METHODS AND GATEWAYS FOR PROCESSING DNS REQUEST

• US 20170250946A1
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Published: 08/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Original Assignee: Pismo Labs Technology Limited
• Inventors: CHAN, Ho Ming, TSAI, Min-Fu, CHAN, Alex Wing Hong, CHAU, Kit Wai
• Granted Patent: US 10,142,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1036 Load balancing of requests to servers for services different from user content provisioning, e.g. load balancing across domain name servers

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for processing DNS request in a gateway with WAN and LAN interfaces. The gateway receives a first DNS request from a host via the LAN interface. The gateway selects DNS servers according to predefined selection policies and selects access networks that are authorized to send new DNS requests. The new DNS requests and the first DNA request have the same content. The gateway transmits the new DNS requests to corresponding DNS sever of the selected access networks through the selected access networks and via the WAN interfaces that are connected to the selected access networks. The gateway then identifies valid DNS responses from DNS responses received from the corresponding DNS server. The gateway selects one of the identified valid DNS responses and generates a first new DNS response with the same content thereof. The gateway sends the first new DNS response to the host.

Claims

1. A method for processing Domain Name Service (DNS) request in a gateway with a plurality of wide area network (WAN) interfaces, the method comprising:

receiving a first DNS request from a host via at least one LAN interface of the gateway;

when the gateway does not have information to respond to the first DNS request;

(a) selecting, according to at least one predefined selection policy, a plurality of DNS servers;

(b) selecting a plurality of access networks that are authorized to send a plurality of new DNS requests, wherein content of the plurality of new DNS requests are the same as content of the first DNA request;

(c) transmitting the plurality of new DNS requests to corresponding DNS sever of the selected plurality of access networks through the selected plurality of access networks and via the plurality of WAN interfaces that are connected to the selected plurality of access networks, wherein the corresponding DNS server belongs to the selected plurality of DNS servers;

(d) receiving a plurality of DNS responses, wherein the plurality of DNS responses correspond to the plurality of new DNS requests;

(e) identifying valid DNS responses from the plurality of DNS responses;

(f) selecting one of the identified valid DNS responses and generating a first new DNS response, wherein content of the first new DNS is the same as content of the one of the identified valid DNS responses; and

(g) sending the first new DNS response to the host.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the valid DNS response has a return code (RCODE) of zero.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising Step (h) discarding the plurality of DNS responses corresponding to the first DNS request, other than the valid DNS response corresponding to the first new DNS response, after the first new DNS response has been sent to the host.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of DNS servers available for selection is configured by an administrator of the gateway manually, provided by a service provider of the plurality of access networks, retrieved from a storage medium of the gateway, or obtained from a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on a configuration entered by an administrator of the gateway.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on availability thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on statistical analysis received from the plurality of DNS severs through the plurality of access network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on historical average DNS response speed with valid respond code.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising Step (i) discarding invalid DNS responses after the first new DNS response has been sent to the host, if any invalid DNS responses is identified from the received plurality of DNS responses.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the invalid DNS response has RCODE of non-zero.

11. A gateway for processing DNS request comprising:

a plurality of WAN interfaces

at least one LAN interface

at least one processing unit; and

at least one computer readable storage medium comprising program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit for the steps of;

receiving a first DNS request from a host via the at least one LAN interface of the gateway;

when the gateway does not have information to respond to the first DNS request;

(a) selecting, according to at least one predefined selection policy, a plurality of DNS servers;

(b) selecting a plurality of access networks that are authorized to send a plurality of new DNS requests, wherein content of the plurality of new DNS requests are the same as content of the first DNA request;

(c) transmitting the plurality of new DNS requests to corresponding DNS sever of the selected plurality of access networks through the selected plurality of access networks and via the plurality of WAN interfaces that are connected to the selected plurality of access networks, wherein the corresponding DNS server belongs to the selected plurality of DNS servers;

(d) receiving a plurality of DNS responses, wherein the plurality of DNS responses correspond to the plurality of new DNS requests;

(e) identifying valid DNS responses from the plurality of DNS responses;

(f) selecting one of the identified valid DNS responses and generating a first new DNS response, wherein content of the first new DNS is the same as content of the one of the identified valid DNS responses; and

(g) sending the first new DNS response to the host.

12. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the valid DNS response has a return code (RCODE) of zero.

13. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer readable storage medium further comprising program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit to perform the operation of discarding the plurality of DNS responses corresponding to the first DNS request, other than the valid DNS response corresponding to the first new DNS response, after the first new DNS response has been sent to the host.

14. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the plurality of DNS servers available for selection is configured by an administrator of the gateway manually, provided by a service provider of the plurality of access networks, retrieved from a storage medium of the gateway, or obtained from a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) message.

15. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on a configuration entered by an administrator of the gateway.

16. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on availability thereof.

17. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on statistical analysis received from the plurality of DNS severs through the plurality of access network.

18. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one predefined selection policy is to select the plurality of DNS severs and the plurality of access networks based on historical average DNS response speed with valid respond code.

19. The gateway of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer readable storage medium further comprising program instructions executable by the at least one processing unit to perform the operation of discarding invalid DNS responses after the first new DNS response has been sent to the host, if any invalid DNS responses are identified from the received plurality of DNS responses.

20. The gateway of claim 19, wherein the invalid DNS response has RCODE of non-zero.