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Documentation Index

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The template system controls which attributes are written to RIPE DB objects when the updater processes a prefix. Templates are JSON files stored in the directory set by RIPE_TEMPLATE_DIR in .env. Three file types work together to produce the final RIPE object: an LIR-to-organisation mapping file, one or more base templates containing default attributes, and a named template index that ties everything together and maps to the choices you define in the NetBox ripe_template custom field.
The INCLUDE_ORG and INCLUDE_DESCR environment variables in .env.updater control whether the org and descr attributes appear in the generated RIPE object, regardless of what your templates define. Set either to no to suppress the corresponding field entirely.

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File types

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lir_org.json

Maps LIR identifiers to their RIPE organisation object handles. When a base template contains an empty {"org": ""} statement, the updater looks up the LIR for the prefix’s parent aggregate and fills in the corresponding organisation handle from this file.
lir_org.json
{ 
    "templates": {
        "lir_org": {
            "de.examplelir1": "ORG-EIPB1-TEST",
            "nl.examplelir2": "ORG-TT1-TEST"
        }
    }
}
Each key is the LIR identifier as entered in the NetBox lir custom field on the aggregate. The value is the RIPE organisation object handle to write to the org attribute.

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base_*.json

Base templates define the default set of INETNUM/INET6NUM attributes shared across multiple named templates. You can have as many base templates as you need — for example, one for your own network and one per customer with a different abuse-c or mnt-by. A base template must include an empty {"org": ""} entry to trigger automatic organisation lookup from lir_org.json. If org is set to a non-empty string, that value is used directly instead.
base_mycompany.json
{ "attributes": [
    {"org": ""},
    {"remarks": "Managed by ripe-updater"},
    {"admin-c": "AA1-TEST"},
    {"tech-c": "AA1-TEST"},
    {"notify": "noc@example.com"},
    {"mnt-by": "TEST-DBM-MNT"},
    {"source": "TEST"}
]}
base_mycustomer1.json
{ "attributes": [
    {"remarks": "Managed by ripe-updater"},
    {"org": "ORG-EIPB1-TEST"},
    {"admin-c": "AA2-TEST"},
    {"tech-c": "AA2-TEST"},
    {"abuse-c": "AA1-TEST"},
    {"notify": "noc@example.com"},
    {"mnt-by": "TEST-NCC-HM-MNT"},
    {"source": "TEST"}
]}
Note that base_mycustomer1.json specifies a fixed org value rather than an empty one. This is appropriate when the customer’s organisation handle is known and static.

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templates.json

Defines the named templates that appear as choices in the NetBox ripe_template custom field. Each entry has a descr attribute used as the per-template description and an inherit key that points to the base template file to use.
templates.json
{
    "templates":
    {
        "CLOUD-POOL": {"attributes": [
            {"descr": "MyCompany Cloud Pool"}
        ],
            "inherit": "base_mycompany.json"
        },
        "INFRA-TRANSFER-NET": {"attributes": [
            {"descr": "MyCompany Infrastructure Transfer Network"}
        ],
            "inherit": "base_mycompany.json"
        },
        "CUST-ACCESS-NET": {"attributes": [
            {"descr": "MyCompany Customer Access"}
        ],
            "inherit": "base_mycompany.json"
        },
        "CUST-ACCESS-NET-MYCUSTOMER1": {"attributes": [
            {"descr": "MyCustomer 1 Ltd., Example Street 33"}
        ],
            "inherit": "base_mycustomer1.json"
        }
    }
}

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Attribute ordering

The updater assembles the final RIPE object in a fixed order regardless of how attributes appear in your template files:
  1. Dynamic attributes — always written first: inetnum/inet6num (the prefix itself), netname, org (if INCLUDE_ORG=yes), country
  2. Template attributes — descr and any other per-template overrides from templates.json
  3. Base attributes — the remaining fields from the inherited base_*.json file, excluding any already provided by the template
When RIPE_DB=TEST, the updater automatically overrides the source attribute to TEST regardless of what your base template specifies.

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Setting up templates from scratch

Use RIPE_DB=TEST while developing your templates. All changes go to rest-test.db.ripe.net and do not affect your live RIPE objects until you switch to RIPE_DB=RIPE.
1

Create your custom template directory

mkdir ripe-templates/custom
2

Create lir_org.json

Copy the example and replace the LIR identifiers and organisation handles with your own.
cp ripe-templates/example/lir_org.json ripe-templates/custom/lir_org.json
Edit the file so each key matches the values you will enter in the NetBox lir custom field on your aggregates, and each value is the corresponding RIPE organisation object handle.
3

Create one or more base_*.json files

Start from the example and adjust admin-c, tech-c, mnt-by, notify, and source to match your RIPE objects.
cp ripe-templates/example/base_mycompany.json ripe-templates/custom/base_mycompany.json
Keep {"org": ""} in the attributes list if you want the organisation to be resolved automatically from lir_org.json. Replace it with a fixed organisation handle if you want to hard-code the org value for a particular base template.
4

Create templates.json

Define one entry per named template. Each template must have a descr attribute and an inherit key pointing to one of your base_*.json files.
cp ripe-templates/example/templates.json ripe-templates/custom/templates.json
The keys (CLOUD-POOL, INFRA-TRANSFER-NET, etc.) must exactly match the choices you configure in the NetBox ripe_template custom field.
5

Update RIPE_TEMPLATE_DIR in .env

Point the environment variable at your new directory so Docker Compose mounts it into the container.
RIPE_TEMPLATE_DIR=./ripe-templates/custom
Restart the stack after making this change.
docker compose down && docker compose up -d

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