SYNOPSIS

      whois [-h server-name] name [...]

    To invoke the command, specify the following:

    $ whois :== $SYS$SYSTEM:TCPIP$WHOIS.EXE

1  –  FLAGS

    -h server-name

    Specifies a whois server other than the default server
    rs.internic.net.

    name

    The name parameter represents the user ID, host name, network
    address, or nickname on which to perform a directory search.
    When you follow the name with the optional three periods (...),
    the whois command performs a wildcard search for any name that
    matches the string preceding the three periods.

    The name argument can specify any of the following.

    o  The name of the registered user.

    o  The name of a registered Internet host.

    o  The name of some other entity recognized by the whois
       server. By default, the whois command queries the host
       rs.internic.net.

       The parameters specified to the whois command are concatenated
       together (separated by white space) and presented to the whois
       server. The default action, unless directed otherwise with
       a special name, is to do a very broad search, looking for
       matches to name in all types of records and most fields (such
       as name, nicknames, host name, and network address) in the
       database.

2  –  DESCRIPTION

    Looks up user, host, and organization names in the Network
    Information Center (NIC) database.

3  –  EXAMPLES

    The following example shows how to use the whois command to
    display information about osf.org:

    $ whois osf.org

    Open Software Foundation (OSF-DOM)
    11 Cambridge Center
    Cambridge, MA  02142

    Domain Name:  OSF.ORG