[ncc-announce] Implementation of ASPLAIN Format

[Apologies for duplicates]

Dear Colleagues,

With the publication of RFC 5396, the IETF has standardised the  
representation of all Autonomous System (AS) Numbers in the ASPLAIN  
format. This covers both 16-bit and 32-bit AS Numbers. The previous  
ASDOT format is now obsolete. The RIPE NCC plans to start using the  
ASPLAIN format by the end of March 2009.

 From that time, any AS Numbers or references must be in the ASPLAIN  
format. The old ASDOT format will no longer be accepted in RIPE NCC  
services such as the LIR Portal and the RIPE Database.

In order to ensure a smooth transition, any data in the RIPE Database  
containing an ASDOT AS Number will be converted by the RIPE NCC using  
the one-to-one mapping that exists between the two formats. Exact  
details of this conversion will be published closer to the actual date.

The RIPE NCC has also provided a test database using the converted  
software and containing a copy of the RIPE Database. The AS Numbers in  
this copied data have been converted to ASPLAIN. For more details, see  
the earlier RIPE NCC announcement:
http://www.ripe.net/ripe/maillists/archives/ncc-services-wg/2009/msg00014.html

If you use AS Numbers internally, or with other tools that have not  
yet been updated, you may be interested in a conversion tool provided  
by APNIC. This tool converts ASDOT format AS Numbers to ASPLAIN and  
back. It can be downloaded from:
http://www.apnic.net/cgi-bin/convert-asn.pl

If you have any concerns about this matter, please write to <asn32 at ripe.net 
 >.

Kind regards,

Henk Uijterwaal
Senior Project Manager, RIPE NCC