RWhois, Referral Whois Protocol

Protocol suite:	TCP/IP.
Protocol type:	Application layer directory access protocol.
Ports:	4321 (TCP, UDP) server.
URI:
MIME subtype:
SNMP MIBs:
Working groups:
Links:

RFC 2167:

RWhois provides a distributed system for the discovery, retrieval, and maintenance of directory information. This system is primarily hierarchical by design. It allows for the deterministic routing of a query based on hierarchical tags, referring the user closer to the maintainer of the information. While RWhois can be considered a generic directory services protocol, it distinguishes itself from other protocols by providing an integrated, hierarchical architecture and query routing mechanism.

MAC header

IP header

TCP | UDP header

RWhois packet

Status code categories:

Category	Description
1yz	Information only, no action required.
2yz	Information, action required.
3yz	Specific command error, retry that command or try another one.
4yz	Serious for current command, may correct with another command.
5yz	Fatal, must disconnect.
x0z	System wide, no specific command.
x1z	System wide, no specific command.
x2z	Registration error.
x3z	Specific command.
x4z	Specific command.
x5z	Specific command.
x6z	Extended message (version specific).

RWhois error codes:

Code	Description
120	Registration deferred.
130	Object not authoritative.
230	No objects found.
300	Not compatible with version.
320	Invalid attribute.
321	Invalid attribute syntax.
322	Required attribute missing.
323	Object reference not found.
324	Primary key not unique.
325	Failed to update outdated object.
330	Exceeded maximum objects limit.
331	Invalid limit.
332	Nothing to transfer.
333	Not master for authority area.
336	Object not found.
338	Invalid directive syntax.
340	Invalid authority area.
341	Invalid class.
342	Invalid host/port.
350	Invalid query syntax.
351	Query too complex.
352	Invalid security method.
353	Authentication failed.
354	Encryption failed.
400	Directive not available.
401	Not authorized for directive.
402	Unidentified error.
420	Registration not authorized.
436	Invalid display format.
500	Memory allocation problem.
501	Service not available.
502	Unrecoverable error.
503	Idle time exceeded.

Glossary:

Attribute.
(RFC 2167). A named field and the smallest typed unit in a database schema.

Authority Area.
(RFC 2167). An autonomous part of an RWhois tree. It is associated and named after a particular piece of a hierarchy and is able to state authoritatively whether or not an instance of hierarchical data is present within the RWhois tree.

Banner.
(RFC 2167). A line sent by a server indicating which protocol versions it supports and which directives are implemented. This line is issued by the server after a connection is opened and as a response to the "- rwhois" directive.

Base Class.
(RFC 2167). A class from which all defined classes in a database schema inherit attributes.

Class.
(RFC 2167). A collection of attributes.

Complete Replication.
(RFC 2167). The process of replicating all of the data for an authority area.

Database Schema.
(RFC 2167). A collection of all the classes forming an RWhois database.

Directive.
(RFC 2167). A command that a client sends to a server to set a control parameter for the session, get the meta-information (class definitions and SOA information) about an authority area, or get the data in an authority area.

Guardian Class.
(RFC 2167). A standard class that contains security information. An object is guarded by containing a pointer to a guardian object.

Incremental Replication.
(RFC 2167). The process of replicating the data that has changed since the last replication for an authority area.

Info.
(RFC 2167). The miscellaneous information that a server sends to a client.

Lexically Hierarchical Label.
(RFC 2167). A text string whose position in a hierarchy is encoded in the string itself.

Link Referral.
(RFC 2167). A pointer to another server that is further down an RWhois tree. It is used to route a query down the tree.

Master Server.
(RFC 2167). A server where the data is registered for an authority area. It answers authoritatively to queries in the authority area. It is also called a primary server.

Namespace.
(RFC 2167). A particular naming system defined by a set of rules describing the format of a name. Alternately, all of the names satisfying the rules.

Object.
(RFC 2167). An instance of a class. It is data with a type of <class>.

Punt Referral.
(RFC 2167). A pointer to another server that is further up an RWhois tree. It is used to route a query up the tree.

Query.
(RFC 2167). A command that a client sends to a server to access the data in an authority area.

Query Routing.
(RFC 2167). Redirecting a query to another server for resolution.

Referral.
(RFC 2167). A pointer to another server that is presumed to be closer to the desired data. It is used to route a query.

Referral Class.
(RFC 2167). A standard class that contains referral information for an authority area.

Replication.
(RFC 2167). A server duplicating data from another server on a per-authority area basis.

Response.
(RFC 2167). The information that a server returns to a client for a directive.

Result.
(RFC 2167). The information that a server returns to a client for a query. It can be either the accessed data or referrals to other servers.

RWhois Tree.
(RFC 2167). A data information tree of RWhois servers where the data is arranged hierarchically in the authority areas.

Slave Server.
(RFC 2167) A server where the data is replicated from the master server for an authority area. It also answers authoritatively to queries in the authority area. It is also called a secondary server.

SOA, Start Of Authority.
(RFC 2167) Administrative variables, defined at the master server, to control replication for an authority area.

RFCs:

[RFC 2167] Referral Whois (RWhois) Protocol V1.5.

Obsoletes: RFC 1714.

Publications:

Obsolete RFCs:

[RFC 1714] Referral Whois Protocol (RWhois).

Obsoleted by:
RFC 2167.