FYI -rick -------- Original Message -------- Subject: [Org-Registrars] Whois Query Changes in the .ORG Registry, 20 August 2005 (2-day Notice) Date: Thu, 18 Aug 2005 13:47:36 -0400 From: PIR Technical Support <techsupport@pir.org> To: org-registrars@publicinterestregistry.net Dear Registrars, Please be advised that on 20 August 2005 between 15:00 and 17:00 UTC, the .ORG Whois (including port 43 and www.pir.org) is scheduled for downtime and will be unavailable. Please note that the .ORG Registry System will continue to operate normally and the Shared Registration System (SRS) and the Web-based Admin Interface will remain available. Registering and manipulating domain names and other registry objects will be possible. Domains will continue to resolve normally. During this downtime, PIR will implement the following changes to the Whois function for the .ORG Registry System. 1. Whois access for public Port 43 will be restricted to 4 queries per minute per unique IP address. 2. Registrars will be provided with additional access to Whois via a dedicated Whois server, whois2.publicinterestregistry.net. These changes are being made in response to the requests we have received from registrars and registrants to minimize the potential for data mining the .ORG Registry's Whois records. Whois Access for Public Port 43 ******************************* To reduce abusive use of the public Whois and ensure access for legitimate users, PIR is executing changes necessary to restrict Whois access to the public Port 43 to a maximum of 4 queries per minute per IP address. When a user exceeds the lookup quota allocated, the system will respond with an appropriate message. Registrar Specific Whois Access ******************************** All .ORG registrars will be provided with a dedicated Whois access server, whois2.publicinterestregistry.net. Registrars will still be able to access the public Port 43 Whois server, though the 4 queries per minute limitation will exist if this access mechanism is used. It is recommended that registrars utilize the separate dedicated Whois server that will be explicitly for registrar use. This access will allow registrars to have a less restrictive access of 50 queries per minute per source IP to Whois information. This dedicated Whois server will be available from a different hostname/IP address than the public Whois service. Additional information regarding registrar access to the dedicated Whois server and IP/Subnet requirements are located at https://www.pir.org/registrars/registrar_relations/faqs/whois_limitation. Registrars may choose to utilize both the public Whois on Port 43 and the separate dedicated server concurrently. Should you have any questions, please contact PIR Technical Support. Sincerely, PIR Technical Support <techsupport@pir.org> +1.416.646.3308