RIPE Database playground

Folks,

As requested at the last RIPE meeting, I have setup a test database
for you all to use and get some feeling of how all this works. 

Some details:

- the "inetnum" and "route" objects (new format, ie after the split)
will be regenerated every night, and will overwrite any
changes/additions you may have sent in.

- all other objects remain in the test database

- the address to send test data to is:

test-dbm at ripe.net

- there is a whois server running on this database on machine
"bwhois.ripe.net", normal whois port 43.

- most of the functionaility of ripe-81++, authorisation, inet-rtr and
all other docs presented at the RIPE meeting has been implemented.

- there are a few things that still need implementation, try:
"whois -h bwhois.ripe.net help" for help and open issues.

- Bugs/Questions please to me directly (or ripe-dbm), or to the list if you
think it is important enough.

- most unix type clients will understand extra options (see the help
for a complete list) as:

% whois -h bwhois.ripe.net -- -L key
or
% whois -h bwhois.ripe.net "-L key"


I will send a similar mail to the local-ir list and all guardians
later this week or early next week, you are the first ones to have a
go at it.


Go!

-Marten