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The Internet Routing Registry (IRR)

The Internet routing Registry (IRR) is a globally-distributed routing information database.

Established in 1995, the purpose of the IRR is to ensure the stability and consistency of Internet-wide routing by sharing information between network operators.

The IRR actually consists of several databases where network operators publish their routing policies and routing announcements so that other network operators can use this data.

The APNIC Routing Registry is linked to the IRR and enables Internet operators to:

  • Debug routing problems
  • Automatically configure backbone routers
  • Perform network planning

Users of the routing registry can query:


Why use the IRR?

Benefits to networks

The IRR contains announced routes and routing policy in a common format that network operators can use to configure their backbone routers.

This assists network management in a number of ways:

Route filtering

Traffic may be filtered based on registered routes, preventing network problems caused by accidental or malicious routing announcements.

Routing announcement filtering can be created between:

  • Peering networks where the peers agree to filter based on registered routes only. If a peer's route is not registered, it will be filtered
  • Provider and customer networks where the provider protects its network from accidental routing announcements by its customers. The customer must register its routes before the provider.
Network troubleshooting
A rounting registry makes it easier to identify routing problems outside your network. Use the contacts for the AS number associated with the problematic route to resolve traffic problems.
Router configuration

Tools such as IRRToolset can create router configurations.

Use these tools to:

  • Suggest CIDR aggregates
  • Check aut-num objects and their routes
  • Perform RPSL syntax checking on Autonomous Systems registered in an IRR
Global view of Internet routing
If all networks registered their routes in IRRs, a global view of routing policy could be mapped. This global picture could significantly improve the integrity of global Internet routing. APNIC encourages all network operators to register their routes in the APNIC Routing Registry.

Easier maintenance

Use one set of maintenance and person objects to manage both Internet resources and routing information.

Integrated resource and routing management

Before route objects can be registered in the APNIC Routing Registry, APNIC ensures the address range and AS number are within APNIC resource ranges.  In addition, the mnt-by, mnt-lower, and mnt-routes authentication attributes in aut-num and inetnum objects are checked to ensure the registered resource holder has control over routing objects that specify their resources.

Reduced costs

The APNIC Routing Registry service is free to APNIC members.


More information

For information on how to register routing information in the APNIC Routing Registry, see:

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Related links


Mirroring

The APNIC Routing Registry mirrors Routing Registries within the Asia Pacific region and around the world. For a complete list of mirrored registries, query the APNIC Whois Database using the search string:

 -q source


Routing Registries and IPv6

Work is currently underway to extend RPSL to describe policy for multiple protocols such as IPv6 and multicast.

For more information: