RFC 2167 (rfc2167) - Page 1 of 69
Referral Whois (RWhois) Protocol V1
Alternative Format: Original Text Document
Network Working Group S. Williamson
Request for Comments: 2167 M. Kosters
Obsoletes: RFC 1714 D. Blacka
Category: Informational J. Singh
K. Zeilstra
Network Solutions, Inc.
June 1997
Referral Whois (RWhois) Protocol V1.5
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo
does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of
this memo is unlimited.
Abstract
This memo describes Version 1.5 of the client/server interaction of
RWhois. 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.
1. Introduction
Early in the development of the ARPANET, the SRI-NIC established a
centralized Whois database that provided host and network information
about the systems connected to the network and the electronic mail
(email) addresses of the users on those systems [RFC 954]. The
ARPANET experiment evolved into a global network, the Internet, with
countless people and hundreds of thousands of end systems. The sheer
size and effort needed to maintain a centralized database
necessitates an alternate, decentralized approach to storing and
retrieving this information.
Williamson, et. al. Informational