Regional Internet Registries(RIR)

RIRs and its date of establishment

Introduction

Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) are non-profit organizations that are responsible for the allocation and registration of Internet number resources, including IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), within their respective regions of the world. There are currently five RIRs worldwide, each serving a specific geographic region:

1. American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) — serving North America, parts of the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa
2. Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC) — serving Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Central Asia
3. Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) — serving Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands
4. Latin America and Caribbean Network Information Centre (LACNIC) — serving Latin America and the Caribbean
5. African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) — serving Africa

Each RIR is responsible for managing and distributing Internet number resources within its region according to global policies developed by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). These policies ensure that Internet number resources are allocated in a fair and efficient manner and that they are used responsibly to ensure the stability and security of the Internet.

To obtain Internet number resources from an RIR, an organization must become a member of the RIR and submit a request that includes information about their technical requirements and their justification for the resources. RIRs also maintain public Whois databases that provide information about the allocation and registration of Internet number resources in their respective regions.

Organizational diagram borrowed from iana.org

Further on this IANA, ARIN, APNIC will be explained as these are most important and other(AFRINIC, RIPENCC, LACNIC) are no more different then ARIN and APNIC.

Internet Assigned Numbers Authority(IANA)

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is a department of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that is responsible for the management of the global coordination of the Internet’s root zone, IP address space, and protocol parameter registries. IANA is responsible for the allocation of IP address space to the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), which in turn allocate IP addresses to ISPs, enterprises, and other organizations.

In addition to its role in IP address allocation, IANA also manages the global coordination of the Domain Name System (DNS), which is the hierarchical naming system used for translating domain names into IP addresses. IANA is responsible for the management of the DNS root zone, which contains the top-level domain (TLD) names such as .com, .org, and .net. IANA works with ICANN and the TLD registries to ensure the stability and security of the DNS.

IANA also manages the protocol parameter registries, which are used to define the values and meanings of various protocol fields used in Internet protocols such as TCP/IP, DNS, and others. These registries ensure that all devices and software on the Internet use the same values and formats for these fields, which is critical for interoperability and compatibility between different systems.

Overall, IANA plays a critical role in the management and coordination of the Internet’s global resources and protocols, which is important for ensuring the stability, security, and interoperability of the Internet.

American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)

• It is a non-profit organization that manages the distribution of IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) in North America.
• ARIN serves the United States, Canada, and many Caribbean and North Atlantic islands. Its primary function is to administer the distribution of IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and ASNs to its members, who are typically Internet Service Providers (ISPs), hosting companies, universities, and large corporations.
• ARIN also maintains a public Whois database that provides information about IP addresses and ASNs, including the organization that owns them and their contact information.
• In addition to its core functions, ARIN also provides a range of services and support to its members, including training and certification programs, technical assistance, and tools and resources for network operators and administrators.
• Every country within the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) region has its own National Internet Registry (NIR), also known as a Regional Internet Registry (RIR), responsible for the allocation and registration of Internet number resources, including IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), within their respective countries.

Other Four RIRs (RIPE NCC, APNIC, LACNIC and AFRINIC)

• The Core functionality of the all RIRs is same, only they differ in there region of functionality.

APNIC in Detail

• Core functionalities are same as other RIRs.
• Under APNIC there are also Network Information Center(NIC) that work at national level. For Example:
  Korea Network Information Center(KRNIC) is a separate organization from APNIC. While both organizations are responsible for the management and registration of Internet resources, KRNIC is specifically responsible for the management of Internet resources in South Korea, while APNIC is responsible for the management of Internet resources in the Asia-Pacific region as a whole.
• Not every country within the APNIC region has its own National Internet Registry (NIR), but most countries do have their own NIRs. NIRs are responsible for the allocation and registration of Internet number resources, including IP addresses and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), within their respective countries.
  In some cases, multiple countries may share a single NIR. For example, the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA) serves as the NIR for several Pacific Island countries. Similarly, the South Asia Network Operators Group (SANOG) serves as the NIR for several South Asian countries.
  However, many countries within the APNIC region have established their own NIRs, including countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia, among others. These NIRs work closely with APNIC and other organizations in the region to ensure the effective and efficient management of Internet number resources and the growth and development of the Internet in their respective countries and the region as a whole.

What is in a Whois record?

• A Whois record contains all of the contact information associated with the person, group, or company that registers a particular domain name.
• Typically, each Whois record will contain information such as the name and contact information of the Registrant (who owns the domain), the name and contact information of the registrar Registrar (the organization or commercial entity that registered the domain name), the registration dates, the name servers, the most recent update, and the expiration date. Whois records may also provide the administrative and technical contact information (which is often, but not always, the registrant).

What is ASN?

An Autonomous System Number (ASN) is a unique number that is assigned to an autonomous system (AS) on the Internet. An autonomous system is a network that is operated by a single organization and has a unique routing policy. ASNs are used by the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is the protocol used to exchange routing information between different autonomous systems on the Internet.

ASNs are used to identify and differentiate between different autonomous systems on the Internet. ASNs are typically assigned by the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), such as the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), and the RIPE Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), among others.

By using ASNs, network operators can control how traffic is routed to and from their autonomous systems on the Internet. This allows them to optimize their routing policies, improve the reliability and performance of their networks, and ensure the efficient use of Internet resources. ASNs are an important component of the Internet infrastructure and are used by network operators, Internet service providers, and other organizations to manage and operate their networks on the Internet.