Support Center

NTT Route Registry Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is an Internet Route Registry?
    An Internet Routing Registry (IRR) is a database of Internet route objects for determining, and sharing route and related information used for configuring routers, with a view to avoiding problematic issues between Internet service providers.
  • Why should I use an Internet Route Registry?
    If your company plans to establish a BGP connection to the NTT network, you will need to have the appropriate objects registered in either the NTT route registry or a registry that we mirror (see https://ntt.1123interactive.com/support-center/policies-procedures/routing/#rr for list mirrored IRRs) for your connection to work properly. It is your responsibility to set up and maintain the route registry objects.
    If your company has “downstream” BGP customers, those customers will need to have route objects created for their networks if they want to transit your NTT connection.
  • I use a different Internet Route Registry. Why should I use the NTT Route Registry?
    The NTT route registry is offered free of charge to NTT customers. Customers are welcome to use whatever registry they prefer, as long as it is one that we mirror (see https://us.ntt.net/support/policy/routing.cfm#RR for list mirrored IRRs).
    NTT strongly encourages customers who rely on proxy objects (objects registered by a 3rd party) to duplicate their objects in the NTTCRoute Registry to avoid any unforeseen downtime due to 3rd party manipulation or deletion of proxy objects.NTT advises customers who already use an IRR to duplicate their objects in the NTT Route Registry to avoid any unforeseen downtime due to unexpected changes to objects registered in another IRR.
  • What is a Maintainer Object?
    A maintainer-object links all other types of objects that may be registered in the route registry pertaining to a specific customer and their objects. The maintainer-object contains several fields pertaining to the customer’s company and the individuals in control of the route-policy (typically the network administrator). The field mntner: contains the maintainer ID. This maintainer ID is contained in the mnt-by: of all other object types (route-object, AS-Macro, aut-num) associated with the customer and their route-policy.
  • What is a Route Object?
    A route object is an object that specifies the network that a particular AS plans to announce. NTT ACLs are built from these objects. NTT only accepts “exact match” announcements, so route objects should be registered to match the customer announcements and AS Number. NTT advises customers to aggregate announcements whenever possible.
  • What is an AS-SET Object?
    An AS-SET object is used by NTT customers that have downstream AS customers. This object allows NTT to build ACLs based upon objects registered to all member ASes contained in the AS-SET, including the NTT customer ASN. Member ASes must have route objects registered in the NTT registry or a registry NTT mirrors for the ACLs to be updated. Nested AS-SETs are permitted (eg. Downstream AS may have an AS-SET registered, this should be included in NTT customer AS-SET).
  • How can I tell which of my networks have route objects registered to my AS from a UNIX/LINUX/BSD/MacOS CLI?
    - Command (where AS = 3727):
    server$ whois -h rr.ntt.net \!gas3727
    - Response:
    A49
    205.238.48.0/24 198.58.4.0/23 204.245.208.192/27
    C
  • How can I see details about a route object from the UNIX/LINUX/BSD/MacOS CLI?
    - Command (where network = 198.58.3.0/24):
    server$ whois -h whois -h rr.ntt.net 198.58.3.0
    - Response:
    route: 198.58.4.0/23
    descr: shrubs
    origin: AS3727
    notify: heas@shrubbery.net
    mnt-by: MAINT-HEAS
    changed: heas@shrubbery.net 19991028
    source: NTTCOM
  • I’ve registered my objects, but NTTCOM is not accepting my announcements. Why?

    – NTTCOM updates filters daily at 0000 UTC. Route objects submitted prior to 0000 UTC are included in this daily ACL build and are usually active on the network around 0600 UTC.

    – Common errors to avoid:

    • AS of Route Object incorrect: ASN of route object must match customer AS, or AS in customer’s AS-SET.
    • Downstream Customer AS missing from AS-SET: Downstream customer AS must be present in customer’s AS-SET
    • BGP Advertisements must be an EXACT MATCH to route object entries.

      OK:
      Announcement: 204.0.0.0/24
      Route Object: 204.0.0.0/24

      INCORRECT:
      Announcement: 204.0.0.0/24
      Route Object: 204.0.0.0/16

Registry Use Policy

The data found on and/or mirrored by NTTCOM Registry servers is strictly for Internet operational purposes only. It may not be used for any other purposes, such as advertising.

Background

The Global IP Network applies filters to routes advertised by customer BGP peers. These filters are built from the Internet Routing Registries (IRRs). Every route wished to be announced by a customer requires an exact prefix to be registered. This is a safeguard to help protect the Global IP Network (and the rest of the Internet) from accidental announcement of prefixes which do not belong to the ASN or similar errors which have caused other ISPs to have (multi-day) outages/instability. Once a customer registers a prefix, they can announce the prefix or any specifics covered by that prefix.

The routing registry whois server used by Global IP Network is the same software in use by the RADB. It conforms to RPSL syntax (see RFC2280, RFC2622, and ISC’s list of Tutorial Materials).

Thus, syntax of objects and operations are almost entirely the same. The only differences are the address for object submission, the hostname for queries, the source: is NTTCOM, and MAIL-FROM authentication is not accepted.

Service Expectations & Policy

Use of the NTTCOM Registry is being made available to Global IP Network customers (and their customers) free of charge. However, the following disclaimers apply:

  • Mail to db-admin@rr.ntt.net and any other issues requiring manual intervention are handled Monday-Friday approximately 1700-0100 UTC. It may take up to 48 hour before the issue can be addressed. Automatic updates to auto-dbm@rr.ntt.net are normally immediate. Actual response time is likely to be better
  • Although maintenance of the routing registry is done on a best-effort basis; the Global IP Network will not be responsible for lost data, lost service, etc. resulting from any failure of this service.
  • Abuse this service will not be tolerated.
  • You are responsible for the email addresses that you place in the NTT Commuications Global IP Network Routing Registry. Updates to NTTCOM Registry data result in email being sent to those addresses, and bad addresses produce bounced mail. The Global IP Network will make a reasonable effort to resolve errors, after which the failing address will be moved to a remark in the registry and will not be used in processing updates.
  • The Global IP Network reserve the right to modify this policy at any time without notice.
  • Customers who leave the Global IP Network will have 1 month to move their objects to another routing registry.
  • The NTT Network Operations Center does not provide assistance with utilizing the NTTCOM Registry or setting up route objects, aut-num objects, and so on

Filter Updates

Filter updates (extraction of routes from the NTTCOM Registry and loading new filters onto the routers) are done by an automated process. PLEASE plan your changes ahead of time based on the timeline for update processing outlined in the rest of this section.

 

  • Route lists are built at 0100 UTC. If there is an email address listed in the NTTCOM Registry, unix style uni-diffs will be emailed depicting any changes from the last build of the route list plus a copy of the full list and any errors encountered while expanding your as-set.
  • Updated filters are loaded onto the routers and peers are soft-cleared at 0400 UTC.

Getting Started

The first step in making use of the NTTCOM Registry (like using the RADB) is to register a maintainer object (mntner). This object will be referenced by several other objects (including itself) for authentication and other purposes.

To register a maintainer object complete a maintainer object template and email it to the database administrator (db-admin@rr.ntt.net). The database administrator will insert the object in the NTTCOM Registry database and you will receive an acknowledgement.

Once the maintainer object is registered, all other object additions/changes can be done by using the automatic registry processor. You can add/delete/modify objects by emailing the completed template(s) to email address of the automatic registry processor: auto-dbm@rr.ntt.net.

Add an object:
Complete a template and email it.

Delete an object:
Use the existing object and add a “delete: reason” field to end and email it.

Modify an object:
Modify the existing object and email it.

Multiple adds/deletes/modifies may appear in one email message. Please click here for an example.

Time to create your objects.

Example

Where password: is the cleartext password for the maintainer MAINT-BEARD, the route: is a new route object, the as-set is being modified to include AS64999, and the aut-num object is being deleted.

    To: auto-dbm@rr.ntt.net
    From: manchu@foo.com
    Subject: multiple mods

    password: seeTheWizard

    route:         192.168.0.0/16
    descr:         dixie athletic cups
                   1000 South Front Ave
                   Too Cold, North Dakota 12345-6789
    origin:        AS65000
    remarks:       this is non-portable space, no exceptions
    notify:        manchu@foo.com
    mnt-by:        MAINT-BEARD
    changed:       manchu@foo.com 19990401
    source:        NTTCOM

    as-set:        AS-BEARD
    descr:         ASes to which we provide transit (+ our AS)
    members:       AS65000, AS-BIGCUST, AS-STARSHIP, AS-ITSABUST,
                   AS65001, AS64999
    tech-c:        VP0-ARIN
    admin-c:       VP0-ARIN
    notify:        manchu@foo.com
    mnt-by:        MAINT-BEARD
    changed:       manchu@foo.com 19990401
    source:        NTTCOM

    aut-num:       AS65000
    as-name:       UNSPECIFIED
    descr:         something
    remarks:       ----------- Customers --------------
    import:        from AS65001
                   action pref=10;
                   accept AS65001 AND NOT {0.0.0.0/0}
    export:        to AS65001
                   announce ANY AND NOT {0.0.0.0/0}
    admin-c:       VP0-ARIN
    tech-c:        VP0-ARIN
    notify:        manchu@foo.com
    mnt-by:        MAINT-BEARD
    changed:       manchu@foo.com 19990401
    source:        NTTCOM
    delete:        unused aut-num

How to verify your Objects (making Queries)

Use whois and/or the IRRToolSet (version 4.7 or greater) to query the database for registered objects.

The Global IP Network maintains two servers. rr.ntt.net is the primary server (authoritative for the NTTCOM Registry database) and rr1.ntt.net is a backup.

For example, here is the Global IP Network as-set:

    eng% whois -h rr.ntt.net AS2914:AS-GLOBAL

        as-set:     AS2914:AS-GLOBAL
        descr:      Global IP Network transit customers
        members:    AS2914, AS3949,
                    AS2914:AS-US, AS2914:AS-ASIA, AS2914:AS-EUROPE
        admin-c:    NCGE-VRIO
        tech-c:     NCGE-VRIO
        remarks:    contacts per RFC2142:
        remarks:    Abuse / UCE reports abuse@ntt.net
        remarks:    Security issues security@ntt.net
        mnt-by:     MAINT-NTTCOM-BB
        changed:    boudreat@us.ntt.net  20070413
        source:     NTTCOM

        person:     NTT Communiations Global IP Network Engineering
        address:    NTT
                    8005 S Chester St Ste 200
                    Centennial, CO 80112-3523
                    US
        phone:      +1 303 6451900
        fax-no:     +1 303 7082490
        e-mail:     ip-eng@us.ntt.net
        nic-hdl:    NCGE-VRIO
        remarks:    contacts per RFC2142:
        remarks:    Abuse / UCE reports  abuse@ntt.net
        remarks:    Security issues      security@ntt.net
        mnt-by:     MAINT-NTTCOM-BB
        changed:    boudreat@us.ntt.net  20070413
        source:     NTTCOM

Mirroring the NTTCOM Registry database

NSPs wishing to mirror the NTTCOM Registry database should contact the db-admin@rr.ntt.net.

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NTT is a global leader in all Internet-related businesses. Our Tier 1 Global IP Network, consistently ranked among the top networks worldwide, spans the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, providing the best possible environment for content, data and video transport through a single autonomous system number (AS2914).