Method and apparatus for DNS pre-fetching for multiple clients

• US 20050262248A1
• Filed: 05/18/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Shaikh, Anees A., LaVoie, Jason D., Jennings, Raymond B. III
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is a method and apparatus for DNS pre-fetching for multiple clients. In one embodiment, all packets coming into or going out of a local network are scanned for application protocol, domain names, and/or other information. If pre-defined criteria indicate that the network is interested in a particular domain name, a DNS lookup is performed and the corresponding IP address is cached by the local DNS server. The local DNS server is thereby able to quickly respond to future requests for the cached domain name. Moreover, because the IP address is cached at the local DNS server, any client connected to the local DNS server on the local network can request the cached domain name from the local DNS server and be quickly connected to the indicated domain name.

Claims

1. A method for pre-fetching Domain Name System (DNS) entries, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring data packets coming into or going out of a network;

determining, in accordance with a defined criteria, if an IP address should be retrieved for a domain name appearing in at least one of the monitored data packets; and

retrieving an IP address of a domain name appearing in at least one of the monitored data packets, if it is determined that the IP address should be retrieved.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include the frequency of a domain name within a window of time or number of monitored data packets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include the frequency or grouping of disparate domain names within a window of time or a number of monitored data packets.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include a transport layer identifier or endpoint.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include a protocol being scanned.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include an IP address of a client on the network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include an IP address of a server on the network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria include a location or a context of a domain name within the monitored data packets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria is static.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria is dynamic.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

caching the retrieved IP address at a local DNS server.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving an IP address is executed using a standard DNS protocol from DNS name servers.

13. A computer readable medium containing an executable program for pre-fetching Domain Name System (DNS) entries, where the program performs the steps of:

monitoring data packets coming into a network;

determining, in accordance with a defined criteria, if an IP address should be retrieved for a domain name appearing in at least one of the monitored data packets; and

retrieving an IP address of a domain name appearing in at least one of the monitored data packets, if it is determined that the IP address should be retrieved.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include the frequency of a domain name within a window of time or number of monitored data packets.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include the frequency or grouping of disparate domain names within a window of time or a number of monitored data packets.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include a transport layer identifier or endpoint.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include a protocol being scanned.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include an IP address of a client on the network.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include an IP address of a server on the network.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria include a location or a context of a domain name within the monitored data packets.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria is static.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the criteria is dynamic.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

caching the retrieved IP address at a local DNS server.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the step of retrieving an IP address is executed using a standard DNS protocol from DNS name servers.

25. A method for expediting domain name-to-IP address translation requests from multiple clients, the method comprising the steps of:

monitoring data packets coming into a network on which said multiple clients reside; and

retrieving IP addresses of domain names appearing in at least one of the monitored data packets.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the step of:

caching the retrieved IP addresses at a local Domain Name System server shared by the multiple clients.

27. Apparatus for pre-fetching Domain Name System (DNS) entries, comprising:

a plurality of servers for interfacing with a global network and adapted for retaining data;

a plurality of clients on a local network and adapted for requesting data from the plurality of servers;

a packet monitor positioned between the local network and the global network and adapted for monitoring data packets en route to the plurality of clients for domain names; and

a DNS server interfaced to the local network and adapted for retrieving and caching at least some of the domain names in the monitored packets.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the packet monitor is adapted to identify domain names in the data packets that correspond to pre-defined criteria.