Overview
The Internet Routing Registry (IRR) is a distributed database that contains routing information. Data from the Internet Routing Registry can be used to help debug, configure, and engineer Internet routing. The IRR provides information that helps to validate the contents of BGP announcement or mapping an origin AS number to a list of prefixes. For more information, see Overview of the IRR on the IRR site.
RPSL
RPSL is a language used to register routing policies and configurations in the IRR. RPSL is based on database "objects". Each database object contains some routing policy information and some necessary administrative data. For more information about RPSL, see RFC2650 Using RPSL in Practice on the IRR site.
Maintainer Object
The maintainer object is used to provide authorization information for registrations. It lists the contact information and describes security mechanisms to update other objects.
In this example, the maintainer is MAINT-AS3701.
The contact is the same for administrative (admin-c) and technical (tech-c) issues and is referenced by NIC-handle AS15169 Network Operations.
Example:
mntner: MAINT-AS15169
descr: Google Inc.
admin-c: AS15169 Network Operations
tech-c: AS15169 Network Operations
upd-to: noc@google.com
mnt-nfy: noc@google.com
auth: *************
remarks: For network issues, mail: nst@google.com
remarks: For peering questions, mail: peering@google.com
notify: noc@google.com
notify: nst@google.com
mnt-by: MAINT-AS15169
changed: noc@google.com 20110527 #21:45:03Z
source: RADB
For more information about RPSL, see RFC2650 Using RPSL in Practice on the IRR site.
Autonomous System Object and AS-SET Object
The Autonomous System Object defines the import and export policies of an AS. Autonomous system set objects (AS-SET) are used to group autonomous system objects into a set. They’re useful for defining groups with specific policies such as peers, customers, or providers. AS-SET objects have an RPSL name that starts with "AS-". In this example, as-set is defined as AS-GOOGLE and the same policies will apply to the members that are included.
Examples:
aut-num: AS15169
as-name: Google
descr: Google, Inc
import: from AS-ANY accept ANY AND NOT {0.0.0.0/0}
export: to AS-ANY announce AS-GOOGLE AND NOT {0.0.0.0/0}
admin-c: Google Network Engineering
tech-c: Google Network Engineering
notify: noc@google.com
mnt-by: MAINT-AS15169
changed: noc@google.com 20040114
changed: arin-contact@google.com 20070430 #21:54:13(UTC)
source: RADB
as-set: AS-GOOGLE
descr: Google
members: AS11344
members: AS13949
members: AS15169
members: AS15276
members: AS19425
members: AS22577
members: AS26910
members: AS36040
members: AS36384
members: AS36492
members: AS36561
members: AS394725
members: AS40873
members: AS41264
members: AS43515
members: AS55023
members: AS6432
members: AS19527
members: AS26684
members: AS395973
members: AS36039
members: AS24424
members: AS-GOOGLE-IT
members: AS-MEEBO
members: AS-METAWEB-2
mnt-by: MAINT-AS15169
changed: noc@google.com 20180614 #14:42:00Z
source: RADB
Route object
Route objects define prefixes originated from an AS. They’re grouped with other routes of the same origin AS.
route: 35.228.224.0/19
descr: Google
origin: AS15169
mnt-by: MAINT-AS15169
changed: noc@google.com 20180316 #16:46:22Z
source: RADB
Queries
To query information in the IRR, use the “whois” command or use online engines such as RADB.net.
For example, enter:
whois -h whois.radb.net 35.228.224.0/19
To query all the routes originated by Google, use the “-i” flag:
-i origin AS15169
Or perform this query with flags as a RADB query.