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
