Routing mode and point-of-presence selection service

• US 10,033,627 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2014
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Howard, Craig Wesley, Uppal, Hardeep Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chou, Alan S
• Application Number:
  US14/575,798
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 709239
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing

Abstract

Systems and methods for sloppy routing are provided. A client transmits a DNS query corresponding to a requested resource to a content delivery network (CDN) service provider. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider processes the DNS query to determine whether a threshold content delivery bandwidth has been exceeded by data links at cache servers. In other embodiments, additionally or alternatively, the CDN service provider determines whether a content provider has exceeded a threshold network usage that indicates a price at which the CDN service provider to provide content on behalf of the content provider. Using both or either of these thresholds, the CDN service provider can further process the DNS query by providing an alternative resource identifier or a cache IP address, both associated with an alternative POP. In some embodiments, the CDN service provider determines a routing mode for the response to the DNS query.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of a hardware computing device configured with specific computer executable instructions;

obtaining, at a first domain name system (DNS) server from a client computing device, a first DNS query, wherein a first point of presence (POP) of a content delivery network (CDN) service provider includes the first DNS server, wherein the first DNS query is associated with a requested resource, wherein the requested resource is associated with a content provider, and wherein the CDN service provider is different from the content provider;

determining whether the content provider has exceeded a content provider threshold network usage, wherein the content provider threshold network usage is determined based at least in part on content provider pricing information, wherein the content provider pricing information indicates a price at which the CDN service provider provides content on behalf of the content provider;

dynamically selecting (a) an alternative resource identifier associated with a second DNS server at a second POP of the CDN service provider or (b) an IP address of a cache component at the second POP, if the content provider is determined to have exceeded the content provider threshold network usage, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a second DNS query to resolve to the second DNS server of the CDN service provider, and wherein the second POP is a suboptimal POP for servicing the requested resource; and

transmitting, to the client computing device, the alternative resource identifier or the IP address.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the content provider has exceeded the content provider threshold network usage comprises:

obtaining the content provider threshold network usage for the content provider; and

comparing a current network usage for the content provider with the content provider threshold network usage.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content provider pricing information comprises a flat-rate price for network usage at which the CDN service provider provides content on behalf of the content provider.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the content provider threshold network usage is determined based at least in part on a content provider network usage corresponding to a flat-rate price.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of a hardware computing device configured with specific computer executable instructions;

obtaining, at a first domain name system (DNS) server from a client computing device, a DNS query, wherein a first point of presence (POP) of a content delivery network (CDN) service provider includes the first DNS server, wherein the DNS query is associated with a requested resource, and wherein the requested resource is associated with a content provider;

dynamically selecting (a) an alternative resource identifier associated with a second DNS server at a second POP of the CDN service provider or (b) an IP address of a cache component at the second POP, upon determining that the content provider has exceeded a content provider threshold network usage, wherein the content provider threshold network usage is determined based at least in part on content provider pricing information, and wherein the second POP is a suboptimal POP for servicing the requested resource; and

transmitting, to the client computing device, the alternative resource identifier or the IP address.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a second DNS query to resolve to the second DNS server of the CDN service provider.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the alternative resource identifier is selected.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 further comprising:

obtaining a second DNS query from the client computing device at the second DNS server, wherein the second DNS query is associated with the alternative resource identifier provided by the CDN service provider;

selecting a cache component for providing the requested resource; and

transmitting, to the client computing device, information identifying the selected cache component.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the alternative resource identifier is associated with a CNAME.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the CDN service provider is different from the content provider.

11. The computer-implemented of claim 5, wherein the content provider pricing information indicates a price at which the CDN service provider provides content on behalf of the content provider.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the content provider pricing information comprises a pricing structure for the CDN service provider to provide content on behalf of the content provider.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the pricing structure is associated with a flat-rate price, wherein the content provider threshold network usage is determined at least in part on a content provider network usage of the content provider corresponding to the flat-rate price.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein selecting the alternative resource identifier or the IP address is further based at least in part on a threshold content delivery bandwidth associated with the second POP.

15. A system comprising:

a first point of presence (POP) associated with a content delivery network (CDN) service provider, wherein the first POP includes a first domain name system (DNS) server that receives a first DNS query from a client computing device, wherein the DNS query is associated with a requested resource, wherein the requested resource is associated with a content provider, and wherein the first DNS server is operative to;

determine whether the content provider has exceeded a content provider threshold network usage, wherein the content provider threshold network usage is determined based at least in part on content provider pricing information;

dynamically select (a) an alternative resource identifier associated with a second DNS server at a second POP of the CDN service provider or (b) an IP address of a cache component at the second POP, if the content provider is determined to have exceeded the content provider threshold network usage, wherein the second POP is a suboptimal POP for servicing the requested resource; and

transmit, to the client computing device, the selected alternative resource identifier or the IP address.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a second DNS query to resolve to the second DNS server of the CDN service provider.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the alternative resource identifier is selected.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising:

the second POP associated with the CDN service provider, wherein the second POP includes the second DNS server that receives a second DNS query from the client computing device, wherein the second DNS query is based on the selected alternative resource identifier, and wherein the second DNS server is operative to;

select a cache component for providing the requested resource; and

transmit, to the client computing device, information identifying the selected cache component.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the alternative resource identifier is associated with a CNAME.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the CDN service provider is different from the content provider.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the content provider pricing information indicates a price at which the CDN service provider provides content on behalf of the content provider.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the content provider pricing information comprises a flat-rate price for network usage at which the CDN service provider provides content on behalf of the content provider.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the content provider threshold network usage is determined at least in part on a content provider network usage corresponding to a flat-rate price.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein selecting the alternative resource identifier or the IP address is further based at least in part on a threshold content delivery bandwidth associated with the second POP.