SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPDATING A DYNAMIC DOMAIN NAME SERVER

• US 20090216852A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Filippi, Geoffrey George
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,142 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/208
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes

Abstract

A system and method for synchronizing a dynamic domain name system (DDNS). Updated domain name information is received at a first datastore and sent to a second datastore. Updated domain name information is also received at the second datastore and sent to the first datastore. Either datastore determines whether the other datastore is available to receive the updated domain name information. If the receiving datastore is not available, the sending datastore waits until the receiving datastore is available. The first datastore is connected to a first master DNS server and the second datastore is connected to a second master DNS server. The first and second master servers share an IP address. When a request for domain name information is received at a router, the request is sent to a master DNS server selected from the first and second master DNS servers using the shared IP address. A master DNS server is selected to respond to the DNS request only if that master server is able to respond to the request. The requested domain name information is retrieved from the datastore connected to the selected DNS server and a response to the request for domain name information is generated.

Claims

1. A synchronized dynamic domain name system (DNS) comprising:

a first master DNS server connected to a first datastore, wherein the first datastore comprises domain name information;

a second master DNS server connected to a second datastore, wherein the second datastore comprises the domain name information, and wherein the first and second DNS servers share an IP address;

a network accessible to the first and second master DNS servers, wherein the network comprises routers comprising instructions for;

receiving availability information relating the availability of the first and second master DNS to receive packets;

routing packets to an available one of the first and second master DNS servers using a shared IP address based on the availability information;

a first monitor connected to the first master DNS server and the network, wherein the first monitor comprises instructions for;

determining whether the first master server is available to respond to a request for domain name information; and

reporting the availability of the first master DNS server to the network routers;

a second monitor connected to the second master DNS server and the network, wherein the second monitor comprises instructions for;

determining whether the second master DNS server is available to respond to the request for domain name information; and

reporting the availability of the second master DNS server to the network routers, and wherein the first datastore comprises instructions for;

receiving first updated domain name information; and

sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore,

wherein the second datastore further comprises instructions for;

receiving second updated domain name information; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore,

wherein the first master DNS server further comprises;

the shared IP address;

instructions for receiving the request for domain name information;

instructions for retrieving the requested domain name information from the first datastore; and

instructions for generating a response to the request for domain name information, wherein the response comprises the requested domain name information, and

wherein the second master DNS server comprises;

the shared IP address;

instructions for receiving the request for domain name information from the router;

instructions for retrieving the requested domain name information from the second datastore; and

instructions for generating a response to the request for domain name information, wherein the response comprises the requested domain name information.

2. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 1, wherein the instructions the instructions for receiving the request for domain name information, the instructions for retrieving the requested domain name information, and the instructions for generating a response to the request for domain name information comprise an instance of a BIND software application.

3. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 1, wherein the first and second datastores operate a LDAP protocol.

4. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 1,

wherein the first datastore further comprises instructions for:

prior to sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore, determining whether the second datastore is available to receive the first updated domain name information;

if the second datastore is not available to receive the first updated domain name information, then waiting until the second datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore when the second datastore is available to receive it, and

wherein the second datastore further comprises instructions for;

prior to sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore, determining whether the first datastore is available to receive the second updated domain name information;

if the first datastore is not available to receive the second updated domain name information, then waiting until the first datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore when the first datastore is available to receive it.

5. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 1 further comprising:

a first DHCP server, wherein the first DHCP server comprises instructions for;

creating the first updated domain name information;

sending the first updated domain name information to the first datastore if the first datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore if the first datastore is not available to receive it.

6. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 5, wherein the second datastore further comprises instructions for:

if the second datastore receives the first updated domain name information from the first DHCP server, then determining when the first datastore is available to receive the first updated domain name information; and

sending the first updated domain name information to the first datastore when the first datastore is available to receive it.

7. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 1 further comprising:

a second DHCP server, wherein the second DHCP server comprises instructions for;

creating the second updated domain name information;

sending the second updated domain name information to the second datastore if the second datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore if the second datastore is not available to receive it.

8. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 7, wherein the first datastore further comprises instructions for:

if the first datastore receives the second updated domain name information from the second DHCP server, then determining when the second datastore is available to receive the second updated domain name information; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the second datastore when the second datastore is available to receive it.

9. The synchronized dynamic DNS of claim 1, wherein the request for domain name information is sent from a DNS client connected to the network, wherein the first master DNS server further comprises instructions for sending the response to the DNS client, and wherein the second master DNS server further comprises instructions for sending the response to the DNS client.

10. A method for synchronizing a dynamic domain name system (DNS) comprising:

receiving first updated domain name information at a first datastore;

sending the first updated domain name information from the first datastore to a second datastore;

receiving second updated domain name information at the second datastore;

sending the second updated domain name information from the second datastore to the first datastore;

receiving packets comprising a request for domain name information at a network router;

determining whether at least one of first and second master servers are available to respond to the request for domain name information, wherein the first and second master servers share an IP address, wherein the first master DNS server is connected to a first datastore, and wherein the second master DNS server is connected to a second datastore;

routing the packets comprising the request for domain name information to a master DNS server selected from an available one of the first and second master DNS servers using the shared IP address;

retrieving the requested domain name information from the datastore connected to the selected master DNS server; and

at the selected master DNS server, generating a response to the request for domain name information, wherein the response comprises the requested domain name information.

11. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 10, wherein receiving the request for domain name information, retrieving the requested domain name information, and generating a response to the request for domain name information is performed by an instance of a BIND software application.

12. The method for synchronizing a dynamic of claim 10, wherein the first and second datastores operate a LDAP protocol.

13. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 10 further comprising:

prior to sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore, determining whether the second datastore is available to receive the first updated domain name information;

if the second datastore is not available to receive the first updated domain name information, then waiting until the second datastore is available to receive it;

sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore when the second datastore is available to receive it.

prior to sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore, determining whether the first datastore is available to receive the second updated domain name information;

if the first datastore is not available to receive the second updated domain name information, then waiting until the first datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore when the first data store is available to receive it.

14. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 10 further comprising:

at a first DHCP server, creating the first updated domain name information;

sending the first updated domain name information to the first datastore if the first datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the first updated domain name information to the second datastore if the first datastore is not available to receive it.

15. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 14 further comprising:

if the second datastore receives the first updated domain name information from the first DHCP server, then determining when the first datastore is available to receive the first updated domain name information; and

sending the first updated domain name information to the first datastore when the first datastore is available to receive it.

16. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 10 further comprising:

at a second DHCP server, creating the second updated domain name information;

sending the second updated domain name information to the second datastore if the second datastore is available to receive it; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the first datastore if the second datastore is not available to receive it.

17. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 16 further comprising:

if the first datastore receives the second updated domain name information from the second DHCP server, then determining when the second datastore is available to receive the second updated domain name information; and

sending the second updated domain name information to the second datastore when the second datastore is available to receive it.

18. The method for synchronizing a dynamic DNS of claim 10 further comprising:

sending a request for domain name information from a DNS client; and

at the selected DNS master server, sending the response to the DNS client.