From the RIPE DNS Lameness Statistics site:
The RIPE NCC runs a lameness check once a month on all DNS servers listed as delegation points within the RIPE NCC delegated zones. If a server fails this test, the test will be retried five times over a period of ten days, at varying times of day. If, after ten days, the server continues to fail the test, it is classed as lame.
Related document: RIPE-400
[via dns-wg]
Managing organized complexity 