[routing-wg] Adding "::" notation to RIPE DB

James Bensley wrote on Wednesday, November 9, 2022 5:42 PM:
> Only when RIPE DB users start to update their AS-SET members field and add
> a source tag would operators with legacy IRRd versions start to have issues,
> and then they would have to update. But before that happens we can publicise
> the upcoming changes and give people a fair warning, we can try to provide
> resources on what the changes are, why they are beneficial [...]

How many *years* you think is a "fair" warning before others have to accept,
that their own tooling breaks? (There's more than bgpq4 and IRRd and code
doing !i queries). 

Two, six or more than ten? 

Don't get me wrong, I like the idea to ensure, the right AS-SET is being
used and I know the pain, if not. Getting AS-SETs unique across all RRs or
being able to clearly identify the right RR to use would be great. (Even 
though I would assume adoption might take -after the warning period- still
many years for a significant amount of updated AS-SETs to be seen.)

> Firstly, I don't think we should be trying extra hard to maintain backwards
> comparability with IRRd v2/v3. If one allows customer/user inertia and/or
> ineptitude to steer the ship, Windows XP would still be in wide spread use,
> IPv6 adoption would never become wide spread, and so on.

Breaking things just "because it helps" might not be the best choice. And
your example about XP is not right. Because your proposal comes closer to
turn off v4 (before a v6 stack was available for XP).

I think we should try extra hard to maintain backward compatibility and only
if most agree, there's no other way and breaking things is the only way to
go forward and this saves the world, then it should/might happen. 

I think goal you like to achieve, the approach likely will not materialize
soon or at all. There might be and should be other ways ...


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