Systems, Apparatus and Method For Hosting and Assigning Domain Names On A Wide Network

• US 20110252159A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Inventors: SHUSTER, Brian, Price, Matthew, Johnson, Desmond Ford, Lam, Brian, Leong, Johnson
• Application Number:
  US13/169,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252159A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/345 containing wildcard characters
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/3015 Name registration, generation or assignment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

Embodiments of the instant invention are directed to a domain management system, apparatus and method for hosting and assigning domain names. Embodiments of the domain management system comprise a name assignment system and a hosting system, wherein the hosting system comprises a domain retrieval system and a data storage apparatus. The name assignment system verifies availability and assigns domain names to requesting clients. The name assignment system comprises an input component, a confirmation mechanism and a name storage means. Preferred embodiments of the domain retrieval system comprise a scheduler, a parsing member having a plurality of redirectors and a plurality of servers. The domain retrieval system locates the domain referenced by the domain name by parsing header information and utilizing a wildcard DNS. Once the domain is located, the domain retrieval system forwards the domain to the user computer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a host computing device, a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises;

a host name corresponding to the host computing device, and

a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address;

determining a content address corresponding to the content label; and

providing the content address in response to the content request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a zone file of a domain name server to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

configuring the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a redirected content request comprising the content address; and

responding to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the content address comprises providing the content address as a frame target.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the host computing device, the content request comprises receiving the content request by a scheduler of the host computing device, the scheduler configured to select a redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to register the content label; and

associating the content label with the content address.

11. A computer-readable storage device having computer program logic recorded thereon, execution of which, by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises;

a host name corresponding to a host computing device, and

a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address;

determining a content address corresponding to the content label; and

providing the content address in response to the content request.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

configuring a zone file of a domain name server to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, the operations further comprising:

configuring the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving a redirected content request comprising the content address; and

responding to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein providing the content address comprises providing the content address as a frame target.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein receiving the content request comprises receiving the content request by a scheduler, the scheduler configured to select a redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request to register the content label; and

associating the content label with the content address.

21. A system comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions comprising;

instructions to receive a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises;

a host name corresponding to a host computing device, and

a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address,

instructions to determine a content address corresponding to the content label, and

instructions to provide the content address in response to the content request; and

one or more processors configured to process the instructions.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions to configure a zone file of a domain name server to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

instructions to configure the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request.

26. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions to receive a redirected content request comprising the content address; and

instructions to respond to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein providing the content address comprises providing the content address as a frame target.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein receiving, by the host computing device, the content request comprises receiving the content request by a scheduler of the host computing device, the scheduler configured to select a redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

instructions to receive a request to register the content label; and

instructions to associate the content label with the content address.

31. A system comprising:

a host computing device comprising a scheduler, the scheduler configured to receive a content request comprising a requested address, wherein the requested address comprises;

a host name corresponding to the host computing device, and

a content label in a wildcard portion of the requested address; and

a redirector configured to determine a content address corresponding to the content label and to provide the content address in response to the content request.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the wildcard portion of the requested address is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

33. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a domain name server comprising a zone file, the zone file configured to provide an address of the host computing device based on the requested address having the wildcard portion.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the zone file is further configured to provide a different address based on an additional requested address without a wildcard portion.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the scheduler is configured to receive the content request in an HTTP request.

36. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a content storage device configured to receive a redirected content request comprising the content address and to respond to the redirected content request by serving content located at the content address.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the redirector is configured to provide the content address as a frame target.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the scheduler is configured to select the redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the host computing device is farther configured to receive a request to register the content label and to associate the content label with the content address.