Message based network configuration of dynamic domain name services

• US 20060129503A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mazur, Leszek, Satkunanathan, Lingan, Damour, Kevin T., Manchester, Scott A., Roberts, Theodore H. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/75
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS

Abstract

Systems and methodologies that facilitate hosting of a domain name and access of users to the Internet, by using a well defined protocol to interact with a plurality of Dynamic Domain Name Service (DDNS) providers, via employing; a purchasing component and a status verifying component. Once a user has selected a domain name, the purchasing component can automatically query the provider(s) for terms of the service plan to host such domain name associated with dynamic IP addresses. The status verifying component can verify the IP address of the end user machine and supply it to the DDNS, to manage in-bound traffic to the user'"'"'s domain name.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates a user interaction with a Dynamic Domain Name Service (DDNS) provider comprising:

a standardized message schema exchanged between the DDNS provider and a machine of the user that provides the user with a uniform presentation of plans when interacting with a plurality of DDNS providers, the schema comprising;

a purchasing component that characterizes a service agreement of the DDNS provider; and

a status verifying component that facilitates detection of a change in IP address associated with the machine of the user, and provides an update of the change to the DDNS provider, the status verifying component further provides verification of the update.

2. The system of claim 1, the standardized message schema is in a form of an extensible mark up language.

4. The system of claim 1, the status verifying component further comprises an updating component that supplies an updated IP address for the machine of the user to the DDNS provider.

5. The system of claim 1, the purchasing component characterizes at least one of a plan selection, renewal option, promotional call and a billing plan.

6. The system of claim 1, the machine of the user having changing IP addresses that is assigned by an Internet Service Provider (ISP).

7. The system of claim 6, the machine of the user is an Internet Connection Sharing Device (ICSD) that facilitates sharing a connection from a local area network to Internet supplied by the ISP.

8. The system of claim 1, the machine and the DDNS provider communicate over the Internet.

9. The system of claim 1, the machine of the end user is at least one of a personal computer, server, workstation, and an internet connection sharing device.

3. (canceled)

10. A method of facilitating selection of a DDNS provider to host a domain name for a user comprising:

automatically querying a DDNS provider for terms of a service agreement via a purchasing component of a standardized message schema that is exchanged between the DDNS provider and a user machine;

verifying a status of an IP address of the user machine via a status verifying component of the standardized message schema; and

displaying terms of the service agreement to the user in a uniform format.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising receiving a response by the user machine for plans offered by the DDNS provider.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising employing an XML as part of the standardized message schema.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising supplying an updated IP address to the DDNS provider.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising maintaining a link by the DDNS provider to a host name of the user machine.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising updating a dynamic IP address of the user machine.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a user input for selection of an offered plan.

17. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions for carrying out the method of claim 10.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending a billing query to the DDNS provider

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving a response to the billing query by the user machine.

20. (canceled)

21. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising:

a computer executable component that characterizes a service agreement of a DDNS provider, as part of a standardized message schema exchanged between the DDNS provider and a computer of an end user to host a domain name;

a further computer executable component being part of the standardized message schema, the further computer executable component verifies a dynamic IP address associated with a computer of the end user, to manage inbound traffic to a domain name of the end user; and

a received response by the computer is displayed to an end user via a uniform presentation, wherein the user enjoys a similar experience regardless of the DDNS provider the user interacts with.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, the computer executable component further comprises an update component that updates an IP address of the end user.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, the further computer executable component supplies an updated IP address to the DDNS provider.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, the computer executable component provides a language hint to the DDNS provider.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 21, the computer executable component characterizes renewal options of a DDNS service plan.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 21 the standardized message schema employs an XML format.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 21, the computer executable component provides for a transfer of the domain name from another DDNS provider.

26. (canceled)

29. A system that facilitates hosting a domain name by a DDNS provider comprising;

means for automatically characterizing a service agreement between a DDNS provider and an end user computer;

means for verifying a status of an IP address associated with the end user computer; and

graphic interface means for providing a uniform experience regardless of which DNS provider the user selects to interact with.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising an updating component that supplies the IP address to the DDNS provider.

32. The system of claim 29 the graphic interface means comprises a description space for describing terms of service.

31. (canceled)