Hardcoded attributes

doc/hardcoded.doc


Hardcoded attributes

Although the database software has been written to be as generic as
possible, there are a certain number of attributes in the database
software that are treated special in some way. The database  software
has build in knowledge about these attributes, and performs specific
actions based on the values of these attributes. These attributes
should therefore not be used in a different context. The software will
always use the two letter code for all hardcoded attributes.

Below is a description of all attributes that the database software
has built in knowledge off. A short description of what the database
software does with them is added to each atribute.

so (source):

	The source attribute in the database software is used to
	provide a mapping between a database source, and a UNIX file.
	The database software will open a database file based on the
	DBFILE mapping between source value and UNIX file the
	configuration file.

	modules affected:	dbupdate.pl
				
ch (changed):

	The changed attribute has the following build in syntax:

	ch: <email-address> YYMMDD

	The date portion of this attribute is used at update time,
	to make sure that a to be updated object is newer than the
	object currently in the database. Objects will only be updated
	when the date portion is equal or higher than the current
	changed attribute in the database.

	The email portion of the changed field is used when due to the
	addition of guarded attributes, a network block has to be
	split to accomodate a true picture of guarded attribute to
	network mapping. Whenever s block is split for this reason,
	the software will determine the email address of the person
	who last changed this object, and send this person a
	notification of the split.

	modules affected:	cleandb.pl
				updatecheck.pl
	
in (inetnum):

	The inetnum attribute is handled special in many cases, and it
	should represent an IP network number or range. This attribute
	is handled special to cope with expanding ranges, and indexing.

	modules affected:	cleandb.pl
				enkeys.pl

ny (notify):

	The value of the notify attribute is always an email address.
	The usage of this attribute is described in ripe-96.
	
	modules affected:	notify.pl

ma (maintainer):

	not yet implemented








-------- Logged at  Wed Feb 23 14:57:24 MET 1994  ---------