What Networks Need to Do When the PRDB Is Retired On Monday, May 8, the Policy Routing Database (PRDB) will be turned off. The PRDB has been used to configure the NSFNET Backbone Service and ANSNET (AS690) since 1989. After May 8, configurations for the ANSNET backbone will be generated from the Routing Arbiter Database (RADB). The PRDB and the RADB have been running with parallel data for over a year. As of May 8, the last data from the PRDB will be transferred to the RADB, and the PRDB will be permanently retired. FROM NACRS TO ROUTE OBJECTS Starting 09:00 EST May 8, NACRs will no longer be accepted for AS690 configurations; the way to submit additions or changes of route announcements for AS690 will be to submit Route objects by e-mail to auto-dbm@ra.net. If you submit a NACR after 09:00 May 8, you will receive a reply that gives you a translation of that NACR into a Route object and explains how to mail that Route object to auto-dbm@ra.net for immediate inclusion in the RADB. For an overview of the RADB and more information about creating and submitting Route objects, see: http://www.ra.net (select Routing Arbiter from the Projects menu) ftp://ftp.ra.net/routing.arbiter/radb/OVERVIEW ftp://ftp.ra.net/routing.arbiter/radb/doc/how_to_register WILL YOU BE AUTHORIZED TO UPDATE THE RADB AFTER MAY 8? Under the old NACR/PRDB system, each AS maintained a list of "valid requestors" who could make routing changes for that AS. Under the new Route object/RADB system, each network has an Origin AS ("Home AS"); the individuals who can make routing changes for that AS's networks are listed in the Maintainer object for that AS. Initial versions of Maintainer objects were created from the PRDB "valid requestor" information on February 1, and many more Maintainer objects have been added to the RADB since then. Thus it is very likely that your authorization in the RADB has already been established. If you have successfully submitted a NACR since February 1, then you are already authorized to submit Route objects for that AS. Note, however, that if another organization has been submitting NACRs for you, that organization may no longer be authorized to do this under the RADB unless you specifically include e-mail addresses for that organization in your Maintainer object. Here is the breakdown of authorized submitters: Date Who Can Make Routing Changes ------ ------------------------------ Before Feb. 1 Any valid requester of any AS in the network's announcements ("aslist"), including the Primary AS Feb. 1 - May 8 Persons specified by the Maintainer objects of *either* the network's Primary AS or its Home AS After May 8 *Only* persons specified by the Maintainer object of the network's Home AS The e-mail addresses for people authorized to make changes for your network must be listed on separate MAIL-FROM lines in your Maintainer object. (A more elaborate system can be used after May 8.) To verify that your Maintainer object contains the correct information, enter a command such as the following: whois -h whois.ra.net MAINT-AS690 For more information on checking, submitting or updating Maintainer objects, see: http://www.ra.net (select Routing Arbiter from the Projects menu) ftp://ftp.ra.net/routing.arbiter/radb/doc/updating_maintainers If you have further questions about registering in the RADB, send e-mail to DB-admin@ra.net. --Dale Johnson Merit/RA