Editing RIPE

{{Short description|Internet development working group}}
{{About||the regional Internet registry |Réseaux IP Européens Network Coordination Centre|other uses|Ripe (disambiguation){{!}}Ripe}}
{{one source|date=June 2013}}
{{Infobox organization
| image               = RIPE_Community_logo.png
| alt                 = RIPE logo
| map                 = <!-- optional -->
| motto               = 
| predecessor         = 
| successor           = 
| formation           = {{Start date and age|1989|05|22}}
| extinction          = <!-- date of extinction, optional -->
| type                = [[Community]]
| status              = <!-- ad hoc, treaty, foundation, etc -->
| purpose             = To maintain and develop the Internet and its unique characteristics. RIPE's activities in Internet governance are based on a commitment to enhance the cooperation between the public and private sectors.
| headquarters        = 
| coords              = <!-- Coordinates of location using a coordinates template -->
| language            = <!-- official languages -->
| leader_title        = Chair
| leader_name         = Mirjam Kühne
| leader_title2       = 
| leader_name2        = 
| leader_name3        = 
| leader_title3       = 
| leader_title4       = 
| leader_name4        = 
| key_people          = 
| main_organ          = <!-- gral. assembly, board of directors, etc -->
| parent_organization = <!-- if one -->
| affiliations        = <!-- if any -->
| budget              = 
| remarks             = 
| name                = Réseaux IP Européens<br/>(RIPE)
| former name         = 
| bgcolor             = <!-- header background color -->
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| image_border        = 
| size                = <!-- default 200px -->
| msize               = <!-- map size, optional, default 250px -->
| malt                = <!-- map alt text -->
| mcaption            = <!-- optional -->
| map2                = 
| abbreviation        = 
| location            = Amsterdam, Netherlands
| region_served       = 
| membership          = 
| general             = <!-- Secretary General -->
| num_staff           = 
| num_volunteers      = 
| website             = {{URL|https://www.ripe.net/}}
}}

'''Réseaux IP Européens''' ('''RIPE''', [[French language|French]] for "European IP Networks") is a forum open to all parties with an interest in the technical development of the [[Internet]]. The RIPE community's objective is to ensure that the administrative and technical coordination necessary to maintain and develop the Internet continues. It is not a [[Standards organization|standards body]] like the [[Internet Engineering Task Force]] (IETF) and does not deal with [[domain name]]s like [[ICANN]].

RIPE is not a legal entity and has no formal membership. This means that anybody who is interested in the work of RIPE can participate through mailing lists and by attending meetings. RIPE has a chair to keep an eye on work between RIPE meetings and to act as its external liaison. [[Rob Blokzijl]], who was instrumental in the formation of RIPE, was the initial chair and remained in that position until 2014, when he appointed Hans Petter Holen as his successor. The RIPE community interacts via RIPE Mailing Lists,<ref name="Mailing Lists">{{Cite web|title=Mailing Lists — RIPE Network Coordination Centre|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2013-06-20}}</ref><ref name="RIPE Mailing Lists">{{Cite web|title=RIPE Mailing Lists — RIPE Network Coordination Centre|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/ripe-mailing-lists|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2013-06-20}}</ref> RIPE Working Groups,<ref name="wg">{{Cite web|title=Active Working Groups — RIPE Network Coordination Centre|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/groups/wg|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2013-06-21}}</ref> and RIPE Meetings.<ref name="ripeintro">{{Cite web|title=FAQ: RIPE Meetings — RIPE Network Coordination Centre|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/faq-meetings/ripe-meeting-faqs|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2013-06-21|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130515104647/http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/faq-meetings/ripe-meeting-faqs/|archive-date=2013-05-15}}</ref>

Although similar in name, the [[RIPE NCC]] and RIPE are separate entities. The [[RIPE NCC]] provides administrative support to RIPE, such as the facilitation of RIPE meetings<ref name="ripeintro"/> and providing administrative support to RIPE Working Groups.<ref name=wg/> It was established in 1992 by the RIPE community to serve as an administrative body.

== History==
The name is a translation of the English title of a diagram to French by [[John Quarterman]].<ref name="How the Name RIPE Came About">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/ripe-58/content/presentations/the-origins-of-ripe.pdf|title=How the Name RIPE Came About|date=2009-05-07|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2017-07-09|first=Daniel|last=Karrenberg}}</ref> This was presented in Special Session of RIPE 58.<ref name="RIPE 58">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/ripe-58/archives.php?day=thursday|title=RIPE 58 - Amsterdam, the Netherlands &#124; 4-8 May 2009 |work=ripe.net |accessdate=2013-06-21}}</ref>

The first RIPE meeting was held on 22 May 1989 in [[Amsterdam]], [[Netherlands]]. It brought together 14 representatives of 6 countries and 11 networks<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/ripe-38/presentations/RIPE38-ripenewcom/sld009.html|title=Participants of first RIPE meeting|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411044256/http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/ripe-38/presentations/RIPE38-ripenewcom/sld009.html|archive-date=2008-04-11}}</ref> At the time [[European Union|European governments]], standardisation bodies and telecommunications companies were pushing for the [[Open Systems Interconnection|OSI standard]] and [[IP-based network]]s were seen as the wrong way to go. In the academic community (mostly nuclear and particle physics) there was a strong need to work together with colleagues across Europe and the United States. IP provided a standard to allow interconnection and cooperation, whereas the networks offered by the European telecommunications companies often completely lacked that.

[[Image:RIPE office 258 Singel Amsterdam.jpg|thumb|Former RIPE NCC offices at 258 [[Singel]], Amsterdam]]
RIPE as an organisation was established by the RIPE terms of reference, which were agreed on 29 November 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ripe-001.html|title=RIPE terms of reference|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> There were ten organisations intending to participate in  the RIPE Coordinating Committee, along the lines defined by the RIPE Terms of Reference, though some still needed to make a formal decision. These organisations were: [[BelWue]],  [[CERN]], [[EASInet]], [[EUnet]], [[GARR]], [[HEPnet]], [[NORDUnet]], [[SURFnet]], [[SWITCH Information Technology Services|SWITCH]] and [[XLINK (ISP)|XLINK]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ripe-002.txt|title=RIPE: Statement of cooperation|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> At the same time task forces were established to facilitate the interconnection of European IP-networks in the following weeks and months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ripe-004.txt|title=RIPE Task forces|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> The four task forces were:
#Connectivity and Routing
#Network Management and Operations
#Domain Name System
#Formal Coordination

One of the results was a proposal on 16 September 1990 to establish the RIPE Network Coordination Centre (NCC) to support the administrative tasks in the RIPE community<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ripe-019.txt|title=RIPE network coordination centre|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref> and the first RIPE NCC Activity Plan was published in May 1991.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ftp.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ripe-035.txt|title=First RIPE NCC Activity Plan|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31}}</ref>

RIPE asked [[Réseaux Associés pour la Recherche Européenne|RARE]] (one of the predecessors of [[TERENA]]) if they would provide the legal framework for the RIPE NCC. After a solicitation procedure, the RIPE NCC began in April 1992 with its headquarters in Amsterdam, [[Daniel Karrenberg]] as manager and only two other staff members. Initial funding was provided by the academic networks (RARE members), [[European Academic Research Network|EARN]] and [[EUnet]]. The RIPE NCC was formally established when the Dutch version of the articles of association was deposited with the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce on 12 November 1997.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ripe.net/info/ncc/ncc-history.html|title=NCC history|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2008-07-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070615143550/http://www.ripe.net/info/ncc/ncc-history.html|archive-date=2007-06-15}}</ref>

==Function==
Any document, proposal, procedure or policy that has been proposed and accepted by the RIPE community is published online in the RIPE Document Store.<ref name="ripeindex">{{Cite web|title=RIPE Document Store — RIPE Network Coordination Centre|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2013-06-21}}</ref>

The RIPE community develops and sets policies for the technical coordination of the Internet and the management and distribution of Internet resources ([[IP address]]es and [[AS number|Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs)]]) through an established, open, bottom-up process of discussion and consensus-based decision-making. The RIPE Policy Development Process (PDP) formally tracks input into and discussion on any policy proposed. The RIPE PDP is transparent and consensus-based. Anyone may suggest a new policy or a change to an existing one. Proposals are then discussed and accepted or rejected by the RIPE community according to the RIPE PDP guidelines.<ref name="Policy development">{{Cite web|title=RIPE Policy Development — RIPE Network Coordination Centre|url=http://www.ripe.net/ripe/policies/|work=ripe.net|accessdate=2013-06-21}}</ref>

RIPE meetings happen twice a year in different locations throughout the RIPE NCC service region.<ref>[http://www.ripe.net/membership/maps/europe.html RIPE.net]  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110203224840/http://www.ripe.net/membership/maps/europe.html |date=February 3, 2011 }}</ref> The meetings are five-day events in which [[Internet service provider]]s (ISPs), network operators, government representatives, regulators and other interested parties gather to discuss relevant issues, developments and policies. RIPE Meetings are open to anyone, although registration is required.

The RIPE community has formed a number of  RIPE Working Groups to deal with various issues and topics related to the work of [[RIPE NCC|RIPE NCC members]] and the general [[internet|Internet community]].<ref name=wg/> Each of the RIPE Working Groups has a mailing list where topics or questions related to the working group can be discussed. The RIPE Working Groups<ref name=wg/> meet twice a year in dedicated sessions at RIPE Meetings.<ref name="ripeintro"/>

The RIPE community refers collectively to the individuals or organisations, whether members of the [[RIPE NCC]] or not, that have an interest in the way the [[Internet]] is managed, structured or governed.

==RIPE NCC==
{{Main|RIPE NCC}}
The [[regional Internet registry]] for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Central Asia. It also serves as the secretariat for RIPE.

==See also==
* [[RIPE NCC]]
* [[JANET]]
* [[Réseaux Associés pour la Recherche Européenne|RARE]]
* [[AfriNIC]]
* [[APNIC]]
* [[ARIN]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1989 establishments in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Organizations established in 1989]]
[[Category:Information technology organizations based in Europe]]
[[Category:Internet in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Amsterdam]]
[[Category:Working groups]]