[arin-discuss] Bringing back IP resource Request Templates

[Robert E. Seastrom]

Alec, since you seem to want XML would you be OK with accepting a
classic style template and turning it into XML on the ARIN end?  This
seems like a good coding project for a freshman Perl or Python class.
(only half joking).  Anyway, XML is not human-friendly.

One problem I have with web-centric is that it mandates use of a
swivel-chair interface (that is, a person who sits in a swivel chair)
clicking away to input data.  REST bypasses this to some degree, but
REG-RWS is poorly publicized compared to WHOIS-RWS.  ARIN should do a
little more outreach on REG-RWS.

Last time I used ARIN Online for real work (TM) was about a year ago.
My recollection was that its support for a transaction log once
resources had been granted was a little weak.  Since many (most?)
folks who interact with ARIN request the same sort of resources for
similar reasons over and over, the lack of ability to answer "how did
we do this last time" is a big failing.

Email trails don't have that issue and an email thread can be easily
handed over to the new lucky IP number admin.

Anyway, +1 on retaining classic templates.  I realize that there is a
development cost associated with backward compatibility.  I consider
that money well spent.

-r

Alec Ginsberg <alec at ionity.com> writes:

> Once again...  All of these reasons are simply illustrating problems that could be fixed.  For example a proper HA infrastructure that is architected properly.
>
> So for all the email template fans.  Would you be ok if it was an XML template?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Apr 2, 2012, at 2:49 PM, "Robert Marder" <ram at robertmarder.com> wrote:
>
>> This is another very good reason.
>> 
>> Just take a look at ARIN's recent maintenance: email templates were 
>> queued, the web interface and the REST API were both completely down.
>> 
>> It's simply much easier and more reliable to automate email template 
>> submissions than deal with the web interface or web api.
>> 
>> On 02.04.2012 14:41, John Brown wrote:
>>> Templates don't require a web browser.
>>> I've watched hardware vendors move away from CLI to Web based config.
>>> It sucks for many reasons.  Web looks nicer but doesn't always work
>>> when you need it to.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Email templates allow for a Fire and forget.
>>> Web template (via api, curl, etc) requires that the server be
>>> reachable and able to process in realtime.
>>> 
>>> eMail template can be generated, sent to the SMTP server and then 
>>> handled.
>>> If ARIN's system isn't able to process, that's ok, the email is
>>> QUEUED, either a secondary MX in the "inbox".
>>> 
>>> Meanwhile the human can go home and know that the job is submitted,
>>> save lost email in transit.
>>> 
>>> If the request requires a change, you can easily edit the email
>>> template and re-submit.  Not so with dynamic / live web interface.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> ARIN should provide multiple I/O paths.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: arin-discuss-bounces at arin.net [mailto:arin-discuss-
>>>> bounces at arin.net] On Behalf Of Chris Cappuccio
>>>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2012 1:30 PM
>>>> To: Robert Marder
>>>> Cc: arin-discuss at arin.net
>>>> Subject: Re: [arin-discuss] Bringing back IP resource Request 
>>>> Templates
>>>> 
>>>> On 04/02/12 12:24, Robert Marder wrote:
>>>>> I agree as well.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Templates are easier to fill out and it's nice to have a 
>>>> convenient
>>>>> log of all my requests.
>>>> Most of the cases made here for templates seem like lame excuses. 
>>>> The web
>>>> interface could do all of these things and do them better than your 
>>>> e-mail
>>>> client. What do you think the money that you pay to ARIN goes for?
>>>> 
>>>> The real reason would be that folks who do lots of small/frequent 
>>>> updates
>>>> have to do them by hand instead of doing them on the web. But the 
>>>> web
>>>> interface is supposed to accommodate that as well. We're talking 
>>>> about
>>>> dumping text editors and SMTP for HTTP forms which can be handled
>>>> automatically as well. But the people who need this functionality 
>>>> have
>>>> probably already figured out how to get it with ARIN.
>>>> 
>>>> Chris
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