My apologies to all. I don't intend to be a complainer. I'm just trying to understand fully what's going on in the data base.
I must say however that I am getting the impression that the value in the created: field for some (many?) inetnum objects may not be entirely reliable, or even entirely consistant with other available historical data. Example: inetnum: 138.201.0.0 - 138.201.255.255 netname: HETZNER-RZ-BLK-ERX4 descr: Server Block country: DE org: ORG-HOA1-RIPE admin-c: HOAC1-RIPE tech-c: HOAC1-RIPE status: LEGACY mnt-by: HOS-GUN mnt-lower: HOS-GUN mnt-routes: HOS-GUN mnt-domains: HOS-GUN created: 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z last-modified: 2019-12-04T13:10:40Z source: RIPE Given that 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z is rather well known to be the beginning of UNIX time (i.e. time: 0) I could not help but be a bit suspicious of the value in the created: field of the record shown above. A quick look at version #1 of the data base object for the 138.201.0.0/16 block suggests that a rather more appropriate value might have been something more like 2003-12-11T17:11:00Z ======================================================================== % Version 1 of object "138.201.0.0 - 138.201.255.255" % This version was a UPDATE operation on 2003-12-11 17:11 inetnum: 138.201.0.0 - 138.201.255.255 remarks: remarks: This inetnum has been transfered as part of the ERX. remarks: It was present in both the ARIN and RIPE databases, so remarks: the information from both databases has been merged. remarks: If you are the mntner of this object, please update it remarks: to reflect the correct information. remarks: remarks: Please see the information for this process: remarks: http://www.ripe.net/db/erx/erx-ip/network-138.html remarks: remarks: **** INFORMATION FROM ARIN OBJECT **** remarks: netname: NETCS-CUST4 descr: netCS Informationstechnik GmbH descr: Feuerbachstrasse 47/49 descr: D-1000 Berlin 41 remarks: country: DE remarks: changed: [email protected] 19900523 remarks: changed: [email protected] 20010220 remarks: **** INFORMATION FROM RIPE OBJECT **** netname: KIEZ-NET1 descr: Kiez-Net WAN country: DE rev-srv: DNS-A.Kiez.Net rev-srv: DNS-B.Kiez.Net status: ASSIGNED PI mnt-by: KIEZ-MNT source: RIPE # Filtered Am I the only one who thinks so? It is certainly my hope that the value in the created: field should accurately reflect the date & time when any given object was in fact created within the RIPE WHOIS data base. Is there any compelling reason why this should ever not be the case? Regards, rfg
