[db-wg] Impact Analysis for Removing Whois Object Tags

Dear Colleagues,

Following is an impact analysis for removing Whois object tags from the RIPE database. Please reply with any questions or comments.

Whois object tags was added as a beta feature in 2013:
https://labs.ripe.net/author/kranjbar/presenting-object-metadata-in-the-ripe-database-object-tags/

All resources were tagged at that time (inetnum, inet6num and aut-num), but the data was never updated since then.

We plan to remove this feature in the next Whois release, both the query flags and tag data. This will impact the RIPE database in the following ways.

(1) Tag Data

The following tags exist: 

RIPE Database: RIPE-REGISTRY-RESOURCE and RIPE-USER-RESOURCE
AFRINIC Mirror Database: AFRINIC-USER-RESOURCE and AFRINIC-REGISTRY-RESOURCE
APNIC Mirror Database: APNIC-USER-RESOURCE and APNIC-REGISTRY-RESOURCE
ARIN Mirror Database: ARIN-REGISTRY-RESOURCE and ARIN-USER-RESOURCE

Once support for tags are removed, all tag data will be removed from all databases.

(2) Whois Query Flags

Four query flags were added to support tags:

	%     --no-tag-info
	%           Switches off tagging information.
	%
	%     --show-tag-info
	%           Switches on tagging information.
	%
	%     --filter-tag-include
	%           Show only objects with given tag(s)
	%
	%     --filter-tag-exclude
	%           Do not show objects with given tag(s)

Tags are not returned in port 43 queries by default. I have not found these flags in recent query logs for port 43, i.e. they are not used.

Once support for tags are removed, an error will be returned if they are used in a query, e.g.

	% Invalid option: --no-tag-info
	%
	%ERROR:111: invalid option supplied
	%
	% Use help query to see the valid options.

(3) REST API

The query flags for tags are not supported by the Whois REST API. If any are included in the "flags" query parameter in a search, a 400 Bad Request is returned.

However tags are returned by the Whois search and lookup endpoints by default, if present, within the /whois-resources/objects/object/tags/tag element.

Once support for tags are removed, they will not be returned by the Whois REST API.

(4) Web Application Query and Lookup

The DB web application query and lookup pages uses the Whois REST API. However tags are not displayed if returned by the REST API.

(5) Database Dump and Split Files

The nightly database dump and split files contain tags as a comment following some resources, e.g.

	% Tags relating to 'AS3333'
	% RIPE-REGISTRY-RESOURCE

Once support for tags are removed, these comments will not appear between RPSL objects.

Regards
Ed Shryane
RIPE NCC