Enhanced domain name service using a most frequently used domain names table and a validity code table

• US 6,016,512 A
• Filed: 08/18/1998
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Huitema, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, QUOC KHANH
• Application Number:
  US09/135,619
• Time in Patent Office: 518 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.75, 395/200.3, 395/200.33, 395/200.35, 395/200.36, 395/200.48, 395/200.49, 395/200.52, 395/200.55, 395/200.58, 395/200.61 , 395/185.1, 395/683, 709/245, 709/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/249, 707/100, 707/1, 707/9, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A system prefetches most frequently used domain names and stores the domain name data at local cache servers. It generates validity codes to enable error checking for valid domain names at the local cache servers without accessing root servers. A cache server obtains, stores, and propagates updates or new DNS data to local cache servers at predetermined intervals. Users can obtain internet protocol addresses of domain names directly from local cache servers, thus eliminating processing delays over the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the number of erroneous domain requests forwarded to domain name server (DNS) root servers from a local computer, the local computer being connected to a local cache server storing a most frequently used domain names table with associated domain addresses and a validity code table and being connected to one or more remote root servers, the method comprising the steps of

receiving a user request for a domain name,

in response to said request, accessing the most frequently used domain names table in the local cache server,

if the domain name is not in the most frequently used domain names table, generating a code check to access the validity code table in the local cache server,

if the generated code check is not in the validity code table, returning an error message to the local computer, and

if the generated code check is in the validity code table, forwarding the request to one of said remote root servers.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the validity code table is a list of hash codes that completely represent the population of a domain.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2, further comprising the step of periodically updating the validity code table from a network cache server.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising the step of periodically updating the local cache server from a network cache server, the network cache server providing the local cache server with a first data set comprising the most frequently used domain numbers and their associated domain addresses and a second data set comprising a complete listing of the existing domain names.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the network cache server providing the local cache server with a third data set comprising a listing of the highest levels of a domain name inverse tree.

6. A method for enhancing the efficiency of a local cache server associated with a local computer for processing with reduced processing time domain requests, said method comprising the steps of

populating the local cache server with a first set of data comprising the most frequently used domain names table and

populating the local cache server with a second set of data maintained by a network cache server, said second set of data comprising a validity codes table generated from a complete listing of existing domain names at the local cache server.

7. The method in accordance with claim 6 wherein the validity code table at the local cache server is a list of hash codes that completely represent the population of the domain.

8. A system for processing with reduced processing time domain requests at a local computer, said system comprising

a local cache server connected to the local computer and storing a most frequently used domain names table with associated domain addresses and a validity code table,

a plurality of remote root servers connected to the local computer,

means for receiving a user request for a domain name,

means for accessing the most frequently used domain names table in said local cache server in response to said user request,

means for generating a code check to access the validity table in said local cache server if the domain name is not in the most frequently used domain table,

means for returning an error message to the local computer if the generated code check is not in the validity code table, and

means for forwarding the request to one of said remote root servers if the generated code check is in the validity code table.

9. The system in accordance with claim 8 further comprising

a network cache server,

means for updating said local cache server from said network cache server, said network cache server providing said local cache server with a first data set comprising the most frequently used domain numbers and their associated domain addresses, a second data set comprising a complete listing of the existing domain names, and a third data set comprising a listing of the highest levels of a domain name inverse tree.

10. An article of manufacture capable of configuring a local cache server connected to a local computer to process domain name requests, the local cache server storing a most frequently used domain names table with associated domain addresses and a validity code table, the article comprising program code to cause the local cache server to perform, the steps of

receiving user request for a domain name,

accessing the most frequently used domain names table in the local cache server in response to said request,

generating a code check to access the validity code table in the local cache server if the domain name is not in the most frequently used domain names table,

returning an error message to the local computer if the generated code check is not in the validity code table, and

forwarding the request to a remote root server connected to the local computer if the generated code check is in the validity code table.