Domain manager and method of use

• US 6,880,007 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2000
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Register.com Incorporated (Web.com Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zheng, Rong, Burstein, Adam D., Yeh, Chia Hsian, Gardos, Robert D., Murtza, Shamoun
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, KHANH Q
• Application Number:
  US09/560,433
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/227, 709/228, 709/203, 709/206, 709/217, 709/226, 709/245, 713/201, 713/203, 707/3
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• 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 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99952 Coherency, e.g. same view to multiple users

Abstract

A program running on a web server allows automated domain name registration, modification and management through an interface running on a client machine. The program redefines the concept of the Domain Name System zones by breaking them down into discrete records that can be managed in a database. The structuring of domain records in such a way allows global modifications to a given record type for all domains owned by a given domain name Registrant. Further, when run on the web server of an accredited registrar, the program enables domain name Registrants an easy and efficient way to reliably monitor and manage their domain name property.

Claims

1. A method of administering a plurality of modifiable domain name records in a database in concurrence with a DNS root server, the method comprising:

providing on a client machine a domain management function select screen listing a plurality of domain names including a first domain name and a second domain name and listing a plurality of user selectable domain management functions;

accepting from the client machine via a computer network a selection of a first domain management function;

accepting a command from the client machine to modify a first record corresponding to the first domain name and replace it with a modified record according to the first domain management function;

accepting a command from the client machine to apply the modification of the first record to a second record corresponding to the second domain name;

storing the modified record in place of each of the first and second records in the database; and

causing the records in the DNS root server to be substantially in agreement with the modified database records.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising error checking the first record for the first domain name and the second record for the second domain name, prior to storing the records in the database.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a program residing on the web server.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the program includes stored procedures.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the causing stores the modified records in an authoritative registry server.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the providing causes the client machine to display the screen listing the plurality of domain names and the plurality of user selectable domain management functions, wherein the accepting from the client machine is responsive to a user selection of a hyperlink from the client machine and wherein the accenting a command from the client machine to modify a first record is responsive to user selection of a hyperlink from the client machine.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain record is an IP address.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain record is a domain name.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain record is a canonical name.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain record is a mail exchange record.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain record is a contact record.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the contact record is selected from the group consisting of zone, organization, administrative, billing and technical.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the domain record is selected from the group consisting of primary DNS, secondary DNS, DNS mail, refresh time, retry interval, expire time and time-to-live.

14. A method of modifying a first domain record stored in a database, the first domain record in concurrence with a record in a DNS root server, the method comprising:

providing on a first computer a domain management function view of a graphical user interface (GUI), the domain management function view listing an active domain and a plurality of user selectable domain management functions;

receiving from the first computer via a computer network a user'"'"'s selection of a first domain management function, the first domain management function for altering information in a database associated with the active domain;

accessing the first domain record in the database;

displaying another view of the GUI on the display, the GUI having a field that displays the first domain record accessed from the database;

displaying a modified record in the field in response to a user input;

storing the modified record in the database in place of the first record; and

causing the replacement of the first record in the DNS root server with the modified record.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first record is associated with an account name and the accessing requires input of the account name to access the record.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the computer system further includes a web server and the method is performed by a program residing on the web server.

17. The method according to claim 16, where the display resides on a client computer that is networked to the computer system through the web server.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein a plurality of domain records are stored in the database.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the GUI has a plurality of fields.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the database has a first record associated with a first domain name and a second record associated with a second domain name, wherein displaying the graphical interface includes displaying the first record in a first field of the GUI, and wherein following displaying the modified record, the method further including:

accessing the second domain record in the database;

displaying the second record in a second field of the GUI; and

displaying the modified record in the second field in response to a user input,

and wherein the storing the modified record in the database replaces the second record, and wherein the causing replaces the second record in the DNS root server with the modified record.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein the domain record is an IP address.

22. The method according to claim 14, wherein the domain record is a domain name.

23. The method according to claim 14, wherein the domain record is a canonical name.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the domain record is a mail exchange record.

25. The method according to claim 14, wherein the domain record is a contact record.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein the contact record is selected from the group consisting of:

zone, organization, administrative, billing and technical.

27. The method according to claim 14, wherein the domain record is selected from the group consisting of primary DNS, secondary DNS, DNS mail, refresh time, retry interval, expire time and time-to-live.

28. The method according to claim 14, wherein the GUI has a plurality of specific function views each having a plurality of fields.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein a first specific function view is a change IP address view.

30. The method according to claim 28, wherein a second specific function view is a change canonical name view.

31. The method according to claim 28, wherein a third specific function view is a welcome screen.

32. The method according to claim 28, wherein a fourth specific function view is a change contact record view.

33. The method according to claim 28, wherein a fifth specific function view is a change mail exchange view.

37. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein the program code for displaying the GUI is a visual builder program.

34. A computer program product for use with a display, the computer program product generating a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display for presenting a domain record stored in a domain database containing a plurality of domain records, the records in concurrence with records stored in a DNS root server, the computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:

program code for accessing the database;

program code for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display device, the GUI having a field in which the domain record is displayed;

program code for displaying a domain management function select view listing a registrant name, an active domain and a plurality of user selectable domain management functions;

program code for receiving a user'"'"'s selection of a first domain management function, the first domain management function for altering information associated with the active domain;

program code for modifying the domain record in the field, in response to user input;

program code for replacing the domain record in the database with the modified domain record; and

program code for causing replacement of the domain record stored in the DNS root server with the modified domain record.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the program code for accessing the database is a database application program.

36. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the database application program includes PL/SQL stored procedures.

38. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the program code for modifying the domain record in the field is a utility program.

39. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the program code for replacing the domain records in the database with the modified domain record is a common gateway interface (CGI) program.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the CGI program is a PERL program.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein the CGI program code for accessing the database is a C program.

42. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the program code for causing the replacement of the domain record stored in the DNS root server with the modified domain record are flat files that update a Shared Registration System application program.

52. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the program code for causing the replacement of the domain record is a PERL program.

53. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the program code for causing the replacement of the domain record is a C program.

43. A method for managing domain name registrations, the method comprising:

providing on a first computer a domain management function select screen identifying a registrant name, an active domain and a plurality of user selectable domain management functions;

receiving from the first computer via a computer network a user'"'"'s selection of a first domain management function, the first domain management function for altering information in a zone file associated with the active domain;

providing on the first computer, responsive to the user'"'"'s selection, a first information change screen corresponding to the first domain management function that displays the registrant name, the active domain and a stored set of first zone file elements; and

receiving from the first computer via the computer network a replacement set of the first zone file elements and storing the replacement set of the first zone file elements in the zone file associated with the active domain.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising:

providing on the first computer a second screen that displays the registrant name and a plurality of domains registered for the registrant name; and

receiving from the computer network a selection of one of the plurality of domains to be the active domain and generating the domain management function select screen using the active domain.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the first domain management function allows a user to change an IP address to which a domain resolves, the method further comprising error checking to determine if the replacement set of the first zone file elements includes a valid IP address.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the first domain management function allows a user to change a canonical name corresponding to the active domain, the method further comprising error checking to determine if the replacement set of the first zone file elements includes a legal sub-domain name.

47. The method of claim 43, the method further comprising error checking the replacement set of the first zone file elements.

48. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of user selectable domain management functions includes changing a domain name server associated with the active domain and changing an IP address associated with the active domain.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of user selectable domain management functions includes:

changing a domain name server associated with the active domain and changing an IP address associated with the active domain;

changing a canonical name corresponding to the active domain; and

changing mail exchange records corresponding to the active domain.

50. The method of claim 43, wherein the plurality of user selectable domain management functions includes modifying contact information associated with the active domain.

51. The method of claim 43, wherein the first computer communicates with a DNS server that incorporates a DNS database that stores zone files corresponding to a plurality of domains and a plurality of registrants including the active domain.