Systems, Apparatus and Method for Hosting and Assigning Domain Names on a Wide Area Network

• US 20120259999A1
• Filed: 06/21/2012
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Original Assignee: Far North Patents, LLC
• Inventors: SHUSTER, Brian, LEONG, Johnson, PRICE, Matthew, LAM, Brian, JOHNSON, Desmond Ford
• Application Number:
  US13/529,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20120259999A1
• 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 for the domain to the user computer.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. 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;

determining a content address corresponding to the content label, wherein the content address provides a location of corresponding content; and

providing a directive to retrieve the corresponding content from the content address in response to the content request.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the content label is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

42. The method of claim 40, 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.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

configuring the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving a redirected content request comprising the content address; and

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

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the directive is provided in a computer language statement in a computer language document.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein the document is configured to specify a layout including the corresponding content from the content address.

48. The method of claim 40, wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label.

49. The method of claim 40, 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.

50. 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;

determining a content address corresponding to the content label, wherein the content address provides a location of corresponding content; and

providing a directive to retrieve the corresponding content from the content address in response to the content request.

51. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, wherein the content label is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

52. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, 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.

53. The computer-readable storage device of claim 52, the operations further comprising:

configuring the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address.

54. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request.

55. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, the operations further comprising:

receiving a redirected content request comprising the content address; and

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

56. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, wherein the directive is provided in a computer language statement in a computer language document.

57. The computer-readable storage device of claim 56, wherein the document is configured to specify a layout including the corresponding content from the content address.

58. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label.

59. The computer-readable storage device of claim 50, 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.

60. 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,

instructions to determine a content address corresponding to the content label, wherein the content address provides a location of corresponding content, and

instructions to provide a directive to retrieve the corresponding content from the content address in response to the content request; and

one or more processors configured to process the instructions.

61. The system of claim 60, wherein the content label is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher level domain name.

62. The system of claim 60, 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.

63. The system of claim 62, further comprising:

instructions to configure the zone file to provide a different address based on an additional requested address.

64. The system of claim 60, wherein the content request is made in an HTTP request.

65. The system of claim 60, further comprising:

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

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

66. The system of claim 60, wherein the directive is provided in a computer language statement in a computer language document.

67. The system of claim 66, wherein the document is configured to specify a layout including the corresponding content from the content address.

68. The system of claim 60, wherein determining the content address corresponding to the content label comprises using a redirector to determine the content address corresponding to the content label.

69. The system of claim 60, 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.

70. 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; and

a redirector configured to determine a content address corresponding to the content label, wherein the content address provides a location of corresponding content, and to provide a directive to retrieve the corresponding content from the content address in response to the content request.

71. The system of claim 70, wherein the content label is a subdomain of a domain name system, the requested address further comprising at least one higher-level domain name.

72. The system of claim 70, 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.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein the zone file is further configured to provide a different address based on an additional requested address.

74. The system of claim 70, wherein the scheduler is configured to receive the content request in an HTTP request.

75. The system of claim 70, 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 the corresponding content located at the content address.

76. The system of claim 70, wherein the directive is provided in a computer language statement in a computer language document.

77. The system of claim 76, wherein the document is configured to specify a layout including the corresponding content from the content address.

78. The system of claim 70, wherein the scheduler is configured to select the redirector from a set of redirectors to handle the determining and providing the content address.