Enhanced caching of domain name system (DNS) and reverse DNS queries for traffic management for signaling optimization in a mobile network

• US 10,097,504 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2016
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Backholm, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): SERRAO, RANODHI N
• Application Number:
  US15/259,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/286 Time to live
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers

Abstract

Methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable media for enhanced domain name system (DNS) caching are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method for enhanced DNS caching includes, at a mobile device for operating in a wireless network, providing, within the mobile device, a local DNS cache that stores DNS-related queries and their respective responses received from a DNS server for responding to DNS-related queries issued from applications hosted within the mobile device, where each response received from the DNS server is associated with a first time-to-live (TTL) value for that response, and assigning to each query/response pair in the local DNS cache a second TTL value that is larger than that response'"'"'s first TTL value, where the second TTL value is used in place of the first TTL value.

Claims

1. A method for enhanced domain name system (DNS) caching, the method comprising:

at a server communicatively coupled between a wireless network and a DNS server;

storing a DNS record in a local cache, wherein the DNS record comprises a hostname, a first IP address, and a first time-to-live (TTL) value;

transmitting a query, associated with the DNS record, to the DNS server;

receiving a response, associated with the query, comprising a second IP address and a second TTL value;

determining the second IP address is different than the first IP address;

determining a third TTL value based on a status of a first mobile device;

updating the DNS record with the second IP address; and

transmitting the second IP address and the third TTL value to the first mobile device on the wireless network, wherein the first mobile device updates a corresponding DNS record with the second IP address and the third TTL value that is greater than the second TTL value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to reduce DNS related wireless transmissions of the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the third TTL value to the first mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the third TTL value is determined based on at least one of:

a traffic type or priority;

an application type or priority; and

a user profile, class, or location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining to transmit the query based on the first TTL value.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the second TTL value is different that the first TTL value and updating the DNS record with the second TTL value.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the updated DNS record to a second mobile device in response to a DNS query from the second mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the query and the response are at least one of a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) transaction, a hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) transaction, and a file transfer protocol (FTP) transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network is at least one of a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Bluetooth, WiFi, Fixed Wireless Data, 2G, 2.5G, 3G, 4G, IMT-Advanced, pre-4G, LTE Advanced, mobile WiMax, WiMax 2, WirelessMAN-Advanced networks, enhanced data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE), General packet radio service (GPRS), enhanced GPRS, iBurst, UMTS, HSPDA, HSUPA, HSPA, UMTS-TDD, 1×

RTT, or EV-DO network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is at least one of a notebook, a laptop computer, a handheld computer, a palmtop computer, a mobile phone, a cell phone, and a smart phone.

11. A server comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the server to;

store a domain name system (DNS) record in a local cache, wherein the record comprises a hostname, a first IP address, and a first time-to-live (TTL) value;

transmit a query, associated with the DNS record, to a DNS server;

receive a response, associated with the query, comprising a second IP address and a second TTL value;

determine the second IP address is different than the first IP address;

update the DNS record with the second IP address;

determine a third TTL value based on a status of a first mobile device; and

transmit the second IP address and the third TTL value to the first mobile device over a wireless network, wherein the first mobile device updates a corresponding DNS record with the second IP address and the third TTL value that is greater than the second TTL value.