ROUTING OF IP TRAFFIC DIRECTED AT DOMAIN NAMES USING DNS REDIRECTION

• US 20120191874A1
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Openwave Mobility Inc. (Enea AB)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Robinson, Gary, Sullivan, Kieran
• Granted Patent: US 9,059,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/355 containing special suffixes
• 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 61/58 Caching of addresses or names

Abstract

A domain name system (DNS) server is disclosed. The DNS server includes: a receiver to receive a DNS query comprising a domain name from a client device, wherein the domain name corresponds to a host server; a modifier to append a domain to an end of the domain name to create a modified domain name; and a mapping engine to compare the modified domain name to a local cache, wherein the local cache comprises a list of domain names, at least some of which are to be routed to an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to an intermediate server.

Claims

1. A domain name system (DNS) server, comprising:

a receiver to receive a DNS query comprising a domain name from a client device, wherein the domain name corresponds to a host server;

a modifier to append a domain to an end of the domain name to create a modified domain name; and

a mapping engine to compare the modified domain name to a local cache, wherein the local cache is stored on a memory device, wherein the local cache comprises a list of domain names, at least some of which are to be routed to an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to an intermediate server.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the modifier appends a “

0”

domain at the end of the domain name.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the DNS server is further configured to return the IP address of the intermediate server to the client device in response to finding a match for the modified domain name, wherein the match corresponds to a domain name to be routed to the intermediate server.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the mapping engine is configured to search for a matching domain name in a zone file corresponding to the appended domain name, wherein the zone file is stored in the local cache.

5. The server of claim 4, further comprising a forwarding engine to obtain a destination IP address for the host server from a forwarding DNS server in response to not finding an exact match to the modified domain name in the zone file, wherein the forwarding engine is configured to remove the domain from the end of the domain name before obtaining the destination IP address from the forwarding DNS server.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein the mapping engine is further configured to store the domain name and the destination IP address in the local cache after obtaining the destination IP address for the domain name from the forwarding DNS server.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the mapping engine is further configured to remove the domain from the modified domain name for a response to the client device, wherein the response corresponds to a successful search for the modified domain name in the list of domain names.

8. A method for routing Internet traffic, the method comprising:

receiving a DNS query comprising a domain name at a domain name system (DNS) server from a client device, wherein the domain name corresponds to a host server;

appending a domain at an end of the domain name to create a modified domain name; and

comparing the modified domain name to a local cache of domain names, at least some of which are to be routed to an Internet Protocol (IP) address corresponding to an intermediate server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein appending the domain at the end of the domain name comprises appending a “

0”

domain at the end of the domain name.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the DNS server is further configured to return the IP address of the intermediate server to the client device in response to finding a match for the modified domain name, wherein the match corresponds to a domain name in the list to be routed to the intermediate server.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein comparing the modified domain name to the local cache comprises searching a zone file corresponding to the appended domain, wherein the zone file is stored in the local cache.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

removing the domain from the end of the domain name in response to not finding an exact match to the modified domain name in the local cache; and

obtaining a destination IP address for the host server from a forwarding DNS server.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the domain name and destination IP address for the domain name in the local cache after obtaining the destination IP address for the domain name from the forwarding DNS server.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing the domain from the modified domain name for a response to the client device, wherein the response corresponds to a successful search for the modified domain name in the list of domain names.

15. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium to store a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program, when executed by a processor within a computer, causes the computer to perform operations for routing Internet Protocol (IP) traffic through an intermediate server, the operations comprising;

receiving a DNS query comprising a domain name at a domain name system (DNS) server from a client device, wherein the domain name corresponds to a host server;

appending a domain at an end of the domain name to create a modified domain name; and

comparing the modified domain name to a local cache of domain names, at least some of which are to be routed to an IP address corresponding to the intermediate server.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein appending the domain at the end of the domain name comprises appending a “

0”

domain at the end of the domain name.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the DNS server is further configured to return the IP address of the intermediate server to the client device in response to finding a match for the modified domain name, wherein the match corresponds to a domain name in the list to be routed to the intermediate server.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein comparing the modified domain name to the local cache comprises searching a zone file corresponding to the appended domain, wherein the zone file is stored in the local cache.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the computer program product, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform additional operations, comprising:

removing the domain from the end of the domain name in response to not finding an exact match to the modified domain name in the local cache;

obtaining a destination IP address for the host server from a forwarding DNS server; and

storing the domain name and destination IP address for the domain name in the local cache after obtaining the destination IP address for the domain name from the forwarding DNS server.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer program product, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform additional operations, comprising:

removing the domain from the modified domain name for a response to the client device, wherein the response corresponds to a successful search for the modified domain name in the list of domain names.