Methods, Systems, and Products for Monitoring Domain Name Servers

• US 20140059208A1
• Filed: 08/26/2012
• Published: 02/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: GERBER, ALEXANDRE, SPATSCHECK, OLIVER, YAN, HE, GE, ZIHUI
• Granted Patent: US 9,608,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/58 Caching of addresses or names

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products infer performance of a domain name system. Queries to, and responses from, the domain name system are logged and categorized. Each category is associated with a different performance issue related to the domain name system. The number of entries in each category may be used to infer the performance of the domain name system

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving queries from end-user devices, each query requesting domain name resolution of a domain name;

querying a domain tree for the domain name resolution of the domain name;

retrieving an address associated with the domain name;

sending responses to the queries, each corresponding response indicating the address associated with the domain name;

monitoring each query and each corresponding response;

storing in memory a log of each query associated with each corresponding response;

determining a match between the domain name and an entry in the domain tree;

categorizing each corresponding response when the domain name is matched to the domain tree; and

uniquely categorizing the queries that fail to match the domain tree.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising time stamping each query and each corresponding response.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising calculating a response time for the domain name resolution.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the domain name is locally stored in the memory.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising summing a cache number of the queries having the domain name locally stored in the memory.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising summing a total number of the queries received.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising determining a ratio of the cache number to the total number.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining a response time for the domain name resolution exceeds a threshold time.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the domain name is not locally stored in the memory when the response time exceeds the threshold time.

10. A system, comprising:

a processor;

memory; and

code stored in the memory that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receive queries from end-user devices, each query requesting domain name resolution of a domain name;

query a domain tree locally stored in the memory for the domain name resolution of the domain name;

retrieve an address associated with the domain name;

send responses to the queries, each corresponding response indicating the address associated with the domain name;

monitor each query and each corresponding response;

store a log of each query associated with each corresponding response;

determine a match between the domain name and an entry in the domain tree;

categorize each corresponding response when the domain name is matched to the domain tree; and

uniquely categorize the queries that fail to match the domain tree.

11. The system according to claim 10, further comprising code that causes the processor to time stamp each query and each corresponding response.

12. The system according to claim 11, further comprising code that causes the processor to calculate a response time for the domain name resolution.

13. The system according to claim 10, further comprising code that causes the processor to determine the domain name is locally stored in the memory.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising code that causes the processor to sum a cache number of the queries having the domain name locally stored in the memory.

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising code that causes the processor to sum a total number of the queries received.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising code that causes the processor to determine a ratio of the cache number to the total number.

17. The system according to claim 10, further comprising code that causes the processor to determine a response time for the domain name resolution exceeds a threshold time.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising code that causes the processor to determine the domain name is not locally stored in the memory when the response time exceeds the threshold time.

19. A computer readable medium storing processor executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

receiving queries from end-user devices, each query requesting domain name resolution of a domain name;

querying a domain tree for the domain name resolution of the domain name;

retrieving an address associated with the domain name;

sending responses to the queries, each corresponding response indicating the address associated with the domain name;

monitoring each query and each corresponding response;

storing in memory a log of each query associated with each corresponding response;

determining the domain name matches an entry in the domain tree;

categorizing each corresponding response when the domain name is matched to the domain tree; and

uniquely categorizing the queries that fail to match the domain tree.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19, further comprising instructions for:

determining a response time for the domain name resolution exceeds a threshold time; and

determining the domain name is not locally stored in the memory when the response time exceeds the threshold time.