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2.0 Updates in the RIPE Database
To create, modify or delete an object you need to send an update message to the database.
There are two databases that you can update. The RIPE Database is the authoritative
database. There is also a RIPE TEST Database. This operates in the same way but
contains only test data. The test data is cleaned out at the start of each month and a predetermined set of basic objects is re-inserted. The TEST Database can be used to learn
how to update the database and try out 'what if' scenarios. As there are fewer restrictions,
this allows you to create encompassing or parent objects that you may need for your tests.
It is good practise to delete any objects you created after your tests. This avoids blocking
access for other users.
You can submit updates to either database using two access methods.
•
•
By sending an e-mail.
By using the synchronous interface. There are two ways to do this:
o By using a client to access the "syncupdates" interface
o By using the "webupdates" interface from the www.ripe.net website
[22]. This is a cgi interface to the syncupdates interface
Although the Application Programming Interface (API) is different, the main content of
the update message and the structure of the objects to be updated is the same with both
access methods. The pre-processing done by dbupdate (the update part of the database
software) differs for the two access methods.
The original method of access was by e-mail. When the synchronous method was
introduced, the interface was made to be as compatible as possible with the e-mail
interface. This meant simulating the e-mail subject line keywords with special flags in the
synchronous interface. But later additional keywords are only available using the e-mail
update method.
Currently updates are split approximately equally between e-mail and synchronous
update methods.
2.0.1 E-mail update method
E-mail update messages may be in plain text or MIME encoded. If encoded, the database
will treat each valid MIME part as a separate message. But where messages are
multipart/signed the signature part will be associated with the corresponding MIME text
part. Please see Section 2.3.1, 'MIME Support' for more information. An update message,
or MIME part, may contain more than one object.
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