[db-wg] rpsl to arin format conversion

On Tue, 17 Feb 2004, Wilfried Woeber, UniVie/ACOnet wrote:

> >are there any software utilities available for converting from rpsl to
> >'arin' format?
> 
>   Sorry, I don't have an answer, but rather a question:
> 
>   why don"t you try to do it "the other way 'round",
>   as RPSL is properly described in an RFC?

In fact I can tell you that I'm doing it "the other way around". For the 
completewhois historic whois ip registry project I'm working on, I've 
chosen to use modified RPSL database and have written C program that 
converts ARIN dump into that format (it is however not as much use for 
direct arin whois as its different format as well). When done, I'll also 
write a backward compability program that can retrieve results from 
database and present it back in ARIN format (for both ARIN and RIPE and 
APNIC blocks). The project will probably be ready for public access by 
Fall as I plan to work larger parts of it during the summer.

I also have to point that ARIN is now the only ip registry not using RPSL 
format - APNIC and RIPE use it with ripe whois server and LACNIC has 
modified version that includes ORG information (my modified RPSL also does 
that) and as far as I know AFRINIC will use RIPE whois server and RPSL 
format as well. Considering that RIPE is working on adding ORG objects 
as well it'd really be good if RIPE, LACNIC and ARIN were to work together
to come up with one general RPSL format that will encompass what is used 
by all these registrars while leaving certain fields optional and to be 
decided by registries. 

-- 
William Leibzon
Elan Networks
william at elan.net