03/98
WDB_version: 2.0
Shared WHOIS Project (SWIP):
Updating Internet Protocol (IP) Address Space Information in the WHOIS Database
-------------------------------
SWIP is the process that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) use to submit customer IP space
reassignment information to WHOIS. The purpose of SWIP is to ensure effective,
efficient maintenance of records on IP address space.
ISPs that receive Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) blocks of IP addresses from the
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) either directly or indirectly (as a
downstream customer of another ISP) MUST select either SWIP or RWHOIS to provide
reassignment information to ARIN.
The SWIP process:
1. updates WHOIS to show which organization is using the assigned IP address space
2. provides a point of contact within the organization to which the IP space is
assigned
3. tracks whether a provider has exhausted or is about to exhaust its current CIDR block
allocations such that an additional allocation may be justified.
Reassignment information obtained through SWIP is then available for use in IP allocation
studies.
Using SWIP
SWIP automates the IP address space assignment process. ISPs use SWIP templates to submit
reassignment to ARIN via E-mail. The SWIP submission template is available at:
http://www.arin.net/templates.html
Please submit all SWIP templates in ASCII format.
SWIP Requirements
In order to maintain a current WHOIS database, SWIP submissions must be made within seven
(7) days of the assignment of IP address space.
ISPs may submit reassignment data only for records within their allocated blocks. ARIN may
make ad hoc changes to these records upon receipt of authorized approval of the delegated
registry.
ISPs return completed templates via E-mail to [email protected]. Batch format submission
is allowed with multiple templates attached to a single E-mail message. However, ISPs
should limit submissions to up to 10 templates per message to facilitate tracking of SWIP
completion.
ARIN accepts SWIP templates for reassignments of /29 and larger blocks. Classless
reassignment information, i.e., subnets of class A, B, and C address space, is also
accepted.
Justification for all reassignments of /18 and larger blocks must be submitted to ARIN for
approval as per the IP Allocation Guidelines for ISPs which appears at:
http://www.arin.net/documentation/IP
IP Address Space Records
Each IP address space record has a point of contact name, provider/maintainer ID, and
various other fields assigned to it. ARIN assigns a provider/maintainer ID (formerly
called a maintainer ID) to each ISP that is allocated Internet Protocol (IP) address
space. The provider ID is the alphanumeric identifier that uniquely designates each ISP.
A provider/maintainer ID is automatically assigned to an ISP being allocated /24 and
larger blocks by the ISP's upstream provider. Only ISPs needing to provide reassignment
information via SWIP or RWHOIS need provider/maintainer IDs. If you do not have a
provider/maintainer ID, please request one by E-mail at [email protected]. Include your
company name and list IP addresses currently assigned to your organization. From this
information, you will be sent your provider/maintainer ID. A list of provider/maintainer
IDs is located at:
URL:
<ftp://ftp.arin.net/pub/swip/maintainer.list>
Definition of Allocation and Assignment
The phrase "allocation of IP address space" applies to the provision of IP
address space to ISPs that reassign their address space to other organizations. The phrase
"assignment of IP address space" applies to the provision of IP address space by
ISPs to end-user organizations.
Questions about SWIP
For answers to questions about SWIP, contact [email protected].
NOTE: [email protected] is a mailing list distributed to all members;
do not submit SWIP templates to this address. Send templates to [email protected].
RWHOIS Server for Information Input
The alternative to using SWIP for updating Internet Protocol (IP) address space
information in the WHOIS Database is establishment of a Referral WHOIS (RWHOIS) server.
For information on RWHOIS, see:
http://rwhois.internic.net/
GUIDELINES FOR SWIP SUBMISSIONS
--------------------------------------
In order to ensure prompt, accurate processing of a SWIP registration, please precisely
follow the instructions below. Because SWIP templates are automatically parsed for
insertion into the WHOIS database, errors or omissions in the templates, may require
return to the submitting ISP for correction. This delays the processing of your
reassignment information and impedes the timely update of the WHOIS database. Such a delay
may impact requests for additional CIDR blocks due to reassignment information being
unavailable for review. Specific directions for filling out each field appears in the
Detailed Directions and the correctly completed Sample Templates that follow.
GUIDELINES FOR COPYING AND COMPLETING THE SWIP TEMPLATE
1. USING THE SWIP TEMPLATE
Each line in the blank SWIP template must be copied EXACTLY AS IT APPEARS. Do not alter
the established field names or spacing when you fill in the information. Any change to the
template provided may cause an error that inhibits the automatic processing of your
template and delays the input of your reassignment information.
EXAMPLE: Required SWIP Fields
WDB_version:1.4
(required)
--- (required)
(N)new (M)modify (D)delete: (required)
(A)allocate (S)assign: (required)
--- (required)
ntsnum: (required)
ntenum: (required)
ntname: (required)
org: (required)
street: (required)
city: (only optional for non-US)
state: (only optional for non-US)
zipcode: (only optional for non-US)
cntry: (required)
maint: (required)
--- (required)
hname: (optional)
ipaddr: (optional)
--- (required)
hname: (optional)
ipaddr: (optional)
--- (required)
nichandl: (optional, if a user handle is not currently assigned;
required if assigned)
lname: (required)
fname: (required)
mname: (optional)
org: (required)
street: (required)
city: (only optional for non-US)
state: (only optional for non-US)
zipcode: (only optional for non-US)
cntry: (required)
phne: (required)
mbox: (optional)
2. COMMON ERRORS.
1. Missing Information from Required Fields.
Successful SWIP template submission is based on all Required Fields being completed (See
Required Fields information above.)
a. Include your provider/maintainer ID in the "prov:" field. If you are unsure
of your provider/maintainer ID, refer to:
URL: [rs.arin.net/pub/swip/maintainer.list]
If you don't have a provider/maintainer ID, please send E-mail to [email protected]
requesting one.
b. If you know the user handle, include it in the <ARIN-handl> field and leave the
rest of the user information blank.
c. A network name (ntename):
1. Can be up to 21 characters in length,
2. Cannot contain blank space,
3. Cannot begin with a number, and
4. Contains only alphanumeric characters or a hyphen (-),
d. The correct format for input of numbers in the ntsnum: (network starting number) and
ntenum (network ending number)fields is shown in the example below:
EXAMPLE:
Use the format: XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX
Input in the template would appear as:
ntsnum: 10.4.18.0
ntenum: 10.4.18.255
ntsnum: 10.123.226.192
ntenum: 10.123.226.223
1) WDB_version: 1.4
---
The version number is required for the processing of the SWIP template and should precede
at least the first SWIP template in each submission. It is followed by a separator (---)
that must remain precisely in position.
NOTES:
a. ALL separators in SWIP templates (---) MUST
remain in position to separate records within a SWIP file and to separate objects within
each record.
b. Copy the template exactly, retaining the version number and separators in the correct
positions.
2) (N)new (M)modify (D)delete:
(N)New: For new assignments, place an N after the colon.
(M) Modify: To modify/change an EXISTING record, place an M after the colon. The only
information that can be modified is the physical address of the organization, POC, and
in-addrs. The netname and organization cannot be modified.
(D) Delete: To delete a record, place a D after the colon.
NOTE:
If you are changing the organization name and reassigning the network, there is a two-step
procedure you must follow:
Step 1: Submit a Delete (D) request to ARIN to delete the current network. After ARIN
confirms a successful deletion, then,
Step 2: Submit a New (N) request for the "New" network.
3) (A) Allocate (S) Assign:
--- IP addresses are either allocated or assigned.
Allocate: Refers to provision of IP address space issued to ISPs that reassign their
address space to other organizations.
Assign: IP addresses issued to end-user customers to use to number their internal hosts
are considered "Assigned." For Assigned IP addresses, place an S after the
colon.
NOTE: Correct choice of Allocate or Assign is very important as all organizations that are
allocated address space from you will receive a provider/maintainer ID so that they can in
turn submit their own reassignment information.
4. ntsnum: network starting number, e.g., 10.4.216.0
ntenum: network ending number, e.g., 10.4.216.255
List the network starting number <ntsnum> and network ending number <ntenum>
of the IP addresses you are assigning.
5. ntname: network name
A unique network name is required for all IP addresses issued.
The format is: Provider ID - Number. Numbers may range from 1 through n.
EXAMPLES:
ARIN-1 or ARIN-2
Requests for network names ending in "-DOM" will be rejected as they lead to
conflicts with domain name handles.
6. org: organization (customer name)
List the name of the organization being assigned the IP number.
7. street: 111 Main Street
8. city: Town Center
9. state: VA
10. zipcode: 22182
11. cntry: US
The mailing address MUST be listed on separate lines as shown above.
12. maint: provider/maintainer ID
Each ISP receives a provider/maintainer ID when they are initially allocated a Class
Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)block from their upstream ISP. The ISP issued the provider ID
for a specific CIDR block is authorized to submit reassignment information.
The "prov" field should contain your organization's provider/maintainer ID.
Provider/maintainer Ids are also issued to those organizations(downstream ISPs) that are
ALLOCATED addresses by you. Your provider/maintainer ID is included to you in the
confirmation notice from ARIN and should be passed on to your customers for use in their
SWIP submissions.
A list of the provider/maintainer IDs is located at:
URL: [ftp://rs.arin.net/pub/swip/maintainer.list.]
This list is updated weekly to ensure the most recent additions are included.
13. hname: host name
ipaddr: ip address
---
hname: additional host name
ipaddr: ip address
Use this section to add or modify inverse address (in-addr) nameservers to network
records. At least two nameservers are required if in-addr is being listed, otherwise the
request will be rejected. Please provide a complete list of name servers in the order they
should appear on the record.
Both the hostname and IP address of the nameserver are required.
NOTE: To modify or register a host, use the InterNIC template
and instructions at:
ftp://rs.internic.net/templates/host-template.txt
http://rs.internic.net/help/templates.html
Once you are registered, you can use SWIP for reassignment purposes, but SWIP cannot
register new hosts or modify existing host information, i.e., modify the hostname or IP
address in an existing inverse domain name server.)
All ISPs receiving /16 (Class B) blocks or larger from ARIN are responsible for
maintaining all IN-ADDR.ARPA domain records for their respective customers.
The ISP is responsible for the maintenance of IN-ADDR.ARPA domain records of all longer
prefixes that have been delegated out of that block. If a delegation comes from an ISP
block of /16 or larger, the above fields should be left blank, or the fields could be
deleted altogether.
ARIN will not place in-addr nameservers on networks longer than /24.
When modify or adding in-addr nameservers on blocks directly issued from ARIN, the in-addr
(or network) template should be utilized.
URL:
14) TECHNICAL POINT OF CONTACT SECTION
nichandl: user handle
lname: last name
fname: first name
mname: middle name
org: organization
street:
city:
state:
zipcode:
cntry: country code*
phne: phone
mbox: E-mail address
This section is for the technical point of contact (POC).
The POC must be within the organization receiving the address.
You must provide the user handle <ARIN-handl> if one is currently listed for the POC
in the WHOIS database. To determine a user handle, search the WHOIS database for the POC
using the format: last name, first name. If a user handle is assigned, list the user
handle in the ARIN-handle field, and leave the rest of the fields blank, unless you wish
to submit a modification to one of these fields.
If the user handle does not appear in the WHOIS database, leave the <ARIN-handl>
field blank and complete the remaining fields in this section as follows:
lname: (Last name)
fname: (First name)
mname: (Middle name)
org: (Organization)
street:
city:
state: (If applicable)
zipcode:
cntry: (Use the two-letter Country Code)
phne: (Telephone number)
mbox: (E-mailbox)
NOTE: The two-letter country code <cntry> is found at:
URL: [ftp://rs.arin.net/netinfo/iso3166 - countrycodes]
Examples of Correctly Completed SWIP Templates
----------------------------------------------
1) The example below is for a new /21 network allocation, with no in-addr
additions/modifications and an unknown POC ARIN- handle.
WDB_version: 1.4
---
(N)new (M)modify (D)delete: N
(A)allocate (S)assign: A
---
ntsnum: 172.16.0.0
ntenum: 172.16.7.255
ntname: COMP-1
org: Any Company
street: 111 Main Street
city: Town Center
state: VA
zipcode: 22182
cntry: US
maint: COMP
---
hname:
ipaddr:
---
hname:
ipaddr:
---
nichandl:
lname: Smith
fname: Mark
mname: A.
org: Any Company
street: 111 Main Street
city: Town Center
state: VA
zipcode: 22182
cntry: US
phne: 555-555-1111
mbox: [email protected]
2. The example below is for assigning 3 /24 bit networks in one template. In this example,
in-addrs are being added and the ARIN-handle for the contact is known.
WDB_version: 1.4
---
(N)new (M)modify (D)delete: N
(A)allocate (S)assign: S
---
ntsnum: 198.41.0.0
ntenum: 198.41.2.255
ntname: COMP-2
org: Any Company
street: 222 Main Street
city: Town Center
state: VA
zipcode: 22182
cntry: US
maint: COMP
---
hname: NS1.ARIN.NET
ipaddr: 192.168.4.4
---
hname: NS2.ARIN.NET
ipaddr: 192.168.4.5
---
nichandl: HOSTMASTER
lname:
fname:
mname:
org:
street:
city:
state:
zipcode:
cntry:
phne:
mbox:
---
3) The example below is for assigning a /27 bit range. In this example, there is no
in-addr server being added since it is shorter than a /24. The ARIN-handle for the
coordinator is known.
WDB_version: 1.4
---
(N)new (M)modify (D)delete: N
(A)allocate (S)assign: S
---
ntsnum: 198.41.2.0
ntenum: 198.41.2.31
ntname: COMP-3
org: Any Company
street: 111 Main Street
city: Town Center
state: VA
zipcode: 22182
cntry: US
maint: COMP
---
hname:
ipaddr:
---
hname:
ipaddr:
---
nichandl: HOSTMASTER
lname:
fname:
mname:
org:
street:
city:
state:
zipcode:
cntry:
phne:
mbox:
RECOMMENDED READING:
Available via anonymous ftp from: DS.INTERNIC.NET (198.49.45.10)
Hubbard, K., Kosters, M., Conrad, D., Karrenberg, D., Postel, J.
Internet Registry IP Allocation Guidelines; November 1996.
BCP 12 RFC 2050. 13 p.
<URL: ftp://ds.internic.net/rfc/rfc2050.txt>
T. Pummill, B. Manning.
Variable Length Subnet Table For IPv4", December 26, 1995.
RFC 1878 (Obsoletes RFC1860). 8 p.
<URL: ftp://rs.internic.net/policy/rfc1878.txt>
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