ACSP Suggestion 2024.10: Add Optional "Geofeed" Field to Whois
Suggestion
Author: Guanzhong Chen
Submitted On: 03 June 2024
Description: Add an optional “Geofeed” attribute on Network objects in the ARIN Whois database to serve as a standardized, canonical source for Geofeed URLs.
Value to Community:
Currently, APNIC and RIPE has a standardized “geofeed” attribute on their inetnum and inet6num objects, which enables resource holders to declare a canonical source for Geofeed URLs, whereas in ARIN, we are forced to resort to ad hoc solutions like “Comment: Geofeed [url]”.
It is of great benefit to all ARIN resource holders and geolocation providers to have a standardized method of communicating IP geolocation information instead of relying on fragile and error-prone solutions of parsing public comments.
To be clear, a similar proposal was made in ACSP Suggestion 2022.15, but that proposal was rejected because there was no interest in adding inetnum into the ARIN IRR. I agree that the ARIN IRR isn’t the right place for this sort of thing, especially since it would require introducing a new object type. However, all network ranges are expected to be correctly documented in a database per NRPM sections 3.2, 4.2.3.7.1, and 6.5.5.1, and the easiest solution to accomplish this has always been with the ARIN Whois database. Per the relevant sections of NRPM, address information, which is intrinsically linked with geolocation, should be documented in the Whois database. Therefore, adding a “Geofeed” attribute to ARIN Whois database will make documenting and transmitting this aspect of the ARIN resources easier for resource holders.
Timeframe: Not specified
Status: Open Updated: 03 June 2024
Tracking Information
ARIN Comment
7 Jun 2024
Thank you for your suggestion, numbered 2024.10 upon confirmed receipt, requesting ARIN add an optional attribute to the Whois database for customers to publish and share their Geofeed URL.
The five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are collaborating and working within the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) on a standard Registry Data Access Protocol (RDAP) extension for Geofeed data. When the standard is accepted, ARIN will implement this change to RDAP and add the necessary functionality to ARIN Online and Reg-RWS to support this improvement. The other RIRs will also be implementing this change, which will result in a globally consistent method to publish Geofeed information in RDAP.
Additionally, the RIRs are working to develop a bulk RDAP download format to provide network operators with better access to this data that is consistent between the RIRs.
Your suggestion will remain open until this new functionality is developed and deployed. Thank you for participating in ARIN’s Consultation and Suggestion Process.
Regards,
American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)