Network Resources
Internet number resource records
IP addresses and AS numbers registered in the Asia Pacific region
The APNIC Whois Database is a publicly searchable database that contains records of numeric Internet resources from the ranges administered by APNIC in the Asia Pacific region, specifically:
- IP address space allocations and assignments in both IPv4 and IPv6 address ranges
- Autonomous System (AS) numbers (also sometimes called ASNs)
Bulk access to whois data
Bulk access to whois data, including domain objects, is available under an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). This restricts the uses to which whois data may be applied. Requestors must sign the AUP agreement and lodge it with APNIC. Contact the APNIC Helpdesk for assistance.
Reverse DNS delegations
The Domain Name System (DNS) is a globally distributed Internet service. It provides name-to-number (forward) and number-to-name (reverse) translations, using defined client-server and server-server protocols. The DNS is a public service and any user is freely available to query the DNS system for forward or reverse translations.
Reverse DNS delegations allow applications to map to a domain name from an IP address. Reverse delegation is achieved by use of the special domain names "in-addr.arpa" and "ip6.arpa".
APNIC maintains lists of DNS zones and supports access to reverse DNS data in four ways:
- Whois queries, either directly to APNIC from other whois services or via the web
- Bulk access to the APNIC Whois Database by FTP or by Near-Real Time Mirroring (NRTM)
- FTP access to DNS zone files
- DNS zone transfer queries
Operational and policy restrictions are imposed on data access via each of these methods. These restrictions are in place to protect the performance of the systems being used to provide DNS services and to limit 'mining' and misuse of administrative data (such as contact records).
Access to reverse DNS by whois query
Outside the global DNS system, information regarding reverse DNS delegations can be accessed via whois queries.
The APNIC Whois Database is used as the management database for producing the DNS zones, so it can provide the information for each delegated IPv4 and IPv6 range registered in the reverse DNS.
The information is stored in RPSL format as 'domain objects'. The name of each domain object is the reverse DNS zone under in-addr.arpa or ip6.arpa. The 'nserver' attributes in each domain object define the officially-delegated DNS nameservers (the NS in DNS zone contents).
Ordinary access via whois queries is subject to daily limits. Queries via the web-based whois interface are also subject to rate-based limits. These access limits apply to all the whois data, not just that which is DNS related. The actual limits set are monitored by the APNIC Secretariat and adjusted as appropriate.
Types of reverse DNS delegations
The APNIC Whois Database can be used to register two types of reverse DNS delegations:
- in-addr.arpa: The reverse tree for IPv4 addresses. The name derives from 'inverse (IP) address' and 'ARPA', one of the organizations behind the creation of the Internet
- ip6.arpa: The equivalent reverse tree for IPv6 delegations
A third category, ip6.int is deprecated. If you hold IPv6 addresses with an existing ip6.int reverse domain objects, then you can create ip6.arpa reverse domain objects. As of 1 June 2006, ip6.int domain objects are no longer maintained or accepted.