Question on 7.0.0.0/8

Mon Apr 16 03:14:03 UTC 2007

On Sun, 15 Apr 2007 michael.dillon at bt.com wrote:

> Why doesn't IANA operate a whois server?

In fact they do operate whois server at whois.iana.org.
However that has domain data for .arpa and .int and not IPv4 whois
data which IANA has historically provided using flat file pointer
while having RIR maintain specific whois data even for /8 directly
listed in IANA file. Exactly because they do not operate ip whois
in the flat file "based" on IANA data that for me serves as "root":
  http://www.completewhois.com/iana-ipv4-addresses.txt
for each IANA allocated block the listed whois server is whois.arin.net

> Why don't they publish a more detailled explanation field in each IANA
> allocation record so that they can explain the precise status of each
> block?

This question as well as suggestion for IANA to operate "root" ip
whois server for /8 bloks should probably be sent to iana at iana.org.
(but its also possible that IANA people reading this list will respond...)

> Why doesn't IANA and the RIRs collectively get off their butts and
> actually make an "authoritative IP address allocation directory" one of
> their goals?
> And why don't they do all this with some 21st century technology?

A new system based on IRIS protocol (XML based using BEEP as transport) 
will be in place in the future that will work better as a comprehensive 
directory.

-- 
William Leibzon
Elan Networks
william at elan.net