Parallel, Side-Effect Based DNS Pre-Caching

• US 20100049872A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Roskind, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,018 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention include methods and systems for domain name system (DNS) pre-caching. A method for DNS pre-caching is provided. The method includes receiving uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames for DNS pre-fetch resolution prior to a user hostname request for any of the URL hostnames. The method also includes making a DNS lookup call for at least one of the URL hostnames that are not cached by a DNS cache prior to the user hostname request. The method further includes discarding at least one IP address provided by a DNS resolver for the URL hostnames, wherein a resolution result for at least one of the URL hostnames is cached in the DNS cache in preparation for the user hostname request. A system for DNS pre-caching is provided. The system includes a renderer, an asynchronous DNS pre-fetcher and a hostname table.

Claims

1. A method for domain name system (DNS) pre-caching comprising:

receiving one or more uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames for DNS pre-fetch resolution prior to a user hostname request for any of the one or more URL hostnames;

making a DNS lookup call for at least one of the one or more URL hostnames that are not cached by a DNS cache prior to the user hostname request; and

discarding at least one IP address provided by a DNS resolver for the one or more URL hostnames, wherein a resolution result for at least one of the one or more URL hostnames is cached in the DNS cache in preparation for the user hostname request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the receiving, making and discarding steps are performed by one or more parallel threads.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising gathering the one or more URL hostnames from one or more URL links in a web page prior to a user selecting a URL link in the web page.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering the one or more URL hostnames from one or more predicted hostnames based upon entering activity in a URL address bar prior to a user completely entering a hostname.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering the one or more URL hostnames based upon one or more omni-box suggestions that appear based on user activity prior to a user selecting an omni-box suggestion.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering the one or more URL hostnames based upon one or more URL links on a web page that a user has moused over but has not selected.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising temporarily storing the one or more URL hostnames until a thread passes the one or more hostnames to an API for DNS pre-fetch resolution.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising passing the one or more URL hostnames as an array.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising updating pre-fetch information for the one or more URL hostnames in a data structure prior to discarding an IP address.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a cache eviction time for the one or more URL hostnames.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the making step further comprises making DNS lookup calls for only the one or more URL hostnames that have not had a DNS lookup call within the determined cache eviction time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the making step further comprises limiting DNS lookup calls for the one or more URL hostnames based upon a number of URL links on a web page.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising replacing a relationship value in a link tag associated with at least one of the one or more URL hostnames.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the DNS cache is an operating system DNS cache.

15. A system for domain name system (DNS) pre-caching comprising a browser configured to:

receive one or more uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames for DNS pre-fetch resolution prior to a user hostname request for any of the one or more URL hostnames;

make a DNS lookup call for at least one of the one or more URL hostnames that are not cached by a DNS cache prior to the user hostname request; and

discard at least one IP address provided by a DNS resolver for the one or more URL hostnames, wherein a resolution result for at least one of the one or more URL hostnames is cached in the DNS cache in preparation for the user hostname request.

16. A system for domain name system (DNS) pre-caching comprising:

a DNS pre-fetcher configured to make a DNS lookup call for one or more uniform resource locator (URL) hostnames and discard an IP address for at least one of the one or more URL hostnames prior to a user hostname request for any of the one or more URL hostnames, wherein a resolution result for at least one of the one or more URL hostnames is cached in the DNS cache in preparation for the user hostname request; and

a renderer configured to pass the one or more URL hostnames to the DNS pre-fetcher.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the DNS pre-fetcher and the renderer are configured to perform tasks using one or more parallel threads.

18. The system of claim 16 further comprising a gatherer configured to gather the one or more URL hostnames from one or more URL links in a web page prior to a user selecting a URL link in the web page.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising a gatherer configured to gather the one or more URL hostnames from one or more predicted hostnames based upon entering activity in a URL address bar prior to a user completely entering a hostname.

20. The system of claim 16 further comprising a gatherer configured to gather the one or more URL hostnames based upon one or more omni-box suggestions that appear based on user activity prior to a user selecting an omni-box suggestion.

21. The system of claim 16 further comprising a gatherer configured to gather the one or more URL hostnames based upon one or more URL links on a web page that a user has moused over but has not selected.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the renderer further comprises a hostname queue configured to temporarily store the one or more URL hostnames until a thread passes the one or more URL hostnames to the DNS pre-fetcher.

23. The system of claim 16, further comprising a hostname table configured to store DNS pre-fetch information for the one or more URL hostnames.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the DNS pre-fetcher is further configured to make DNS lookup calls for only the one or more URL hostnames that have not had a DNS lookup call within a determined cache eviction time.

25. The system of claim 16, wherein the renderer is further configured to insert the one or more URL hostnames into a work queue and perform a DNS lookup call for a next hostname in the work queue of the one or more URL hostnames when a work thread becomes available.

26. The system of claim 16, wherein the renderer is further configured to limit the one or more URL hostnames that are passed based upon a number of URL Links on a web page.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the DNS cache is an operating system DNS cache.