RECURSIVE DNS NAMESERVER

• US 20070294419A1
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: OpenDNS Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ulevitch, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses

Abstract

A recursive DNS server receives a request for domain name information associated with a domain name from a subscriber. In response to the request for domain name information, the recursive DNS nameserver determines a subscriber identifier and subscriber information associated with the subscriber identifier. The recursive DNS nameserver resolves the request for domain name information based on the subscriber information to generate a response to the request for domain name information. The recursive DNS nameserver then returns the response to the request for domain name information to the subscriber.

Claims

1. A method of processing Domain Name System requests, the method comprising:

receiving a request for domain name information associated with a domain name;

determining a subscribersubscriber identifier and subscriber information associated with the subscribersubscriber identifier in response to the request for domain name information;

resolving the request for domain name information based on the subscriber information to generate a response to the request for domain name information; and

returning the response to the request for domain name information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein resolving the request for domain name information further comprises obtaining information associated with a domain name record for the domain name from a local cache based on a positive determination that the local cache contains the domain name record.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein resolving the request for domain name information further comprises obtaining a substitute Uniform Resource Locator that satisfies a substitution criterion for the domain name in the request for domain name information.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein obtaining the substitute Uniform Resource Locator is based on a negative determination that a local cache contains a domain name record for the domain name in the request for domain name information.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the substitution criterion specifies an association between a Uniform Resource Locator in the request for domain name information that appears to be misspelled and the substitute Uniform Resource Locator.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the substitution criterion specifies an association between a Uniform Resource Locator in the request for domain name information and a referrer identifier in the substitute Uniform Resource Locator.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein resolving the request for domain name information further comprises retrieving the domain name information associated with the domain name from an authoritative nameserver.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing the response to the request for domain name information in a domain name record in a local cache.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining ageing information associated with the domain name;

storing the ageing information in a domain name record in a local cache; and

managing the expiration of the domain name record in the local cache in accordance with the ageing information.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating a flag with the domain name; and

resolving the request for domain name information in accordance with the flag and one or more resolution preferences in the subscriber information.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising providing an indication in the response based on the one or more preferences in the subscriber information that the domain name in the request for domain name information is identified as a suspicious site.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving geographic location information related to the subscriber identifier; and

resolving the request for domain name information based on the geographic location information related to the subscriber identifier.

13. A system for processing Domain Name Service requests, the system comprising:

a communications interface configured to exchange data with a communications network; and

a processor coupled to the communications interface and configured to receive a request for domain name information associated with a domain name, determine a subscriber identifier and subscriber information associated with the subscriber identifier in response to the request for domain name information, resolve the request for domain name information based on the subscriber information to generate a response to the request for domain name information, and return the response to the request for domain name information.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to obtain information associated with a domain name record for the domain name from a local cache based on a positive determination that the local cache contains the domain name record.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a substitute Uniform Resource Locator that satisfies a substitution criterion for the domain name in the request for domain name information.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is further configured to obtain the substitute Uniform Resource Locator based on a negative determination that a local cache contains a domain name record for the domain name in the request for domain name information.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the substitution criterion specifies an association between a Uniform Resource Locator in the request for domain name information that appears to be misspelled and the substitute Uniform Resource Locator.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the substitution criterion specifies an association between a Uniform Resource Locator in the request for domain name information and a referrer identifier in the substitute Uniform Resource Locator.

19. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve the domain name information associated with the domain name from an authoritative nameserver.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to store the response to the request for domain name information in a domain name record in a local cache.

21. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to determine ageing information associated with the domain name, store the ageing information in a domain name record in a local cache, and manage the expiration of the domain name record from the local cache in accordance with the ageing information.

22. The system of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to associate a flag with a domain name, and resolve the request for domain name information in accordance with the flag and one or more resolution preferences for resolving domain name requests in the subscriber information.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indication in the response based on the one or more preferences in the subscriber information that the domain name in the request for domain name information is identified as a suspicious site.

24. The system of claim 13 wherein the processing is further configured to receive geographic location information related to the subscriber identifier, and resolve the request for domain name information based on the geographic location information related to the subscriber identifier.

25. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium containing instructions executable by a computer, the executable instructions comprising:

code for receiving a request for domain name information associated with a domain name;

code determining a subscriber identifier and subscriber information in response to the request for domain name information;

code for resolving the request for domain name information based on the subscriber information to generate a response to the request for domain name information; and

code for returning the response to the request for domain name information.

26. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising code for obtaining information associated with a domain name record for the domain name from a local cache based on a positive determination that the local cache contains the domain name record.

27. The computer program product of claim 25 wherein the code for resolving the request for domain name information further comprises code for obtaining a substitute Uniform Resource Locator that satisfies a substitution criterion for a domain name in the request for domain name information.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising code for obtaining the substitute Uniform Resource Locator based on a negative determination that a local cache contains a domain name record for a domain name in the request for domain name information.

29. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the substitution criterion specifies an association between a Uniform Resource Locator in the request for domain name information that appears to be misspelled and the substitute Uniform Resource Locator.

30. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein the substitution criterion specifies an association between a Uniform Resource Locator in the request for domain name information and a referrer identifier in the substitute Uniform Resource Locator.

31. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising code for retrieving the domain name information associated with the domain name from an authoritative nameserver.

32. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising code for storing the response to the request for domain name information in a domain name record in a local cache.

33. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising:

code for determining ageing information associated with the domain name;

code for storing the ageing information in a domain name record in a local cache; and

code for managing the expiration of the domain name record from the local cache in accordance with the ageing information.

34. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising:

code for associating a flag with the domain name; and

code for resolving the request for domain name information in accordance with the flag and one or more resolution preferences for resolving domain name requests in the subscriber information.

35. The computer program product of claim 34 further comprising code for providing an indication in the response based on the one or more preferences in the subscriber information that the domain name is identified as a suspicious site.

36. The computer program product of claim 25 further comprising:

code for receiving geographic location information related to the subscriber identifier; and

code for resolving the request for domain name information based on the geographic location information related to the subscriber identifier.