[db-wg] mntner with misleading primary key

On 01/07/2020 16:56, Nick Hilliard wrote:
> No direct way to query via the standard interface, but you can do it
> this way:
> 
>> crumpet% wget ftp://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/dbase/split/ripe.db.mntner.gz
>> [...]
>> crumpet% gzcat ripe.db.mntner.gz | egrep -i
>> '^mntner:[[:space:]]+as[0-9]+$'
>> mntner:         AS327833
>> *snip*


Aha! Thank you - I knew someone would know.


>> Should it be possible to create mntners (or other objects) that infer a
>> relationship and/or authority to a given aut-num (or organisation?)
> 
> Yes, this is a problem with any DB which returns text-based output based
> on searches of arbitrary input tokens.
> 
> In an IRR, some object primary keys have restrictions on what you can
> call them.  For example, an as-set must start with "AS-".
> 
> What you're really asking in the context of this style of database is
> that each primary key must assume a specific format which cannot be
> replicated on any other object type.  This would be difficult to retrofit.


Would it actually be difficult to retrofit a "MUST NOT match
'^as*|^AS*'" rule on creation?

Unless of course, parsing/filtering before insertion (thus augmenting
the database's table natural design restrictions) is not something Good
To Do. Database design definitely isn't my primary skill.

Saying that, I have long been idly frustrated by the way that mntners
seemingly have a reversible, unwritten standard of 'MNT-[random]' or
'[random]-MNT'. I can't be the only one.

Regards,

-- 
Tom