Remote Domain Name Service

• US 20080086574A1
• Filed: 10/05/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Raciborski, Nathan F., McCarthy, Nils H., Harvell, Brad B., Gordon, Michael M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,730,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4541 Directories for service discovery

Abstract

A content delivery network (CDN) for providing content objects and domain resolution. The CDN includes a connection with a terminal device, a second domain name service (DNS) system, an IP address store for holding authoritative Internet protocol (IP) addresses, and a content store holding at least one of the first or second content object. A first request to resolve a first domain name is received by the second DNS system at a second location. A second request to resolve a second domain name is received by the second DNS system at the second location. The first domain name is associated with a first content object, and the second domain name is associated with a second content object. The first and second requests are relayed with the terminal device, which receives Internet access from an access network. The access network comprises a first DNS system that functions in a recursing DNS mode. The content object is realized in a first location that is different from the second location of the terminal device. The second DNS system operates in a recursing DNS mode to retrieve a first IP address corresponding to the first domain name. The first IP address for the first domain name is returned from the second DNS system to the terminal device to fulfill the first request. The second DNS system operates in an authoritative DNS mode to retrieve a second IP address from the IP address store. The second IP address for the second domain name is returned from the second DNS system to the terminal device to fulfill the second request.

Claims

1. A content delivery network (CDN) for providing content objects, the CDN comprising:

a connection with a terminal device;

a second domain name service (DNS) system, wherein;

a first request to resolve a first domain name is received by the second DNS system at a second location,

the first domain name is associated with a first content object,

a second request to resolve a second domain name is received by the second DNS system at the second location,

the second domain name is associated with a second content object,

the first and second requests are relayed with the terminal device,

the terminal device receives Internet access from an access network,

the access network comprises a first DNS system that functions in a recursing DNS mode,

the content object is realized in a first location of the terminal device,

the second location is different from the first location,

the second DNS system operates in a recursing DNS mode to retrieve a first IP address corresponding to the first domain name, and

the first IP address for the first domain name is returned from the second DNS system to the terminal device to fulfill the first request;

an IP address store for holding authoritative Internet protocol (IP) addresses,

wherein;

the second DNS system operates in an authoritative DNS mode to retrieve a second IP address from the IP address store, and

the second IP address for the second domain name is returned from the second DNS system to the terminal device to fulfill the second request,

a content store, wherein at least one of the first or second content object is stored with the content store.

2. The CDN for providing content objects as recited in claim 1, wherein the IP address store is at the second location.

3. The CDN for providing content objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising a IP address cache that holds prior responses for domain names found in the recursing DNS mode.

4. The CDN for providing content objects as recited in claim 1, wherein the terminal device contacts first DNS system should the second DNS system fail to respond.

5. The CDN for providing content objects as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of terminal devices; and

a plurality of access networks, wherein;

the plurality of terminal devices variously receive Internet access from the plurality of access networks, and

each of the plurality of terminal devices uses the second DNS system for domain resolution.

6. A method for providing an IP address in exchange for a domain name on a packet-switched network, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a request to resolve the domain name, wherein;

the domain name is associated with a content object,

the request is relayed with a terminal device,

the terminal device receives Internet access from an access network,

the access network comprises a first DNS system that functions in an authoritative DNS mode,

the content object is realized in a first location of the terminal device,

the receiving step comprises a step of receiving the request at a second location by a second DNS system, and

the second location is different from the first location; and

returning an IP address for the domain name from the second DNS system, wherein the second DNS system alternatively operates in both the authoritative DNS mode and a recursing DNS mode.

7. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, the method further comprising a step of determining an Internet location for the terminal device.

8. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, the method further comprising a step of loading a second IP address for the second DNS system into the terminal device.

9. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, the method further comprising a step of determining the IP address from a plurality of IP addresses, wherein each of the plurality of IP addresses could serve the content object.

10. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, wherein the second DNS system is specified by a CDN.

11. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, wherein a DNS system operates in the recursing DNS mode to resolve an authoritative DNS server to return a requested IP address.

12. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, wherein a DNS system directly provides IP addresses for domain names in the authoritative mode without consultation of outside servers.

13. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6,wherein a DNS system provides IP addresses for a domain names in recursive mode by consulting with one or more outside DNS systems for the IP address.

14. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, wherein the second DNS system is specified by a content originator.

15. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, the method further comprising steps of:

determining if the second DNS system is unavailable; and

sending a second request to resolve a second domain name to the first DNS server, at least partially, based upon the determining step.

16. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, the method further comprising steps of:

sending a second request to resolve a second domain name to the first DNS system;

determining that the second DNS system is available; and

sending a third request to resolve a third domain name to the second DNS system, at least partially, based upon the determining step.

17. The method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 6, wherein the second DNS system is comprised of a plurality of computers that each provide DNS.

18. A machine-readable medium having machine-executable instructions for performing the machine-implementable method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network of claim 6.

19. A machine adapted to perform the machine-implementable method for providing the IP address in exchange for the domain name on the packet-switched network of claim 6.

20. A system for providing IP addresses in exchange for domain names on a packet-switched network, the system comprising:

a connection with a terminal device;

a second domain name service (DNS) sub-system, wherein;

a first request to resolve a first domain name is received by the second DNS sub-system at a second location,

the first domain name is associated with a first content object,

a second request to resolve a second domain name is received by the second DNS sub-system at the second location,

the second domain name is associated with a second content object,

the first and second requests are relayed with the terminal device,

the terminal device receives Internet access from an access network,

the access network comprises a first DNS sub-system that functions in a recursing DNS mode,

the content object is realized in a first location of the terminal device,

the second location is different from the first location,

the second DNS sub-system operates in a recursing DNS mode to retrieve a first IP address corresponding to the first domain name, and

the first IP address for the first domain name is returned from the second DNS sub-system to the terminal device to fulfill the first request; and

an IP address store for holding authoritative IP addresses, wherein;

the second DNS sub-system operates in an authoritative DNS mode to retrieve a second IP address from the IP address store, and

the second IP address for the second domain name is returned from the second DNS sub-system to the terminal device to fulfill the second request.

21. The system for providing IP addresses in exchange for domain names on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 20, wherein the system is part of a CDN that delivers the first and second content objects.

22. The system for providing IP addresses in exchange for domain names on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 20, wherein the IP address store is at the second location.

23. The system for providing IP addresses in exchange for domain names on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 20, further comprising a IP address cache that holds prior responses for domain names found in the recursing DNS mode.

24. The system for providing IP addresses in exchange for domain names on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 20, wherein the terminal device contacts first DNS sub-system should the second DNS sub-system fail to respond.

25. The system for providing IP addresses in exchange for domain names on the packet-switched network as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

a plurality of terminal devices; and

a plurality of access networks, wherein;

the plurality of terminal devices variously receive Internet access from the plurality of access networks, and

each of the plurality of terminal devices uses the second DNS sub-system for domain resolution.

26. A domain name service (DNS) resolver for returning Internet protocol (IP) addresses, the DNS resolver comprising:

a connection with an Internet application or device, wherein the connection receives domain name resolution requests that originates outside of the Internet;

a direct DNS resolver that processes domain name resolutions for a predetermined list of domain names without referring to the Internet after receiving a domain name resolution request; and

an address store, wherein the address store comprises the predetermined list of domain names and corresponding IP addresses that are specified from a point remote to the DNS resolver.

27. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, further comprising a recursing DNS resolver, wherein IP addresses are found by querying one or more DNS servers on the Internet after receiving domain name resolution requests from the private network.

28. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the connection receives the domain name resolution requests on a port not normally used for conventional DNS domain name resolution requests.

29. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the connection receives the domain name resolution requests in encrypted form.

30. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined list includes at least some host names for the domain names.

31. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the DNS resolver is within an operating system of the Internet application or device.

32. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the DNS resolver is located away from user computers.

33. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein:

the DNS resolver is application software running on an operating system, and

the Internet application also runs on the operating system.

34. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein a firewall filters traffic between the DNS resolver and the Internet.

35. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined list is updated periodically.

36. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined list is updated when a domain resolution requests matches a domain on the list, but a host name on the domain resolution request cannot be found on the list.

37. A DNS resolver for returning IP addresses, the DNS resolver comprising:

a connection with an Internet application or device, wherein the connection receives domain name resolution requests that originates outside of the Internet;

a recursing DNS resolver, wherein IP addresses are found by querying one or more DNS servers on the Internet after receiving domain name resolution requests;

a direct DNS resolver that processes domain name resolutions for a predetermined list of URL portions, wherein the direct DNS resolver avoids referring to the Internet while processing domain name resolutions; and

an address store, wherein the address store comprises the predetermined list of URL portions that are determined at a point accessible with the Internet.

38. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the predetermined list includes IP addresses corresponding to the URL portions.

39. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the connection receives the domain name resolution requests on a port not normally used for conventional DNS domain name resolution requests.

40. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the connection receives the domain name resolution requests in encrypted form.

41. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the URL portions include domain names and/or host names.

42. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the address store avoids time-to-live tracking for IP addresses.

43. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the DNS resolver is located away from user computers.

44. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein:

the DNS resolver is application software running on an operating system, and

the Internet application also runs on the operating system.

45. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein a firewall filters traffic between the DNS resolver and the Internet.

46. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the predetermined list is updated periodically.

47. The DNS resolver for returning IP addresses as recited in claim 37, wherein the predetermined list is updated when a domain resolution requests matches a domain on the list, but a host name on the domain resolution request cannot be found on the list.

48. A method for resolving an IP address for a domain name resolution request, the method comprising steps of:

receiving a list of possible domain name resolution requests and corresponding IP addresses in advance of the possible domain name resolution request being requested;

receiving the domain name resolution request;

determining if the domain name resolution request corresponds to any on the list;

returning a corresponding IP address if the domain name resolution request corresponds to any on the list; and

resolving the domain name resolution request by referring to the Internet if the domain name resolution request does not corresponds to any on the list.

49. The method for resolving the IP address for the domain name resolution request as recited in claim 48, wherein the second-listed receiving step comprises a step of receiving a cookie that comprises information about an Internet application or device originating the domain name resolution request.

50. The method for resolving the IP address for the domain name resolution request as recited in claim 48, wherein the IP address corresponds to at least one DNS server at a content delivery network (CDN).

51. The method for resolving the IP address for the domain name resolution request as recited in claim 48, further comprising steps of:

determining the list is out of date; and

requesting an updated list.