BBS Hierarchical Addressing Protocol Authors: Dave Wolf, WO5H Roy Engehausen, AA4RE Hank Oredson, W0RLI Greg Jones, WD5IVD Date: August 30th, 1994 Adopted by TAPR: March 3rd, 1995 Send Updates to Attached Tables to: Dave Wolf, WO5H Packet: wo5h@wo5h.#dfw.tx.usa.noam Internet: wo5h@tapr.org Fax: (817) 295-6232 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Introduction The TAPR BBS Special Interest Group recommends the adoption of the x.3.4 hierarchical address protocol. After discussion of previous articles on hierarchical addressing standards (1,2) and taking into account international issues of regional/state name sizes, the TAPR BBS Special Interest Group recommends the adoption of the x.3.4 standard on an international basis. x is defined as 2, 3, or 4 letter region names as defined by the country. Examples of x.3.4: @WA6GVD.CA.USA.NOAM @EA2CMO.EAZ.ESP.EURO @F5JGK.FAQI.FRA.EURO Regional identifiers may be duplicated in different countries (i.e. AK, Alaska, USA, could be used in another country as a regional identifier); however, Country and Continental identifiers SHOULD NOT be used as regional names. It is important to note that there is a distinct and significant difference between HIERARCHICAL ADDRESSES and FLOOD DESIGNATORS. Hierarchical address elements are common to all messages (bulletins, P and T types) and are the foundation of the digital forwarding system. Flood designators are used for routing and filtering bulletins. Geographical flood designators are likely based upon hierarchical address elements. It is therefore important that any attempt to establish standards concentrate first on hierarchical address elements. Standards for flood designators can follow. It is the purpose of this document to generate a changing recommendation that reflects current hierarchical routing. Reference Tables at the end will be changed as necessary to reflect current configurations within the international BBS network. These tables will need to be changed and updated in order to meet future needs of user and sysops. Hierarchical Routing Syntax Summary This summary uses a modified Backus-Naur form to summarize the syntax for hierarchical addressing. [] = optional @hierarchial_address bbs.[#octothorpe.][region.]country.continent bbs valid callsign as defined by local communications authority #octothorpe. #area.[#octothorpe.] #area area as defined by the local region See Table 4 for list of current area identifiers region 2,3, or 4 character region identifier as defined by the country. See Table 3 for list of region identifiers country 3 character country identifier as defined by ANSI X.12 and EDIFACT. Published in ISO 3166-1981(E/F). See Table 2 for country identifiers continent 4 character continental identifier. See Table 1 for continental identifiers. ------ Examples: F6CNB.#SETX.TX.USA.NOAM KB7WE.#WWA.WA.USA.NOAM OH6RBV.#VAA.FIN.EURO SK2AT.AC.SWE.EURO OH6RBG.FIN.EURO KE7KD.#NONEV.NV.USA.NOAM WX3K.#NOCAL.CA.USA.NOAM ------ References: 1. Jenkins, Lew (N6VV), Dave Toth (VE3GYQ), and Hank Oredson (W0RLI). International Routing Designators. Proceedings of the ARRL 7th Computer Networking Conference. Columbia Maryland. October 1, 1988. pp. 91-93. 2. Clark, Tom (W3IWI). Some comments on the `H`ierarchical Continent Address Designator. Proceedings of the ARRL 9th Computer Networking Conference. London, Ontario Canada. September 22, 1990. pp. 278-279. ------ TABLE 1: Continent Identifiers EURO -- Europe MEDR -- Mediterranean INDI -- Indian Ocean including the Indian subcontinent MDLE -- Middle East SEAS -- South-East Asia ASIA -- The Orient NOAM -- North America (Canada, USA, Mexico) CEAM -- Central America CARB -- Caribbean SOAM -- South America AUNZ -- Australia/New Zealand EPAC -- Eastern Pacific NPAC -- Northern Pacific SPAC -- Southern Pacific WPAC -- Western Pacific NAFR -- Northern Africa CAFR -- Central Africa SAFR -- Southern Africa ANTR -- Antarctica ------ TABLE 2: Country Identifiers ARG -- Argentina AUS -- Australia AUT -- Austria BEL -- Belgium BMU -- Bermuda BOL -- Bolivia BRA -- Brazil BRN -- Brunei BGR -- Bulgaria CAN -- Canada CHL -- Chile CHN -- China COL -- Colombia CRI -- Costa Rica CUB -- Cuba DNK -- Denmark DOM -- Dominican Republic ECU -- Ecuador EGY -- Egypt SLV -- El Salvador FIN -- Finland FRA -- France PYF -- French Polynesia DEU -- Germany GRC -- Greece GRL -- Greenland GTM -- Guatemala HTI -- Haiti HND -- Honduras HKG -- Hong Kong HUN -- Hungary ISL -- Iceland IND -- India IDN -- Indonesia IRL -- Ireland ISR -- Israel ITA -- Italy JPN -- Japan PRK -- Korea, North KOR -- Korea, South LBN -- Lebanon LIE -- Liechtenstein LUX -- Luxembourg MYS -- Malaysia MEX -- Mexico MCO -- Monaco MAR -- Morocco NLD -- Netherlands NZL -- New Zealand NIC -- Nicaragua NOR -- Norway PAK -- Pakistan PAN -- Panama PRY -- Paraguay PER -- Peru PHL -- Phillipines POL -- Poland PRT -- Portugal ROM -- Romania SAU -- Saudi Arabia SGP -- Singapore ZAF -- South Africa ESP -- Spain SWE -- Sweden CHE -- Switzerland SYR -- Syria TWN -- Taiwan THA -- Thailand TUR -- Turkey GBR -- United Kingdom USA -- United States URY -- Uruguay SUN -- USSR ??? (Document needs latest defintions) VEN -- Venezuela YUG -- Yugoslavia ------ TABLE 3: Region Identifiers organized by Country Codes. ARG -- Argentina BA -- ?? CF -- ?? AUS -- Australia ?? AUT -- Austria ?? BEL -- Belgium HT -- ?? LG -- ?? OVN -- ?? WVL -- ?? BMU -- Bermuda ?? BOL -- Bolivia ?? BRA -- Brazil RS -- ?? SP -- ?? BRN -- Brunei ?? BGR -- Bulgaria ?? CAN -- Canada NF -- Newfoundland AB -- Alberta BC -- British Columbia MB -- Manitoba NB -- New Brunswick NS -- Nova Scotia NW -- Northwest Territories ON -- Ontario PQ -- Province du Quebec SK -- Saskatchewan YK -- Yukon CHL -- Chile ?? CHN -- China ?? COL -- Colombia ?? CRI -- Costa Rica ?? CUB -- Cuba ?? DNK -- Denmark ?? DOM -- Dominican Republic ?? ECU -- Ecuador ?? EGY -- Egypt ?? SLV -- El Salvador ?? FIN -- Finland ?? FRA -- France FCEN -- ?? FRPA -- ?? FCAL -- ?? FPDL -- ?? FMLR -- ?? FNOR -- ?? FCOR -- ?? FPOC -- ?? FAQI -- ?? PYF -- French Polynesia ?? DEU -- Germany BY -- ?? GRC -- Greece ?? GRL -- Greenland ?? GTM -- Guatemala none HTI -- Haiti ?? HND -- Honduras ?? HKG -- Hong Kong ?? HUN -- Hungary ?? ISL -- Iceland ?? IND -- India ?? IDN -- Indonesia ?? IRL -- Ireland ?? ISR -- Israel ?? ITA -- Italy IEMR -- ?? IFVG -- ?? ILOM -- ?? IPIE -- ?? IPUG -- ?? ISAR -- ?? ISIC -- ?? ITAA -- ?? IVEN -- ?? MO -- ?? JPN -- Japan ?? PRK -- Korea, North ?? KOR -- Korea, South ?? LBN -- Lebanon ?? LIE -- Liechtenstein ?? LUX -- Luxembourg ?? MYS -- Malaysia ?? MEX -- Mexico ?? MCO -- Monaco ?? MAR -- Morocco ?? NLD -- Netherlands ?? NZL -- New Zealand ?? NIC -- Nicaragua ?? NOR -- Norway ?? PAK -- Pakistan ?? PAN -- Panama ?? PRY -- Paraguay ?? PER -- Peru ?? PHL -- Phillipines ?? POL -- Poland ?? PRT -- Portugal CTPT -- ?? ROM -- Romania ?? SAU -- Saudi Arabia ?? SGP -- Singapore ?? ZAF -- South Africa ?? ESP -- Spain EAA -- Alicante EAAB -- Albacete EAAL -- Almeria EAAV -- Avila EAB -- Barcelona EABA -- Badajoz EABI -- Vizcaya (Bilbao) EABU -- Burgos EAC -- Coruna EACA -- Cadiz EACC -- Caceres EACE -- Ceuta EACO -- Cordoba EACR -- Ciudad Real EACS -- Castellon EACU -- Cuenca EAGC -- Gran Canaria EAGI -- Gerona EAGR -- Granada EAGU -- Guadalajara EAH -- Huelva EAHU -- Huesca EAJ -- Jaen EAL -- Lerida EALE -- Leon EALO -- Logrono EALU -- Lugo EAM -- Madrid EAMA -- Malaga EAML -- Melilla EAMU -- Murcia EANA -- Navarra (Pamplona) EAO -- Oviedo EAOR -- Orense EAP -- Palencia EAPM -- Baleares (Palma de Mallorca) EAPO -- Pontevedra EAS -- Santander EASA -- Salamanca EASE -- Sevilla EASG -- Segovia EASO -- Soria EASS -- Guipuzcoa (San Sebastian) EAT -- Tarragona EATE -- Teruel EATF -- Tenerife EATO -- Toledo EAV -- Valencia EAVA -- Valladolid EAVI -- Alava (Vitoria) EAZ -- Zaragoza EAZA -- Zamora SWE -- Sweden AC -- ?? CHE -- Switzerland ?? SYR -- Syria ?? TWN -- Taiwan ?? THA -- Thailand ?? TUR -- Turkey ?? GBR -- United Kingdom (need a list of routing numbers by county) #1 -- ?? #2 -- ?? # ...-- ?? USA -- United States AK -- Alaska AL -- Alabama AR -- Arkansas AZ -- Arizona CA -- California CO -- Colorado CT -- Connecticut DE -- Delaware FL -- Florida GA -- Georgia HI -- Hawaii IA -- Iowa ID -- Idaho IL -- Illinois IN -- Indiana KS -- Kansas KY -- Kentucky LA -- Louisiana MA -- Massachusetts MD -- Maryland ME -- Maine MI -- Michigan MI -- Mississippi MN -- Minnesota MO -- Missouri MT -- Montana NC -- North Carolina ND -- North Dakota NE -- Nebraska NH -- New Hampshire NJ -- New Jersey NM -- New Mexico NV -- Nevada NY -- New York OH -- Ohio OK -- Oklahoma OR -- Oregon PA -- Pennsylvania RI -- Rhode Island SC -- South Carolina SD -- South Dakota TN -- Tennessee TX -- Texas UT -- Utah VA -- Virginia VT -- Vermont WA -- Washington WI -- Wisconsin WV -- West Virginia WY -- Wyoming URY -- Uruguay MVD -- ?? SUN -- USSR ??? (Document needs latest defintions) ?? VEN -- Venezuela YUG -- Yugoslavia SRB -- ?? ------ Table 4: Area Defintions This table to be defined during the comment period. All readers are suggested to submit their regional area defintions for inclusion in the table. Be sure to include the region and country. Example: #DFW.TX.USA -- Dallas/Ft Worth Texas Area would be an entry in this table.