That's fine for YOUR users because you keep a separate database of what is allocated and what is not in your country's subnet, but I and many of the other coordinators use the subnet allocations in the portal as the authority for what is allocated and what is available. It is essential that all subnets be registered in the portal in order for me to do my job.

For me, the portal is not usable as the only registry of information, because it does not do DNS and DNS is essential for the functioning of the network. (not only because you want to name your system, but also because being in DNS is used as a filter to allow traffic through the gateway)

So I need to keep two different registries anyway, and it does not matter how much of the information is in the portal and how much is in my own database.

Furthermore, for allocating subnets and addresses I need an easily browsable view on the existing allocations including comments like regional names, to be able to decide where to put the new entry.

To me, a simple "hosts" file edited in vi gives more overview than most point and click interfaces, including even that of the hamnetdb (which is way better than the portal in this regard).

This solution also reduces the effort when making bulk changes like moving an entire subnet, doing cleanups like I did some time ago, or even transfer of the existing allocations into the portal. Sure they would be possible with a tool like this but it would either need a lot more features (and thus coding) or it would have to offer direct access to the database for queries.

Rob