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Network Working Group K. Harrenstien (SRI) Request for Comments: 954 M. Stahl (SRI) Obsoletes: RFC 812 E. Feinler (SRI)

                                                          October 1985

                           NICNAME/WHOIS

STATUS OF THIS MEMO

 This RFC is the official specification of the NICNAME/WHOIS protocol.
 This memo describes the protocol and the service.  This is an update
 of RFC 812.  Distribution of this memo is unlimited.

INTRODUCTION

 The NICNAME/WHOIS Server is a TCP transaction based query/response
 server, running on the SRI-NIC machine (26.0.0.73 or 10.0.0.51), that
 provides netwide directory service to internet users.  It is one of a
 series of internet name services maintained by the DDN Network
 Information Center (NIC) at SRI International on behalf of the
 Defense Communications Agency (DCA).  The server is accessible across
 the Internet from user programs running on local hosts, and it
 delivers the full name, U.S. mailing address, telephone number, and
 network mailbox for DDN users who are registered in the NIC database.

 This server, together with the corresponding WHOIS Database can also
 deliver online look-up of individuals or their online mailboxes,
 network organizations, DDN nodes and associated hosts, and TAC
 telephone numbers.  The service is designed to be user-friendly and
 the information is delivered in human-readable format.  DCA strongly
 encourages network hosts to provide their users with access to this
 network service.

WHO SHOULD BE IN THE DATABASE

 DCA requests that each individual with a directory on an ARPANET or
 MILNET host, who is capable of passing traffic across the DoD
 Internet, be registered in the NIC WHOIS Database.  MILNET TAC users
 must be registered in the database.  To register, send via electronic
 mail to REGISTRAR@SRI-NIC.ARPA your full name, middle initial, U.S.
 mailing address (including mail stop and full explanation of
 abbreviations and acronyms), ZIP code, telephone (including Autovon
 and FTS, if available), and one network mailbox.  Contact the DDN
 Network Information Center, REGISTRAR@SRI-NIC.ARPA or (800) 235-3155,
 for assistance with registration.

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RFC 954 October 1985 NICNAME/WHOIS

PROTOCOL

 To access the NICNAME/WHOIS server:

    Connect to the SRI-NIC service host at TCP service port 43
    (decimal).

    Send a single "command line", ending with <CRLF> (ASCII CR and
    LF).

    Receive information in response to the command line.  The server
    closes its connection as soon as the output is finished.

EXISTING USER PROGRAMS

 NICNAME is the global name for the user program, although many sites
 have chosen to use the more familiar name of "WHOIS".  There are
 versions of the NICNAME user program for TENEX, TOPS-20, and UNIX.
 The TENEX and TOPS-20 programs are written in assembly language
 (FAIL/MACRO), and the UNIX version is written in C. They are easy to
 invoke, taking one argument which is passed directly to the NICNAME
 server at SRI-NIC.  Contact NIC@SRI-NIC.ARPA for copies of the
 program.

COMMAND LINES AND REPLIES

 A command line is normally a single name specification.  Note that
 the specification formats will evolve with time; the best way to
 obtain the most recent documentation on name specifications is to
 give the server a command line consisting of "?<CRLF>" (that is, a
 question-mark alone as the name specification).  The response from
 the NICNAME server will list all possible formats that can be used.
 The responses are not currently intended to be machine-readable; the
 information is meant to be passed back directly to a human user.  The
 following three examples illustrate the use of NICNAME as of October
 1985.

——————————————————————–

    Command line: ?
    Response:

    Please enter a name or a NIC handle, such as "Smith" or "SRI-NIC".
    Starting with a period forces a name-only search; starting with
    exclamation point forces handle-only.  Examples:

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RFC 954 October 1985 NICNAME/WHOIS

       Smith     [looks for name or handle SMITH]
       !SRI-NIC  [looks for handle SRI-NIC only]
       .Smith, John
                 [looks for name JOHN SMITH only]

    Adding "..." to the argument will match anything from that point,
    e.g. "ZU..." will match ZUL, ZUM, etc.

    To search for mailboxes, use one of these forms:

       Smith@    [looks for mailboxes with username SMITH]
       @Host     [looks for mailboxes on HOST]
       Smith@Host
                 [Looks for mailboxes with username SMITH on HOST]

    To obtain the entire membership list of a group or organization,
    or a list of all authorized users of a host, precede the name of
    the host or organization by an asterisk, i.e. *SRI-NIC. [CAUTION:
    If there are a lot of members, this will take a long time!]  You
    may use exclamation point and asterisk, or a period and asterisk
    together.

——————————————————————–

 Command line: fischer
 Response:

 Fischer, Charles (CF17)     fischer@UWISC        (608) 262-1204
 Fischer, Herman (HF)        HFischer@USC-ECLB    (818) 902-5139
 Fischer, Jeffery H. (JHF1)  FISCHER@LL-XN        (617) 863-5500
                                                  ext 4403 or 4689
 Fischer, Kenneth (KF8)      SAC.SIUBO@USC-ISIE   (402) 294-5161
                                                  (AV)  271-5161
 Fischer, Marty (MF28)       MFISCHER@DCA-EMS     (703) 437-2344
 Fischer, Michael J. (MJF)   FISCHER@YALE         (203) 436-0744
 Fischer, Nancy C. (NANCY)   FISCHER@SRI-NIC      (415) 859-2539
 Fischer, Richard A. (RAF4)  Fisher Richa@LLL-MFE (415) 422-5032

 To single out any individual entry, repeat the command using the
 argument "!HANDLE" instead of "NAME", where the handle is in
 parentheses following the name.

——————————————————————–

    Command line: !nancy
    Response:

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RFC 954 October 1985 NICNAME/WHOIS

       Fischer, Nancy C. (NANCY)    FISCHER@SRI-NIC SRI International
       Telecommunication Sciences Center
       333 Ravenswood Avenue, EJ289
       Menlo Park, California 94025
       Phone: (415) 859-2539
       MILNET TAC user

——————————————————————–

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 1. Harrenstien, K., and White, V., "NICNAME/WHOIS," RFC-812, Network
    Information Center, SRI International, March 1982.

 2. Harrenstien, K., "NAME/FINGER," RFC-742, Network Information
    Center, SRI International, December 1977.

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