[db-wg] proposal for a review of the RIPE Database data model

HI All

Piotr asked me if I would have time to write a short problem statement about the data model for consideration as an NWI. For once I will try to make it brief(er).

Current model developed in late 90s as a further development of the previous RIPE Database design from much earlier. Nothing fundamental has changed in the last 15 years. It makes virtually no use of inheritance which has led to massive amounts of duplicated data, with all the problems of managing and interpreting that data. It was designed in a day when it was more normal to manage data by sending and receiving emails. Although I welcome the improvements to Webupdates, this feature is still something bolted on to the side and not fundamental to the design. There is no concept of 'user accounts' beyond SSO (another feature bolted on) so it is not possible to manage your data online and set permissions or do any configuration.

The database contains two basic types of data:
1/ Operational data as determined by the purpose of the database
2/ Organisational and security data for the management of the operational data
Far too much of the security and organisational management data is public. How I secure my data and who, within my organisation, has permission to do what is non of your business. That information is confidential to my organisation. With user accounts that can all be kept confidential.

The lack of business rules and constraints in the early days of the database allowed massive misuse of the original design. Especially in the area of PERSON, ROLE and MNTNER objects. A lot of the relationships between these objects and others is totally screwed up now making management, security and interpretation of the data far more complex than it needs to be.

Over the last 12 months I have pointed out so many examples on the mailing list of how things are over complicated, or cannot be changed, or features that cannot be implemented because of the constraints of this data model. The most recent example being a very good suggestion by someone to customise the notification message and define a simple rule set for sending them out as part of a bulk update. This cannot be done by the database software based on this data model. It has to be done externally by the NCC staff by analysing the data involved in the bulk update, building the customised notification messages and sending them out with an email client.

What I am suggesting is a serious review of the data model and the database design to identify areas that could be improved in an organised, backwards compatible, step by step process.

It is also important to stress what I am not suggesting as this topic seems to carry as much negative propaganda as the UK's foolish, brexit campaign. I am not suggesting a team of engineers hide in a dark room for a year then launch a completely re-designed data model on the community and force you all to change all your tools used to engage with the database overnight. That is not how software is developed these days.

Small steps, backwards compatible, testing, reviews, run in parallel, slowly moving forwards. That is how software is developed these days. On this basis I put this forward for consideration as an NWI.

cheers
denis
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