDAP. - The Secretariat's Impact Assessment states that one advantage of RDAP over RWhois is the ability to use encrypted communications. While encryption is important, it would be helpful to provide more concrete examples of what encryption can protect to better compare RWhois and RDAP. Regards, Satoru Tsurumaki JPOPF Steering Team 2025年1月13日(月) 13:05 Bertrand Cherrier via SIG-policy <[email protected]>: > > Dear SIG members, > > A new proposal "prop-163-v001: Enhancing WHOIS Transparency and Efficiency > Through Referral Server Implementation" has been sent to the Policy SIG for > review. > > It will be presented at the Open Policy Meeting (OPM) at APNIC 59 on > Wednesday, 26 February 2025. > > https://conference.apnic.net/59/programme/programme/index.html#/day/8/ > > We invite you to review and comment on the proposal on the mailing list > before the OPM. > > The comment period on the mailing list before the OPM is an important part of > the Policy Development Process (PDP). We encourage you to express your views > on the proposal: > > - Do you support or oppose this proposal? > - Does this proposal solve a problem you are experiencing? If so, > tell the community about your situation. > - Do you see any disadvantages in this proposal? > - Is there anything in the proposal that is not clear? > - What changes could be made to this proposal to make it more effective? > > Information about this proposal is appended below as well as available at: > > http://www.apnic.net/policy/proposals/prop-163 > > Regards, > Bertrand, Shaila, and Ching-Heng > APNIC Policy SIG Chairs > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > prop-163-v001: Enhancing WHOIS Transparency and Efficiency Through Referral > Server > Implementation > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Proposer: > Tsungyi Yu ([email protected]) > > > 1. Problem statement > ------------------------- > The current APNIC WHOIS system does not address the following issues: > > 1. Inconsistent queries after resource transfers: > When an ASN is transferred from APNIC to another RIR (e.g., RIPE NCC or > ARIN), the IANA database query still points to APNIC WHOIS. This results in > missing or incorrect data, requiring users to manually query the appropriate > authoritative WHOIS database. > > 2. Challenges in querying NIR second-level allocations: > Some NIRs manage their resource allocation independently. When resources are > allocated to their members, the data may be stored only in the NIR’s local > system without corresponding updates in the APNIC database. The existing > WHOIS query mechanism cannot automatically redirect to the specific NIR WHOIS > database, reducing transparency and efficiency. > > 3. Lack of transparency for downstream allocations: > When resources are further allocated to end users (e.g., enterprises or other > organizations), the current WHOIS system cannot automatically provide this > allocation information. Redirecting queries to the customer-maintained > servers could significantly reduce communication overhead and improve > accuracy. > > 2. Objective of policy change > ---------------------------------- > By implementing WHOIS Referral Server support: > > - Queries for transferred resources (e.g., ASN or IP addresses) will be > automatically redirected to the appropriate RIR database. > - NIR allocations can be seamlessly queried through a hierarchical system. > - Downstream allocation information will become accessible, enhancing > transparency and traceability. > > 3. Situation in other regions > -------------------------------- > AFRINIC: Does not yet support Referral Server functionality and relies on a > centralized WHOIS system. > > ARIN: Partially supports referral functionality, allowing queries to redirect > to specific databases. > > LACNIC: Operates a centralized WHOIS system without Referral Server support. > > RIPE NCC: Implements similar hierarchical query capabilities and can > automatically redirect users to relevant databases. > > 4. Proposed policy solution > -------------------------------- > Based on RFC 2167 (Referral WHOIS Protocol Version 1.5), the following > improvements are proposed: > > 1. Enable Referral WHOIS Protocol > Modify the APNIC WHOIS system to support a Referral Server mechanism as > defined by RFC 2167: > > - Allow automatic query redirection to other RIR or NIR databases. > - Implement a hierarchical and distributed query mechanism to reduce the > burden on a single server. > > 2. Collaborate with NIRs for second-level allocations > Standardize interfaces for NIRs to register and expose their allocation data, > enabling direct query support. > > 3. Support downstream customer allocations > Encourage resource holders (e.g., ISPs) to register detailed downstream > allocation information, enabling transparent queries through the Referral > Server system. > > 5. Advantages / Disadvantages > ------------------------------------ > Advantages: > - Improved query consistency and accuracy: Users can directly access the most > updated and authoritative information. > - Increased efficiency: Eliminates the need for manual queries or multiple > redirections, enhancing user experience. > - Transparent allocation processes: Supports NIR and customer-level > allocation queries, increasing resource transparency. > > Disadvantages: > - Implementation costs: Initial setup may require system upgrades and > architecture changes. > - Technical challenges: Compatibility among systems across different layers > and regions must be ensured. > > > 6. Impact on resource holders > ----------------------------------- > - APNIC’s WHOIS system would require technical upgrades to implement the > Referral Server functionality, incurring development and testing costs. > - Resource holders (ISPs, NIRs, etc.) may need to update their allocation > data and expose necessary query interfaces to support hierarchical management. > - This policy is expected to reduce the query burden on APNIC and facilitate > more efficient resource management. > > 7. References > ---------------- > RFC 2167: Referral Whois (RWhois) Protocol V1.5 > https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2167 > _______________________________________________ > SIG-policy - https://mailman.apnic.net/[email protected]/ > To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected] -- -- Satoru Tsurumaki BBIX, Inc _______________________________________________ SIG-policy - https://mailman.apnic.net/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send an email to [email protected]
