Daniel Karrenberg
Version 1.1
The RIPE Database is now almost 30 years old [ripe-13]. During all this time, the community has developed the functionality of the Database incrementally. Today some new frictions have emerged such as changing privacy requirements and the use of the RIPE DB by parties outside the traditional community, specifically law enforcement. Because of these frictions and changing needs, the community consensus about the functionality of the RIPE DB has become less obvious. Therefore it is now time to take stock and to establish a clear consensus about what functionality the RIPE DB should provide in the future.
The RIPE Database Requirements task force shall develop a RIPE document listing all the requirements for the RIPE DB and their rationales. The task force is a small and focused drafting team of two to five persons and not a representative body. The task force will consult the RIPE community and other interested parties. Consensus building will take place in the appropriate RIPE working groups and possibly specific BoFs. The task force will regularly publish draft versions of the document.
The purpose of the document is to establish community consensus at the general level. The document will be the new requirements specification for the RIPE DB. It shall provide clear guidance for the evolution of RIPE DB functionality, including the removal of current functionality that is no longer required.
The document will prioritise requirements as much as possible. The document shall list the purpose of each RIPE DB function and consider the relevant privacy aspects, making the document useful in the context of privacy regulations such as the GDPR. The document shall allow easy updates as community needs change.
Software development, deployment and other implementation details are out of scope. Despite being scoped as a requirements document, the document shall not prescribe a specific engineering methodology for subsequent steps in the process.
The RIPE Chair shall appoint the task force after a call for volunteers. Volunteers are expected to contribute significant amounts of text and to collect community feedback. The task force will regularly publish revised drafts based on this feedback. The task force may conduct BoF sessions to discuss drafts with the community.
The task force will start its work at RIPE 79 and produce the first draft by December 2019. The task force will deliver a document for last-call at RIPE 81 in October 2020. If the community does not achieve consensus by RIPE 81, the task force will give a report listing the open issues and propose a plan to resolve them.