ARIN IRR User Guide

Overview

ARIN’s IRR is a searchable database of routing policy information for networks in the ARIN region. Objects in the IRR contain routing information in the specific format of Routing Policy Specification Language (RPSL). ARIN Online provides a method to create IRR objects by entering information into a window in the graphical user interface (GUI), and the corresponding RPSL objects are created by the system. This method of managing IRR objects is referred to as IRR-online.

For users who need a programmatic interface to ARIN’s IRR, ARIN provides a RESTful API that allows you to create, update, and delete objects. This service provides a way to automate data entry of routing information. Visit Automating Your Workflow Using the IRR RESTful API for more information.

Navigating IRR-online

To access IRR-online, log in to ARIN Online and choose IRR Object Records from the navigation menu. You can choose the type of objects you want to add, edit,* or delete:

• route(6): (Used to signify a route or a route6 object.) A route (IPv4) or route6 (IPv6) object specifies the Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) that originate specific IP address prefixes. Note: route and route6 objects are configured using the same window in ARIN Online, but route objects are routes that originate IPv4 prefixes and route6 objects are routes that originate IPv6 prefixes.
• as-set: This object defines a group of ASNs that are peers in the routing network and through which traffic can be routed. The as-set members can include ASNs as well as the names of other as-sets.
• aut-num: This object specifies an ASN and its routing policies.
• route-set: This object is a record that defines a group of IP address prefixes or other route-sets. Route sets are used in aut-num objects and other route-set objects. (A route-set is not a group of IRR database route objects.)

* Note that IRR objects migrated from the IRR-email system cannot be edited in ARIN Online, but can be edited using REST commands with RPSL. Visit Automating Your Workflow Using the IRR RESTful API.

IRR Permissions

Admin, Tech, and Routing POCs can manage IRR records. Resource POCs cannot manage IRR records.

Searching for IRR Routes

In the IRR route(6) Objects page, choose If you would prefer to search for specific IRR routes, click here. Enter the prefix (for example, 2001:db8::/32) for the IP address range or an IP address in the range (for example, 2001:db8:e1fc:5f2d:c886:25cf:3995:7d18) and choose Search Routes. Wildcards are not accepted. You’ll receive a list of route(6) objects with “source: ARIN” that contain that prefix or address. Nonauthenticated objects will not be listed, but are available in the ARIN-NONAUTH stream/source in NRTM and FTP, and in Whois Port 43.

Viewing route(6) Objects

A route(6) object specifies the IPv4 or IPv6 address prefix and the ASN of the autonomous system from which the route originates. Choose route(6) from the navigation bar to view a list of route and route6 objects that are associated with your user account. They are displayed by Org ID and organized within Org ID by prefix.

Note: route(6) is used to signify a route or a route6 object.route and route6 objects are configured using the same window in ARIN Online, but route objects are routes that originate IPv4 prefixes and route6 objects are routes that originate IPv6 prefixes.

Select a prefix to view an individual route(6) object. The object fields are described in the following table (some fields listed are optional, and some only apply to objects migrated from the IRR-email system).

Creating a route(6) Object

Note: route(6) is used to signify a route or a route6 object. route and route6 objects are configured using the same window in ARIN Online, but route objects are routes that originate IPv4 prefixes and route6 objects are routes that originate IPv6 prefixes.

In the IRR route(6) page, select Create Object. The object fields are described in the following table in the previous section. After entering the required information, review the object and choose Submit.

route6 Example with member-of Reference

An example of a route6 object, with an associated route-set object, is provided here.

route6 Object Example (Text)

Route6: 2001:1840::/32
originAS: 65536
mnt-by: MNT-EXAMPLECORP
Descr: Tempe AZ hub
tech-c: EXAMPLETECH-ARIN
admin-c: EXAMPLEADMIN-ARIN
member-of: RS-TEMPE
This field indicates the route-set to which this IP address block belongs. The route-set referenced here must include the maintainer for this route6 object (MNT-DOCEXAMPLE) in its members-by-ref field.

Related route-set Object Example (Text)

route-set: RS-TEMPE
mnt-by: MNT-EXAMPLECORP
Descr: Tempe AZ address group
tech-c: EXAMPLETECH-ARIN
admin-c: EXAMPLEADMIN-ARIN
members-by-ref: MNT-EXAMPLECORP
This field indicates that the IP addresses of the route6 objects that belong to MNT-EXAMPLECORP are included in the route-set. For this example, route6 object 2001:1840::/32 would be included in route-set RS-TEMPE.

Viewing as-set Objects

The as-set object specifies a set of ASNs through which traffic can be routed. The members of the set can also include other as-set names. Choose as-set from the navigation bar to view a list of as-set objects associated with your user account.

Select the as-set name from the list to view information about that individual as-set. The object fields are described in the following table (some fields listed are optional).

Creating an as-set Object

In the IRR as-set Objects page, select Create Object from the navigation bar. The object fields are described in the following table. After entering the required information, review your entries and choose Submit.

as-set Example with member-of Reference

as-set Object Example (Text)

as-set: AS-EXAMPLE-ARIZ
mnt-by: MNT-EXAMPLECORP
Descr: Peers in AZ network
tech-c: EXAMPLETECH-ARIN
admin-c: EXAMPLEADMIN-ARIN
Remarks: This is an example.
Members: AS-PHOENIX AS-MESA AS-SEDONA
members-by-ref: MNT-EXAMPLEOTHERCORP
This field indicates that aut-num objects maintained by the org MNT-EXAMPLEOTHERCORP should be included in this as-set. The aut-num objects must reference this as-set object (AS-EXAMPLE-ARIZ) in their member-of fields for this cross reference to work.

Related aut-num Objects Example (Text)

aut-num: AS65536
as-name: AS-ARIZ-NODE1
mnt-by: MNT-EXAMPLECORP
Descr: Example Corp LLC Arizona 1
admin-c: EXAMPLEADMIN-ARIN
tech-c: EXAMPLETECH-ARIN
member-of: AS-EXAMPLE-ARIZ
This field indicates that the aut-num is part of the AS-EXAMPLE-ARIZ as-set.*

aut-num: AS65537
as-name: AS-ARIZ-ROUTE2
mnt-by: MNT-EXAMPLECORP
Descr: Example Corp LLC Arizona 2
admin-c: EXAMPLEADMIN-ARIN
tech-c: EXAMPLETECH-ARIN
member-of: AS-EXAMPLE-ARIZ
This field indicates that the aut-num is part of the AS-EXAMPLE-ARIZ as-set.*

Viewing aut-num Objects

An aut-num object specifies an ASN and defines its routing policies using specified fields in the record. The object fields are described in the following table (some fields are optional).

Creating an aut-num Object

In the IRR aut-num Objects page, select Create Object from the navigation bar. The object fields are described in the following table. After entering the required information, review the object and choose Submit.

Viewing route-set Objects

A route-set object groups a list of individual IPv4 address prefixes (called members), IPv6 address prefixes (mp-members), and other objects referred to in the mbrs-by-ref field. The route-set can then be referred to in other IRR objects.

Choose route-set from the navigation bar to view a list of route-set objects associated with your user account. Select the route-set name from the list to view information about the individual route-set. The object fields are described in the following table (some fields listed are optional).

Creating a route-set Object

In the IRR route-set Objects page, select Create Object from the navigation bar. The object fields are described in the following table. After entering the required information, review your entries and choose Submit.