Multiple registrars

• US 20040167982A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mohammed, Yunus, Cohen, Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US10/375,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20040167982A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for domain name registration. A domain application programming interface (API) is employed as an interface between one or more clients and a plurality of registrars, or providers. The domain API can return alternate domain names if a requested domain name is unavailable. The domain API can also implement failover among the registrars. Employing a plurality of registrars facilitates load-sharing and improved system performance.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates domain registration comprising:

an interface component that receives at least one request to register a domain name; and

a registration component that interfaces with a plurality of registrars to register the domain name, wherein a first registrar of the plurality of registrars supports a same top level domain as a second registrar of the plurality of registrars.

2. The domain registration system of claim 1, further comprising a failover component that implements failover among the plurality of registrars.

3. The domain registration system of claim 1, further comprising a throttling component that limits a number of requests that can be made to the plurality of registrars within a predetermined time period.

4. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein the interface component returns alternate domain names if a requested domain name is unavailable.

5. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein the interface component employs configuration information to provide load sharing among the plurality of registrars.

6. The domain registration system of claim 1, further including at least one client that issues domain name requests to the interface component.

7. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of registrars submit domain request information to a registry.

8. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein all of the plurality of registrars support the same top level domain name.

9. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein the interface component comprises a collection of methods and configuration tables.

10. The domain registration system of claim 9, wherein the configuration tables include an alternate providers table that lists external providers, the external providers employed to supply alternate domain names when a requested domain name is unavailable.

11. The domain registration system of claim 9, wherein the configuration tables include a name server table that lists name servers used for registering domains.

12. The domain registration system of claim 9, wherein the configuration tables include a client preferences table that lists client preferences.

13. The domain registration system of claim 9, wherein the configuration tables include a domain providers table that lists the plurality of registrars.

14. The domain registration system of claim 9, wherein the configuration tables include a domain providers priority table that lists a priority in which the plurality of registrars will be invoked.

15. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein the interface component includes an external application programming interface component that interfaces between at least one client and the domain interface.

16. The domain registration system of claim 1, wherein the interface component includes a common layer component.

17. The domain registration system of claim 16, wherein the common layer component calls the plurality of registrars per a priority list, the priority list being a default list created by the system.

18. The domain registration system of claim 16, wherein the common layer component calls the plurality of registrars per a priority list, the priority list being a customized list created by a client.

19. The domain registration system of claim 16, wherein the common layer component calls the plurality of registrars per a priority list, the priority list being based upon a respective load carried by the plurality of registrars.

20. The domain registration system of claim 16, wherein the common layer provides a failover function to select a registrar from the plurality of registrars.

21. The domain registration system of claim 16, wherein the common layer provides a throttling function to limit a number of requests a client can make to the domain interface.

22. The domain registration system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of drivers for providing a communications interface between the plurality of registrars and the interface component.

23. A domain registration system comprising:

a domain interface that interacts with a plurality of registrars and registers domains and returns alternate domain names when a requested domain name is not available; and

a failover component that interacts with the domain interface to implement failover among the plurality of registrars.

24. The domain registration system of claim 23, further comprising a throttling component that limits a number of requests that can be made to the plurality of registrars.

25. The domain registration system of claim 23, wherein the domain interface employs artificial intelligence to suggest the alternate domain names.

26. The domain registration system of claim 23, wherein the domain interface suggests the alternate domain names based on a history of a client.

27. The domain registration system of claim 23, wherein the domain interface suggests the alternate domain names based on a set of observed events.

28. The domain registration system of claim 23, wherein at least two of the plurality of registrars supports a same top level domain.

29. The domain registration system of claim 23, wherein the domain interface comprises a configuration component, an external application programming interface, a common layer, a driver application programming interface, and a connection to clients.

30. The domain registration system of claim 29, wherein the configuration component includes a plurality of tables stored in SQL.

31. The domain registration system of claim 23, wherein at least one of registrar preferences and failover preferences can be configured on at least one of a per caller and a per domain extension basis.

32. A general purpose interface comprising:

a collection of methods; and

a plurality of configuration tables, wherein at least one configuration table

stores information for a plurality of registrars, wherein at least two of the plurality of registrars support a same top level domain.

33. The general purpose interface of claim 32, further comprising an external component that interfaces with at least one client.

34. The general purpose interface of claim 33, further comprising a common layer that exposes the external component to the at least one client as web methods.

35. The general purpose interface of claim 32, further comprising a common layer that implements failover among the plurality of registrars.

36. The general purpose interface of claim 32, further comprising a common layer that implements throttling to limit a number of domain requests made by at least one client.

37. The general purpose interface of claim 32, further comprising a plurality of drivers for communicating with the plurality of registrars.

38. The general purpose interface of claim 32, wherein the configuration tables include an alternate providers table that lists external providers for supplying alternate domain names when a requested domain name is unavailable.

39. The general purpose interface of claim 32, wherein the configuration tables include a name server table that lists name servers used for registering domains.

40. The general purpose interface of claim 32, wherein the configuration tables include a client preferences table that lists client preferences.

41. The general purpose interface of claim 32, wherein the configuration tables include a domain providers table that lists the plurality of registrars.

42. The general purpose interface of claim 32, wherein the configuration tables include a domain providers priority table that lists a priority in which the plurality of registrars will be invoked.

43. A method for registering a domain name comprising:

submitting a domain request;

contacting a plurality of registrars to register the domain request, wherein failover is implemented if at least one of the plurality of registrars does not respond; and

providing a response based on the domain request.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein at least two of the plurality of registrars support a same top level domain.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the response includes suggestions for alternate domain names if the requested domain is unavailable.

46. The method of claim 43, further comprising inputting client preferences, which include a prioritization of the plurality of registrars.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising inferring client preferences, based on a set of observed events.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein an application programming interface is employed as middleware layer between a client requesting the domain and the plurality of registrars.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising limiting an amount of domain requests that can be submitted within a predetermined time period.

50. A data packet transmitted between two or more computer components that facilitate domain registration, the data packet comprising:

a failover component for a plurality of registrars.

51. The data packet of claim 50, wherein at least two of the plurality of registrars support the same top level domain.

52. A computer readable medium storing computer executable components of a remote system comprising:

an interface component that interfaces between at least one client and a plurality of registrars;

a failover component that implements failover among the plurality of registrars.

53. A computer readable medium storing computer executable components of a remote system comprising:

an interface component that interfaces between at least one client and a plurality of registrars, wherein at least two of the plurality of registrars support a same top level domain.

54. A system that facilitates registration of domains comprising:

means for interfacing between at least one client and a plurality of registrars; and

means for implementing failover for the plurality of registrars.