AFPUB-2012-GEN-001-DRAFT-01 | Under discussion

AfriNIC Whois Database Clean-up

1. 1.0 Summary of the Problem Being Addressed by this Policy Proposal

   The African network infrastructure is growing with changes and extensions. This growth has brought changes in telecommunication and internet infrastructure.

   With the emergence of new operators, mergers and acquisitions, the dynamism brought by the penetration of internet technology has required organizational changes with job rotation. The need for accurate whois data has been in the news for years all over the world.  Inaccurate data is still present in the AfriNIC whois database because changes have occurred in organizations (point of contact, contact information etc.) and object owners have forgotten to update their records. The result is a “No response” from “whois” contacts listed in the AfriNIC Database.

   2.0 Summary of How this Proposal Addresses the Problem

   This proposal asks AfriNIC to maintain accuracy through a periodical database clean up. Furthermore, at least once a year or at the renewal or resources, AfriNIC should conduct a whois database information validation.

   3.0 The Proposal

   AfriNIC members are committed through the RSA to maintain their data and keep it accurate. AfriNIC will then maintain accuracy of whois information through periodical database clean up.

   3.1 Cleanup

   3.1.1 General Database Cleanup: At the ratification of this policy, AfriNIC will conduct a first cleanup by asking all POC present except those who received their objects in less than a year to confirm their POC information. We leave to AfriNIC's discretion to use any tool they find useful for this action.

   3.1.2 Annual Clean up: After the first cleanup, AfriNIC will conduct a cleanup one time a year. We leave to AfriNIC's staff to define the period.

   3.1.3  At the request of additional resources or services, AfriNIC will ask an ORG to update its records.

    

    

   3.2 Steps

   3.2.1  Members will have to confirm accuracy of their records in the Whois database in a month’s timeframe when contacted by email.

   3.2.2 After one month, AfriNIC will make phone calls, send faxes for those who have not answered or those whose email has bounced back.

   3.2.3  After a month of unresponsive response, the record will be marked invalid.

   3.2.4 AfriNIC may publish a report twice a year about number resources with invalid POC.

   3.2.5 After a year of data inconsistency, AfriNIC will claim the number resources back.

    

   4.0 Situation within other RIRs

   • ARIN conducts an annual POC (point of contact) validation process:

   https://www.arin.net/resources/services/poc_validation.html

   • At APNIC, there was a similar policy proposed that did not reach consensus and was withdrawn by the author.
   http://www.apnic.net/data/assets/file/0006/22857/prop-084-v002.txt