[db-wg] Status of 'org' attribute

Marco,

MarcoH wrote:

>Maybe I missed out on something, but accoording to various templates in
>the ripe-databese, the org-attribute is optional. Apparently the
>hostmaster mailrobot things otherwise and refuses requests with an error
>because of the org-attribute not being present. I just ran into it on a ASN
>request, but I recall having problems before with this.
>
>Can anybody tell me who is right, the database template or the robot ? In
>fact, the database reference (http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/databaseref-manual.html#1.2.3)
>doesn't list it all.
>  
>
There are two different sets of rules here.

The first is for the database: in the case of AUT-NUM objects, the
"org:" attribute is optional. This allows AUT-NUM objects that have 
been assigned before the ORGANISATION class was added to exist, without
references to dummy or incorrect objects.

We can make "org:" mandatory in AUT-NUM objects. We have made other
attributes mandatory in the past, without updating existing objects.
This means that old AUT-NUM objects would not be fixed, but any modified
objects must have an "org:". Our experience is that this discourages
people from updating these objects, so some of them become less
accurate, because people do not bother to fix them.

The second set of rules is for the resource request process: in the case
of ASN requests, we need to know which organisation will be using the
ASN. This information is published in the resulting AUT-NUM object, so
from this point of view it is a required attribute.

Essentially, the database syntax can see seen as a sub-set of the
business requirements for assigning an ASN.

--
Shane Kerr
RIPE NCC