USING DNS REFLECTION TO MEASURE NETWORK PERFORMANCE

• US 20110270964A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Holt, Nicholas Leonard, Greenberg, Albert G., Li, Jin, Huang, Cheng
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,980 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

A top level domain name system (DNS) server receives a DNS query from a local DNS resolver, the DNS query requesting a network address corresponding to a domain name. The top level DNS server reflects the local DNS resolver to a reflector DNS server. The reflector DNS server reflects the local DNS resolver to a collector DNS server, which in turn returns the network address to the local DNS resolver. The reflector DNS server and collector DNS server are both in the same data center, and one or more network performance measurements for communications between the local DNS resolver and the data center are determined based on the communications between the local DNS resolver and both the reflector DNS server and the collector DNS server.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a first domain name system (DNS) server of a first data center, a first DNS query from a local DNS resolver, the first DNS query requesting a network address corresponding to a query domain name;

responding to the first DNS query, from the first DNS server, by reflecting the local DNS resolver to one or more reflector DNS servers of a second data center, both the first data center and the second data center corresponding to the query domain name;

receiving, at the one or more reflector DNS servers, one or more additional DNS queries;

responding to a final DNS query, from a collector DNS server, with the network address corresponding to the query domain name; and

determining, based on communications between the local DNS resolver and the one or more reflector DNS servers and the collector DNS server of the second data center, one or more network performance measurements for communications between the local DNS resolver and the second data center.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network address is an Internet Protocol (IP) address of a server in a third data center corresponding to the query domain name.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network performance measurements include a round-trip time of communication between the second data center and the local DNS resolver determined as an amount of time that elapses between a first request from the local DNS resolver received at a first of the one or more reflector DNS servers and a second request from the local DNS resolver received at a second of the reflector DNS servers or the collector DNS server.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network performance measurements include a round-trip time of communication between the second data center and the local DNS resolver identified by the local DNS resolver.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more network performance measurements include a packet loss ratio or packet loss pattern between the second data center and the local DNS resolver.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the one or more network performance measurements include a first number that is a packet loss ratio or first measurement of packet loss pattern for packets that were sent from one or more DNS servers in the second data center to the local DNS resolver, and a second number that is a packet loss ratio or a second measurement of packet loss pattern for packets that were sent from the local DNS resolver to the one or more DNS servers in the second data center.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein responding to the first DNS query from the first DNS server includes generating a response that is returned to the local DNS resolver by the first DNS server, the response including both a network address of one of the one or more reflector DNS servers, and the network address corresponding to the query domain name to be included in responding to the final DNS query.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein responding to the first DNS query comprises including in the response an alias in which the network address corresponding to the query domain name is embedded, wherein receiving one or more additional DNS queries comprises receiving one or more additional DNS queries including the alias, and the method further comprising obtaining, at the collector DNS server, the network address corresponding to the query domain name from the alias.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more reflector DNS servers and the collector DNS server are implemented on a same computing device in the second data center, the computing device having multiple network interfaces.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the collector DNS server is included in the second data center.

11. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions execution of which, by one or more processors of one or more computing devices in a data center, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, at a reflector domain name system (DNS) server, a first DNS request for a network address corresponding to a domain name, the first DNS request being received from a local DNS resolver;

return, to the local DNS resolver, a first response reflecting the local DNS resolver to a collector DNS server;

receive, at the collector DNS server, a second DNS request for the network address corresponding to the domain name, the second DNS request being received from the local DNS resolver;

return, to the local DNS resolver, a second response including the network address corresponding to the domain name; and

determine, based on two or more of the first request, the second request, the first response, and the second response, one or more network performance measurements for communications between the local DNS resolver and the data center.

12. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 11, wherein both the reflector DNS server and the collector DNS server are implemented in a same computing device having multiple network interfaces.

13. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 11, wherein both the first DNS request and the second DNS request include an alias obtained by the local DNS resolver from a third DNS server, wherein a target address that is the network address corresponding to the domain name is embedded in the alias.

14. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 11, wherein both the reflector DNS server and the collector DNS server are included in a same data center, and wherein the one or more network performance measurements include a round-trip time of communication between the data center and the local DNS resolver determined as an amount of time that elapses between the first request and the second request, wherein the first request and the second request are two subsequent requests from the local DNS resolver.

15. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 11, wherein both the reflector DNS server and the collector DNS server are included in a same data center, and wherein the one or more network performance measurements include a histogram of round-trip times of communication between the data center and the local DNS resolver determined as amounts of time that elapse between subsequent requests received by the reflector and collector DNS servers.

16. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 11, wherein both the reflector DNS server and the collector DNS server are included in a same data center, and wherein the one or more network performance measurements include information regarding packet loss between the data center and the local DNS resolver.

17. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 16, wherein the information regarding packet loss between the data center and the local DNS resolver comprises a packet loss ratio between the data center and the local DNS resolver.

18. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to delay return of the second response to the local DNS resolver until the second DNS request has been resent by the local DNS resolver, and wherein to determine the one or more network performance measurements is to identify, based on an amount of time between receipt of the second DNS request and receipt of the resent second DNS request, a timeout period used by the local DNS resolver, and determine the one or more network performance measurements based at least in part on the timeout period.

19. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 16, wherein the information regarding packet loss between the data center and the local DNS resolver comprises a first pattern of lost packets that were sent from the data center to the local DNS resolver, and a second pattern of lost packets that were sent from the local DNS resolver to the data center.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, at a top level domain name system (DNS) server of a first data center, a first DNS query from a local DNS resolver, the first DNS query requesting a network address corresponding to a query domain name;

responding to the first DNS query, from the top level DNS server, by sending a first response which reflects the local DNS resolver to a reflector DNS server of a second data center, both the first data center and the second data center corresponding to the query domain name, wherein the network address is embedded in an alias of the first response;

receiving, at the reflector DNS server, a second DNS query from the local DNS resolver, wherein the network address is embedded in the second DNS query;

responding to the second DNS query, from the reflector DNS server, by sending a second response reflecting the local DNS resolver to a collector DNS server of the second data center, wherein the network address is embedded in the second DNS query;

receiving, at the collector DNS server, a third DNS query from the local DNS resolver, wherein the network address is embedded in the third DNS query;

responding to the third DNS query, from the collector DNS server, with a third response including the network address, wherein the collector DNS server obtains the network address from the third DNS query; and

determining, based on communications between the local DNS resolver and both the reflector DNS server and the collector DNS server, one or more network performance measurements for communications between the local DNS resolver and the second data center.