Host migration system

• US 20070061462A1
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hostway Corporation (Hosting.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hostway Corporation (Hosting.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jooyong, Abate, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,454 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

A host migration system having an first server, a second server and a relay server is provided. The first server is currently hosting an internet service having a predetermined domain name. The first server has a first IP address. The second server has a second IP address and the relay server has a third IP address. The first data packet of a request from users is redirected to the first server from the third server and a second data packet of the request is redirected to the second server from the third server. The data packet redirection may occur as an IP address mapped to the domain name is changed from the first IP address to the second IP address via the third IP address. The host migration system may provide substantially minimized downtime and data loss and corruption may be prevented.

Claims

1. A host migration system, comprising:

a first server having a first internet protocol (IP) address and operable to host an internet service having a predetermined domain name;

a second server having a second IP address and operable to host the internet service;

a third server having a third IP address; and

wherein a first data packet of a request is redirected to the first server from the third server and a second data packet of the request is redirected to the second server from the third server, as an IP address mapped to the domain name is changed from the first IP address to the second IP address via the third IP address.

2. The host migration system of claim 1, wherein the first server and the third server receive a first request for the domain name as the IP address mapped to the domain name is changed from the first IP address to the third IP address.

3. The host migration system of claim 2, wherein the second server and the third server receive a second request for the domain name as the IP address is further changed from the third IP address to the second IP address.

4. The host migration system of claim 1, wherein the third server is configured so that the first data packet is formatted to have the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address.

5. The host migration system of claim 4, wherein the first server operates to process the first data packet and send a first response data packet to the third server based on the source address of the first data packet.

6. The host migration system of claim 1, wherein the third server is configured so that the second data packet is formatted to have the third IP address as a source address and the second IP address as a destination address.

7. The host migration system of claim 6, wherein the second server operates to process the second data packet and send a second response data packet to the third server based on the source address of the second data packet.

8. The host migration system of claim 1, wherein a content of the first server is copied to the second server before the IP address of the domain name is changed to the second IP address.

9. The host migration system of claim 1, wherein the first server no longer provides the internet service after the IP address of the domain name is changed to the second IP address.

10. A host migration system, comprising:

a hosting server operable to host an internet service having a predetermined domain name, the hosting server having a variable IP address; and

a relay server having a predetermined IP address; and

wherein the relay server operates to receive a request for the domain name and redirect a data packet from the request to the hosting server prior to transition of the IP address of the hosting server.

11. A host migration system, comprising:

a first server having a first IP address and operable to host an internet service having a predetermined domain name; and

a second server having a second IP address and operable to host the internet service; and

wherein a data packet of a request for the domain name is redirected to one of the first server and the second server, as an IP address mapped to the domain name is changed from the first IP address to the second IP address.

12. The host migration system of claim 11, wherein the IP address mapped to the domain name is changed from the first IP address to a temporary IP address.

13. The host migration system of claim 12, wherein the first server receives the request directed to the first IP address and the temporary IP address.

14. The host migration system of claim 13, wherein the first IP address is a shared address and the first server is configured so that the data packet of the request is formatted to have a temporary IP address as a source address and the second IP address as a destination address.

15. The host migration system of claim 12, wherein the second server receives the request directed to the temporary IP address and the second IP address.

16. The host migration system of claim 15, wherein the second IP address is a shared address and the second server is configured so that the data packet of the request is formatted to have a temporary IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address.

17. A host migration system, comprising:

a first means for hosting an internet service having a predetermined domain name prior to migration;

a second means for hosting the internet service subsequent to the migration; and

means for redirecting a data packet of a request for the domain name during the migration, the means operable to format an address of the data packet.

18. The host migration system of claim 17, wherein the means for redirecting changes a source address and a destination address of the data packet.

19. The host migration system of claim 17, wherein the first means has a first IP address and an IP address of the domain name matches with the first IP address prior to the migration.

20. The host migration system of claim 17, wherein the second means has a second IP address and an IP address of the domain name matches with the second IP address subsequent to the migration.

21. The host migration system of claim 17, further comprising means for changing an IP address of the domain name to a temporary IP address during the migration.

22. The host migration system of claim 17, wherein the first means is identical to the second means except an IP address.

23. The host migration system of claim 17, wherein the first means comprises a plurality of hosting servers operable to host a plurality of different services and the plurality of different services are migrated to the second means.

24. The host migration system of claim 17, wherein the second means comprises a plurality of hosting servers operable to host a plurality of different services and the plurality of different services are migrated from the first means.

25. The host migration system of claim 23, wherein the means for redirecting operates to format the address of the data packet based on IP addresses of the plurality of hosting servers.

26. A migration method for a host system operable to host an internet service having a predetermined domain name, comprising:

receiving and responding to a request for the domain name at a first server having a first IP address;

copying a content of the first server to a second server having a second IP address;

changing an IP address of the domain name from the first IP address to the second IP address; and

redirecting a data packet to one of the first server and the second server during the change of the IP address of the domain name.

27. The migration method of claim 26, wherein changing the IP address comprises changing the IP address of the domain name from the first IP address to a third IP address of a relay server.

28. The migration method of claim 27, further comprising configuring the relay server such that the data packet is formatted to have the third IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address.

29. The migration method of claim 28, wherein changing the IP address comprises changing the IP address of the domain name from the third IP address to the second IP address.

30. The migration method of claim 29, further comprising configuring the relay server such that the data packet is formatted to have the third IP address as a source address and the second IP address as a destination address.

31. The migration method of claim 30, further comprising processing and returning to the relay server a response data packet having the third IP address as the destination address at the first server and the second server.

32. The migration method of claim 26, wherein copying the content of the first server comprises copying the content of the first server to the second server and at least one destination server having a different IP address from the second IP address.

33. The migration method of claim 32, further comprising:

hosting a first internet service at the second server; and

hosting a second internet service at the destination server having a fourth IP address.

34. The migration method of claim 33, wherein changing the IP address comprises:

changing the first IP address of the first internet service and the second internet service to a third IP address of a relay server; and

changing the third IP address to the second IP address and the fourth IP address.

35. The migration method of claim 34, further comprising configuring a relay server such that the data packet is formatted to have the third IP address as a source address and the second IP address and the fourth IP address as destination addresses, as the third IP address is changed to the second IP address of the first internet service and the fourth IP address of the second internet service.

36. The migration method of claim 35, wherein redirecting the data packet comprises redirecting the data packet relating to the first internet service to the second server and redirecting the data packet relating to the second internet service to the fourth server.

37. The migration method of claim 26, further comprising determining a first number of the request directed to the first IP address and a second number of the request directed to the second IP address.

38. The migration method of claim 37, further comprising disconnecting the first server from the first and second internet services upon determination that the first number of the request is substantially zero.

39. The migration method of claim 26, wherein changing the IP address of the domain name comprises:

changing the IP address of the domain name from the first IP address to a temporary IP address; and

changing the IP address of the domain name from the temporary IP address to the second IP address.

40. The migration method of claim 39, further comprising configuring the first server such that the data packet is formatted to have the temporary IP address as a source address and the second IP address as a destination address.

41. The migration method of claim 40, further comprising receiving the request at the first server and the second server after the IP address of the domain name is changed to the second IP address.

42. The migration method of claim 39, further comprising configuring the second server such that the data packet is formatted to have the temporary IP address as a source address and the first IP address as a destination address.

43. The migration method of claim 42, further comprising receiving the request at the first server and the second server after the IP address of the domain name is changed to the temporary IP address.

44. The migration method of claim 26, wherein changing the IP address of the domain name comprises modifying an address record assigned to the domain name at an authoritative name server.

45. The migration method of claim 44, wherein changing the IP address of the domain name further comprises setting the address record assigned to the domain name at a new authoritative name server, the new authoritative name server operable to modify the address record in place of the authoritative name server.

46. A host migration method, comprising:

changing an IP address of a hosting server operable to host an internet service having a predetermined domain name;

receiving a request for the domain name at a relay server; and

redirecting a data packet from the request to the hosting server.

47. The host migration method of claim 46, further comprising changing an IP address of the domain name from the IP address of the hosting server to an IP address of the relay server.

48. The host migration method of claim 47, further comprising determining a new IP address of the hosting server.

49. The host migration method of claim 48, further comprising changing the IP address of the domain name from the IP address of the relay server to the new IP address of the hosting server.

50. The host migration method of claim 46, wherein changing the IP address of the hosting server comprises moving the hosting server from one location to the other location.

51. The host migration method of claim 46, wherein changing the IP address of the hosting server comprises hosting the internet service with a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server.