DNS WILDCARD BEACONING TO DETERMINE CLIENT LOCATION AND RESOLVER LOAD FOR GLOBAL TRAFFIC LOAD BALANCING

• US 20090164614A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Christian, Michael F., Apgar, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,756,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers

Abstract

Techniques are described to determine clients residing behind LDNS resolvers. Web beacons instruct clients to retrieve zero-content images at unique hostnames. A request to the hostname is made by a client to an LDNS resolver. The LDNS sends the request to an authoritative server/beacon resolver for the hostname. The beacon resolver records the hostname with the LDNS resolver'"'"'s IP address and responds with an IP address of a beacon collection server that is forwarded to the client by the LDNS. The client sends a request containing the unique hostname to the beacon collection server. The beacon collection server records the IP address of the client and the hostname. An aggregation server collects data from the beacon resolver and the beacon collection server. Using the hostnames as keys, IP addresses of clients are mapped to IP addresses of LDNS resolvers. Mapped data is exported to load balancing servers to determine routing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing, for each client, of a plurality of clients;

receiving, from a first server, first connection data that includes (a) an identification value and (b) data that identifies a particular LDNS server;

receiving, from a second server, second connection data that includes (c) said identification value and (d) data that identifies a particular client, wherein said client resides behind a particular LDNS server, of a plurality of LDNS servers; and

mapping the data that identifies the particular client to the data that identifies the particular LDNS server by matching the identification value of the particular client of the second connection data with the identification value of the particular LDNS server of the first connection data;

creating a mapping between the clients and the LDNS servers behind which said clients reside by aggregating the data that identifies the particular client mapped to the data that identifies the particular LDNS server; and

storing said mapping in a computer-readable medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon storing said mapping in a computer-readable medium, outputting said mapping to load balancing servers for use by said load balancing servers in determining how to route subsequent messages from said plurality of LDNS servers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein data that identifies a particular LDNS server comprises an IP address.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein data that identifies a particular client comprises an IP address.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein first connection data are based upon DNS requests from the particular LDNS server to the first server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the DNS requests result from web beacon code served to the clients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein second connection data are based upon HTTP requests from the particular client to the second server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the HTTP requests result from web beacon code served to the clients.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein determining how to route subsequent messages is based upon proximity of clients residing behind LDNS servers.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein determining how to route subsequent messages is based upon a number of clients residing behind a particular LDNS server.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the HTTP requests are based upon clients retrieving zero-content images at a unique hostname.

12. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

perform, for each client, of a plurality of clients;

receive, from a first server, first connection data that includes (a) an identification value and (b) data that identifies a particular LDNS server;

receive, from a second server, second connection data that includes (c) said identification value and (d) data that identifies a particular client, wherein said client resides behind a particular LDNS server, of a plurality of LDNS servers; and

map the data that identifies the particular client to the data that identifies the particular LDNS server by matching the identification value of the particular client of the second connection data with the identification value of the particular LDNS server of the first connection data;

create a mapping between the clients and the LDNS servers behind which said clients reside by aggregating the data that identifies the particular client mapped to the data that identifies the particular LDNS server; and

store said mapping in a computer-readable medium.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising upon storing said mapping in a computer-readable medium, outputting said mapping to load balancing servers for use by said load balancing servers in determining how to route subsequent messages from said plurality of LDNS servers.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein data that identifies a particular LDNS server comprises an IP address.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein data that identifies a particular client comprises an IP address.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein first connection data are based upon DNS requests from the particular LDNS server to the first server.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the DNS requests result from web beacon code served to the clients.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein second connection data are based upon HTTP requests from the particular client to the second server.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the HTTP requests result from web beacon code served to the clients.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining how to route subsequent messages is based upon proximity of clients residing behind LDNS servers.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining how to route subsequent messages is based upon a number of clients residing behind a particular LDNS server.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the HTTP requests are based upon clients retrieving zero-content images at a unique hostname.