WHOIS

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The WHOIS protocol is a very simple request/response information retrieval protocol built. Its most common use is to retrieve information about domain names and contact information, but it is also used to retrieve information about IP address delegations.

All domain name registries (including RIRs, who operate registries for the Reverse DNS tree) operate a WHOIS server for the purpose of providing information about domain names registered with them. In a Shared Registry System, where most information about a domain name is held by registrars, the registry's WHOIS server provides a referral to the registrars own WHOIS server, which provides more complete information about the domain name.

WHOIS was originally described in RFC 812 (NICNAME/WHOIS), dated 1982 and subsequently updated in RFC 954 (NICNAME/WHOIS), dated 1985. The original intent of the WHOIS protocol was to enable network users to obtain directory information about other users on the network using application programs such as NICNAME. The required information for this directory was defined by the Defense Communications Agency (DCA). As noted in RFC 954 the term WHOIS was generically used to refer to this directory service. The original directory service was like a small community phone book that provided researchers and developers with contact information. Over time other "objects" besides users were "registered" in this directory resulting in a directory service that is used by registries and registrars to record information about and for their customers, constituents, and stakeholders. This was done by following the same basic instructions originally issued by DCA without regard for the foreseeable use by the various parts of the internet community. There are several uses of this directory service that have evolved or been developed. These include information relating to the registrant of a DNS name, the operation of the DNS (identification of name servers), allocation and assignment of IP addresses, and routing policy. There are several types of registries that provide these services. In all cases, they are using the well known port, port 43. Whois is sometimes colloquially referred to using the terms "Socket-based Whois" and "Port 43 Whois" to denote client/server TCP/IP transactions as described in RFC 954.

1 Issues
2 IRIS
3 Related Terms
4 External Links

[edit] Issues

The WHOIS protocol is highly simplistic and makes no consideration of issues of privacy and security. The Whois Task Force has been working to resolve some of these issues, as of writing no consensus has been reached.

[edit] IRIS

In 2004, The CRISP (Cross-Registry Information Service Protocol) working group was established to develop a successor to the WHOIS protocol. The resulting protocol is IRIS (Internet Registry Information Service). IRIS is not yet widely deployed.

[edit] Related Terms

Whois : A circa 1995 extension to the trivial WHOIS service described in RFC 954 to permit WHOIS-like servers to make available more structured information to the Internet. Whois is not in widespread use.