RPSL - what is going on?

Dear Hank, all,


On Wed, 23 May 2001, Hank Nussbacher wrote:
> I've gone through all the RPSL pages listed at:
> http://www.ripe.net/ripencc/pub-services/db/rpsl/index.html
> and am starting to wonder if its me that can't work with RPSL or everyone else.
> 
> The documents on that page above have no consistency.  Some are PDF, some 
> are HTML.
> 
> Response time for getting a response to a reported problem is about 5-7 days.


The response time on <ripe-dbm at ripe.net> mailbox is indeed higher than
usual, but we are trying to give more priority to solving problems
related to new software and urgent problems.


> 
> There is no page of bugs found and what is still a bug and what has been 
> fixed (ala Cisco Release Notes).  For example, I lost 5 days when I 
> couldn't create a nic-hdl.  Turns out I was sending it in as "nic-hdl: 
> auto-1" and there is a bug where lower case "auto-1" doesn't work and one 
> has to use all uppercase.


Such a bugs page will be prepared shortly in our external web site.

For the record: The auto NIC handle problem has been solved already.
Auto NIC handles are now case-insensitive.

> 
> Now I have lost a day on fixing up an aut-num.  I am trying to send in an 
> update as follows:
> 
> >export:       to AS2686 announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117 AS12736
> >
> >
> >***Error: valid lines start with attribute names, spaces or #
> 
> I have tried with the export tag on one line as well as split on two lines 
> as follows:
> export:       to AS2686
>          announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117 AS12736


I've digged our logs, and the object you've sent was something like:

[..]
import:       from AS16370
               action pref=100;
               accept ANY
export:       to AS2686 announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117
AS12736 AS12818 AS15708 AS15975 AS16158 AS16370
export:       to AS5585 announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117
AS12736 AS12818 AS15708 AS15975 AS16158 AS16370
[..]


Here, we must leave a white space in the beginning of continuation lines,
for example, instead of:

export:       to AS2686 announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117
AS12736 AS12818 AS15708 AS15975 AS16158 AS16370

we must say:

export:       to AS2686 announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117
  AS12736 AS12818 AS15708 AS15975 AS16158 AS16370


or it is also possible to put '+' in the beginning of the continuation
lines, like:

export:       to AS2686 announce AS3339 AS6810 AS6875 AS8958 AS9117
+ AS12736 AS12818 AS15708 AS15975 AS16158 AS16370


I hope this  helps.

We are trying our best to fix the problems you encounter,
and sorry for any inconvenience caused,

Best regards,

Engin Gunduz
RIPE NCC Database Group


> 
> I just can't get auto-rpsl to accept the export tags.
> 
> Sorry for the crossposting but I am wondering whether I am the only one who 
> is hitting all these problems?
> 
> Thanks,
> Hank