WHOIS

The Routing Assets Database (RADb) WHOIS-like service is the primary public interface for accessing routing information stored within the RADb. This service provides authoritative data and includes both objects sourced directly from RADb and objects from each Internet Routing Registry (IRR) mirrored by RADb.

The RADb WHOIS service is primarily intended for:

• Human-readable queries to inspect routing data.

• Low-traffic programmatic usage, such as occasional lookups and automated tools requiring routing data.

• Connection Handling:

  • The WHOIS service allows a maximum of five open connections per source.

  • To optimize usage, developers are encouraged to maintain one open connection for multiple queries rather than opening a new connection each time.

• Data Consumption:

  • Developers should build utilities that source data from whois.radb.net for light, human-driven queries.

  • When providing a low-traffic service that sources data from whois.radb.net, set identifiable IPv4 and IPv6 PTR records in DNS to aid in tracking and management.

• Error Handling:

  • Implement backoff and retry routines when encountering timeouts or connection failures to avoid unnecessary strain on the service.

• High-Traffic Automated Queries: Do not utilize the WHOIS service for high-volume, automated tasks.

• This can lead to rate-limiting and rejected connections.

To maintain service quality and availability, RADb enforces rate limits on WHOIS queries.

• Up to 4 concurrent connections from a single IP are allowed. The 5th connection will be rejected via a TCP reset.

• Connection rates are limited to 3.3 sessions per second from a single IP or a maximum of 200 sessions per minute.

• If this limit is exceeded, further connections will be rejected via TCP reset.

By adhering to these guidelines, users can efficiently access RADb routing data while minimizing the risk of connection issues or rate-limiting.