<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
is	O
a	O
freely	O
available	O
,	O
user-maintained	O
,	O
database	O
of	O
networks	B-Architecture
,	O
and	O
the	O
go-to	O
location	O
for	O
interconnection	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
database	O
facilitates	O
the	O
global	O
interconnection	O
of	O
networks	B-Architecture
at	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Exchange	I-Protocol
Points	I-Protocol
(	O
IXPs	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
data	B-Operating_System
centers	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
other	O
interconnection	O
facilities	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
stop	O
in	O
making	O
interconnection	O
decisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Almost	O
one	O
third	O
of	O
the	O
critical	O
default-free	B-Protocol
zone	I-Protocol
ASNs	B-Architecture
at	O
least	O
partially	O
register	O
their	O
interconnection	O
options	O
in	O
the	O
database	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
database	O
shows	O
the	O
colocation	B-Application
facilities	I-Application
in	O
which	O
networks	B-Architecture
have	O
a	O
presence	O
and	O
the	O
IXPs	B-Protocol
they	O
peer	O
at	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
,	O
like	O
Wikipedia	O
,	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
's	O
database	O
contains	O
user	O
contributed	O
data	O
,	O
networks	B-Architecture
can	O
give	O
permission	O
for	O
exchanges	O
using	O
the	O
to	O
submit	O
technical	O
information	O
about	O
their	O
presence	O
at	O
an	O
exchange	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Traditionally	O
a	O
list	O
of	O
potential	O
peering	O
partners	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
maintained	O
by	O
the	O
host	O
Internet	B-Protocol
exchange	I-Protocol
point	I-Protocol
or	O
colocation	B-Application
centre	I-Application
,	O
but	O
these	O
lists	O
lacked	O
important	O
information	O
such	O
as	O
peering	O
policies	O
and	O
were	O
difficult	O
to	O
keep	O
up-to-date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
has	O
become	O
the	O
"	O
first	O
stop	O
when	O
deciding	O
where	O
and	O
whom	O
to	O
peer	O
with	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
's	O
software	O
was	O
originally	O
written	O
by	O
Richard	O
Steenbergen	O
in	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
non-profit	O
organization	O
was	O
incorporated	O
in	O
2015	O
to	O
operate	O
the	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
's	O
software	O
is	O
open	O
source	O
and	O
volunteers	O
can	O
contribute	O
code	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
can	O
also	O
engage	O
in	O
discussion	O
using	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
's	O
mailing	O
lists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
hosts	O
five	O
types	O
of	O
data	O
about	O
interconnection	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Users	O
can	O
search	O
and	O
update	O
the	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
database	O
using	O
the	O
web	O
interface	O
or	O
an	O
API	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
API	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
integrate	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
's	O
service	O
into	O
proprietary	O
tools	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
searching	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
,	O
users	O
only	O
need	O
an	O
account	O
if	O
they	O
want	O
access	O
to	O
contact	O
information	O
for	O
organizations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
's	O
OAuth	O
service	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
authenticate	O
when	O
using	O
third-party	O
applications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
About	O
150	O
applications	O
had	O
enabled	O
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
OAuth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Membership	O
depends	O
on	O
two	O
factors	O
:	O
an	O
active	O
PeeringDB.com	B-Protocol
account	O
and	O
an	O
individual	O
representative	O
who	O
is	O
subscribed	O
to	O
the	O
governance	O
mailing	O
list	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PeeringDB	B-Protocol
is	O
supported	O
entirely	O
through	O
sponsorships	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
sponsors	O
are	O
large	O
network	O
operators	O
,	O
data	B-Operating_System
center	I-Operating_System
operators	O
,	O
or	O
Internet	B-Protocol
Exchange	I-Protocol
Points	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
