OPERATING A SERVICE ON A NETWORK AS A DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM SERVER

• US 20100011420A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Barracuda Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: DRAKO, DEAN, Levow, Zachary
• Application Number:
  US12/167,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• 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 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

Operating a service such as a remote database as a dns server, receiving inputs such as queries as domain names and transmitting replies in the format of IPv4 or IPv6 addresses.

Claims

1. A method for operating a service on a network comprising:

receiving a dns query string, extracting a plurality of arguments from said query string, operating on said arguments, and transmitting a reply formatted in IP syntax.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the dns query response is cached by a distributed domain name system and served to a client.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining an authentication code component of the remainder of the dns queryname, validating the authentication code before accessing a stored IP address, and transmitting the stored IP address as a dns query response.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the dns query response is cached by a distributed domain name system and served to a second client.

2. A method for operating a database comprising the following steps:

listening for a dns request class=IN from a dns client;

stripping the hostname off the dns queryname “

fully qualified domain name”

;

determining at least two arguments from the remainder of the dns queryname;

accessing the database according to the arguments; and

transmitting the database result as a dns query response to the dns query client.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising listening for a dns request selected from the following:

type=A, type=AAAA, type=spf, type=CNAME, and type=TXT.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response is an IP address comprising one of two to the 32 power unique values of the IPv4 system (four octets).

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response is an IP address comprising one of two to the 128 power unique values of the IPv6 system (eight groups of 4 hexadecimal digits).

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response is cached in a distributed domain name system and served to a dns resolver.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response represents a value to be used in a computation.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response represents that a certain message should be displayed.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response represents that an email should be allowed without spam scanning.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the dns query response represents one of a subjective probability on a scale, an action suggested, and a degree of additional handling.

11. A method for operating a service comprising the following steps:

listening for a dns request class=IN from a dns client;

stripping the hostname off the dns queryname=“

fully qualified domain name”

;

determining at least two arguments from the remainder of the dns queryname;

operating on the arguments; and

transmitting the result as a dns query response to the dns query client.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a plurality of query arguments comprises at least a first query term and a second query term separated by a dot.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the reply comprises a plurality of groups separated by dots wherein groups are one of binary numbers, decimal numbers, hexadecimal numbers and octal numbers.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein an argument comprises an authentication code, whereby billing records may be checked or updated and users of the database may be validated or rejected.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein an argument comprises an authentication code, whereby usage is tracked.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein an argument comprises an authentication code comprising a checksum.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the dns query response is an IP address comprising one of two to the 32 power unique values of the IPv4 system (four octets).

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the dns query response is an IP address comprising one of two to the 128 power unique values of the IPv6 system (eight groups of 4 hexadecimal digits).

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the result is one of a text string and an IP address.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein the result is a domain name.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein operating on the arguments comprises a computation or string manipulation.

25. A method for operating a service on a network comprising:

receiving a dns query string, extracting a plurality of arguments from said query string, operating on said arguments, and transmitting a reply formatted in IP syntax, further comprising receiving an authentication code as a query argument and checking its validity.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising sending no response if the authentication code is bad.

27. The method of claim 25 further comprising transmitting an “

invalid”

response if the authentication code is bad.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising counting and controlling the number of queries allowed for each authentication code.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing a first use of an authentication code and associating it with the IP address of the query sender.

30. A method for operating a service on a network comprising:

receiving a dns query string, extracting a plurality of arguments from said query string, operating on said arguments, and transmitting a reply formatted in IP syntax wherein operating on said arguments comprises one of the following, eliciting a response, initiating a process, measuring a value, controlling a machine, dispensing a product, transacting a sale, voting, asking a question, answering a question, requesting assistance, and stopping a process.