About the APNIC Whois Database
The APNIC Whois Database is an official record that contains information regarding organizations that hold IP addresses and AS Numbers in the Asia Pacific region.
Users querying the database can determine who is responsible for an IP address range or an AS Number.
Background
The whois system originated as an online directory similar to the ‘Yellow Pages’. From this, it was converted into a tool that system administrators can use to search for other IP addresses or Domain Name administrators.
This helps in several ways, including supporting the security and stability of the Internet by providing contact points for network operators and administrators.
Internet number resources must be properly and accurately registered to fulfil the goals of addressing policy outlined by IANA (the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority).
This accurate registration of resource usage is a critical role APNIC plays in the operation of the Internet.
The APNIC Whois Database shows which organizations hold the rights to use which resources, where and when the resource allocations were made, and the contact details for the networks. Each organization that holds Internet number resources is responsible for updating its own information in the database.
As the database is used to assist with network troubleshooting and to help track network abuse, it is vital to ensure the contact details registered by resource holders are up-to-date and accurate.
For this reason, APNIC requires that previous resource allocations are all properly and accurately registered in the database before a request for additional address space will be fully processed.