Improved Query Processing on RIPE Database Serve

[ Apologies for multiple copies. ]

Colleagues,

Whois query processing for the RIPE Database Server has been revised
to be more consistent and helpful to users.

In the past, the server would make a number of changes to the user
query without telling the user, for example removing characters that
it did not understand or truncating the query.  The new implementation
will perform exactly the query the user requested, if possible, and
give errors when not.  Warnings are now returned where appropriate.

A full description of the changes may be found here:

    http://www.ripe.net/db/whois-query-2002.html

In general, all correct queries will provide exactly the same results
as on the previous version of the server.

If you have any questions please send them to <ripe-dbm at ripe.net>.

Suggestions may be sent to <ripe-dbm at ripe.net>, or discussed on the
RIPE Database working group mailing list, details of which may be
found here:

  http://www.ripe.net/ripe/wg/db/index.html

-- 
Shane Kerr
RIPE NCC