Heads-up: Another whois change
NSI seems to have modified their WHOIS response format again, now including full information about each contact. Again, this broke one of my scripts since nothing is where it's supposed to be. Didn't they promise before to notify people before they did this again? Anyone else trying to process the response from a WHOIS should take note: # whois -h whois.networksolutions.com microsoft.com The Data in Network Solutions' WHOIS database is provided by Network Solutions for information purposes, and to assist persons in obtaining information about or related to a domain name registration record. Network Solutions does not guarantee its accuracy. By submitting a WHOIS query, you agree that you will use this Data only for lawful purposes and that, under no circumstances will you use this Data to: (1) allow, enable, or otherwise support the transmission of mass unsolicited, commercial advertising or solicitations via e-mail (spam); or (2) enable high volume, automated, electronic processes that apply to Network Solutions (or its systems). Network Solutions reserves the right to modify these terms at any time. By submitting this query, you agree to abide by this policy. Registrant: Microsoft Corporation (MICROSOFT-DOM) 1 microsoft way redmond, WA 98052 US Domain Name: MICROSOFT.COM Administrative Contact: Micosoft Hostmaster (MH37-ORG) msnhst@MICROSOFT.COM Microsoft Corp One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 US 425 882 8080 Fax- - .: 206 703 2641 Technical Contact, Zone Contact: MSN NOC (MN5-ORG) msnnoc@MICROSOFT.COM Microsoft Corp One Microsoft Way Redmond, WA 98052 US 425 882 8080 Fax- PATH Record last updated on 11-Dec-1998. Record created on 02-May-1991. Database last updated on 29-Feb-2000 21:55:34 EST. Domain servers in listed order: ATBD.MICROSOFT.COM 131.107.1.7 DNS1.MICROSOFT.COM 131.107.1.240 DNS4.CP.MSFT.NET 207.46.138.11 DNS5.CP.MSFT.NET 207.46.138.12 I'm not sure if this is intentional or not, but it's really ugly. If it's a bug, yuck. Kevin
On Wed, 1 Mar 2000, Kevin Day wrote:
NSI seems to have modified their WHOIS response format again, now including full information about each contact. Again, this broke one of my scripts since nothing is where it's supposed to be. Didn't they promise before to notify people before they did this again?
They've done more than that. For example: $ whois -h whois.networksolutions.com 'dvdreviews.com' Yields the whois.crsnic.net data. I've been seeing this pop up whenever I run a particular report which involves yanking down whois data for about a week now. As near as I can tell, it's happening to domains placed on hold for non-payment, although I've got quite a few unpaid domains on our nameservers right now that still come up as expected. Over last weekend, I was also seeing random corruption of outputted whois data, over most queries I tried making. Earlier this week, I was seeing whois output from crsnic that, while it appeared kosher, was just plain wrong; a second request for the same data five minutes later would return the correct output. I've given up hope on whois at this point. My stock answer to people now is, "We don't know why your domain has been taken out of the root servers, here's Network Solutions' support number, plan on being on hold for a while, best of luck".
I'm not sure if this is intentional or not, but it's really ugly. If it's a bug, yuck.
If you're parsing the whois output at all, parse the output of "dump <elem>" instead; for example: $ whois -h whois.networksolutions.com 'dump dom logic.net' or, for handles... $ whois -h whois.networksolutions.com 'dump han em69' That will give you results which are far easier to parse. I haven't seen a format change in that output that has affected any of my scripts since I found out about it over a year ago. -- Edward S. Marshall <emarshal@logic.net> http://www.nyx.net/~emarshal/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Felix qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas. ]
NSI seems to have modified their WHOIS response format again, now including full information about each contact. Again, this broke one of my scripts since nothing is where it's supposed to be. Didn't they promise before to notify people before they did this again?
Is there, should there be or who is working on a >standard< format for whois queries against domain registries ? Peter
/me wishes everyone would use the RIPE format. Or XML, of course :) -- Joshua Goodall IP Systems Development Team Leader Tel: +31 20 750 1583 SpeedPort, Global Network Mob: +31 6 2859 3949 Infrastructure for the Internet Revolution http://www.speedport.net/ On Thu, 2 Mar 2000, Peter Galbavy wrote:
NSI seems to have modified their WHOIS response format again, now including full information about each contact. Again, this broke one of my scripts since nothing is where it's supposed to be. Didn't they promise before to notify people before they did this again?
Is there, should there be or who is working on a >standard< format for whois queries against domain registries ?
Peter
There was some discussion and effort but it seems to have died. I have a vested interest of sorts as author/maintainer of the CPAN Net::Whois module which keeps breaking. I can't make progress forward because every time I fix .com et al it gets broken again. I would write an RFC but who will make Network Solutions obey? And the word from their representative is that the competing registrars have an interest in keeping things different. We have a WG set up. http://www.imc.org/ietf-whois-ext/ . Nothing happening. A draft by falstrom of the referral extension is in place but pretty dead. The IETF seem to have no authority over Network Solutions and the competing registrars. ICANN does but doesn't do anything. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Galbavy" <peter.galbavy@knowledge.com> To: "Kevin Day" <toasty@dragondata.com>; <nanog@merit.edu> Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 4:06 AM Subject: Re: Heads-up: Another whois change
NSI seems to have modified their WHOIS response format again, now including full information about each contact. Again, this broke one of my scripts since nothing is where it's supposed to be. Didn't they promise before to notify people before they did this again?
Is there, should there be or who is working on a >standard< format for whois queries against domain registries ?
Peter
The IETF seem to have no authority over Network Solutions and the competing registrars. ICANN does but doesn't do anything.
Maybe by lobbying ICANN to agree in principle to require registrars to provide an open-standard based interface to domain registry information. FTP would be a good start :) This is getting off-topic... private replies invited. Peter
This should move to the ietf-whois-ext@imc.org list ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Galbavy" <peter.galbavy@knowledge.com> To: <nanog@merit.edu> Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 9:04 AM Subject: Re: Heads-up: Another whois change
The IETF seem to have no authority over Network Solutions and the competing registrars. ICANN does but doesn't do anything.
Maybe by lobbying ICANN to agree in principle to require registrars to provide an open-standard based interface to domain registry information. FTP would be a good start :)
This is getting off-topic... private replies invited.
Peter
participants (5)
-
Dana Hudes -
Edward S. Marshall -
Joshua Goodall -
Kevin Day -
Peter Galbavy