[db-wg] whois-server friendly client programming

Henning Brauer wrote:
> * Joao Damas <Joao_Damas at isc.org> [2007-03-02 03:58]:
>   
>> On 2 Mar 2007, at 03:31, Henning Brauer wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> right now, I have whois.ripe.net hardwired, of course this is going
>>> to change before the tool is released.
>>> I am using
>>>  "-r -a -T <objtype> <object>"
>>> for aut-num and as-set, and
>>>  "-r -a -T <objtype> -i origin <as>"
>>> for route objects.
>>>       
>> you can reduce the information you get back by asking the RIPE whois  
>> server to give you only the primary keys using the -K flag. In route  
>> objects that would give you the prefix and the origin only, and not  
>> the rest of the ancillary info. The option was put there just for  
>> this use.
>>     
>
> excellent, doing that now.
>
>   
>>> Questions:
>>> can I make life easier for the whois servers by using another set of
>>> query options?
>>>
>>> what is a good default whois server? whois.ripe.net? whois.radb.net?
>>>       
>> they tend to mirror each other and be sync'ed. By using the -a option  
>> above, you are specifying that the server search them all, so it  
>> doesn't matter.
>>     
>
> the question was less about the data they carry - I know they should be 
> in sync. I was more looking for things like "don't ever use X by 
> default because they can't handle the load without you already" or the 
> like :)
>
>   
>>> of course, I run into the penalty delays the whois server imposes
>>> because of the amount of queries I send. How do I deal with that?
>>>       
>> you contact the RIPE NCC and sign an AUP, so the limit is removed.
>>     
>
> so that is what I need to recommend in the manpage?
>
> I have looked a bit more and spend some time with
>   http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/db-query-manual.html
>
> From that document it sounds like the penalty is only there if I query 
> person/role data. That does not match what I see tho - I do not query 
> anything but aut-num, as-set and route objects. Still, I am suspect to 
> the delay.
>   
May I suggest that you forward this mail to <ripe-dbm at ripe.net>. We will
then discuss it with you off the list. There are things we can do to
help you with this situation.

regards
DenisWalker
Database Group
RIPE NCC
> Greetings
>
> Henning Brauer
>
>