Method and system for communicating between clients in a computer network

• US 7,188,175 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2000
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Web.com Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Web.com Incorporated (Web.com Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: McKeeth, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Viet D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Application Number:
  US09/544,355
• Time in Patent Office: 2,525 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/235, 709/244, 709/245, 709/203, 709/221, 370/352, 370/356
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A method and system for communicating among clients in a client-server computer network. The method and system allow a client to identify another client using a first identifier, such as a domain name of the other client. It is not necessary for the client to identify the other client with its network address, such as the Internet protocol (IP) address of the other client. The system comprises a server that updates a domain name system (DNS) server with the most recent IP address of the other client. In the event that the other client is off-line, the client may be connected to a Web page of the other client to leave and retrieve messages.

Claims

1. A method for updating Domain Name System (DNS) information in response to a change in client status, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a client request to update DNS information on a DNS server, the client being subscribed to a domain name;

on receipt of the client request, assigning an IP address to the client and updating an entry in an IP address table on the DNS server such that the domain name corresponds with the assigned IP address;

determining a client status of on-line or off-line; and

responsive to off-line determination, updating the IP address table on the DNS server such that the domain name corresponds with an interactive file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive file comprises a first web page that is configured to provide information to the client and configured to allow the first client to leave a message for a second client.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

on receipt of the client request, connecting the client to a second web page associated with the client.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second web page includes at least one of messages received while client was off-line, a time of last log-on by client, or a duration the client was off-line.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

on receipt of the client request, determining if the client is authorized to administer the domain name.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the update step further comprises:

queuing the client request on a DNS update queue;

moving the request from the DNS update queue to a temporary queue; and

updating the IP address table of the DNS server with the request from the temporary queue.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

notifying the client that the request has been queued; and

notifying the client that the request has been processed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

monitoring arrival of a signal that is periodically transmitted by the client, the arrival of the signal indicating that the status of the client is on-line.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining that the status of the client is off-line if the signal is not received within a predetermined time interval.

10. A method for updating Domain Name System (DNS) information in response to a change in client status, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving identification information from a client, the client being subscribed to a domain name;

on receipt of the identification information, assigning an IP address to the client and updating an IP address table on the DNS server such that the domain name corresponds to the assigned IP address;

determining a client status of on-line or off-line; and

responsive to determining the status is off-line, updating the IP address table on the DNS server such that the domain name corresponds to a first web page located on a server.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

on receipt of the client request, connecting the client to a second web page associated with the client, wherein the second web page includes at least one of messages received while client was off-line, a time of last log-on by client, or a duration the client was off-line.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

on receipt of the client request, determining if the client is authorized to administer the domain name.

13. A computer-readable medium containing a program for updating Domain Name System (DNS) information in response to a change in client on-line/off-line status, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a client request to update DNS information on a DNS server, the client being subscribed to a domain name;

on receipt of the client request, assigning an IP address to the client and updating an entry in an IP address table on the DNS server to match the domain name with the assigned IP address;

determining a client status of on-line or off-line; and

responsive to off-line determination, updating the IP address table on the DNS server to match the domain name with an interactive file.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the interactive file comprises a first web page that is configured to provide information to the client and configured to allow the client to leave a message for a second client.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

on receipt of the client request, connecting the client to a second web page associated with the client.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second web page includes at least one of messages received while client was off-line, a time of last log-on by client, or a duration the client was off-line.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

on receipt of the client request, determining if the client is authorized to administer the domain name.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the update step further comprises:

queuing the client request on a DNS update queue;

moving the request from the DNS update queue to a temporary queue; and

updating the IP address table of the DNS server with the request from the temporary queue.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

notifying the client that the request has been queued; and

notifying the client that the request has been processed.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the determining step further comprises:

monitoring arrival of a signal that is periodically transmitted by the client, the arrival of the signal indicating that the status of the client is on-line.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining that the status of the client is off-line if the signal is not received within a predetermined time interval.

22. A system for updating Domain Name System (DNS) information in response to a change in client status, the system comprising:

means for receiving a client request to update DNS information on a DNS server, the client being subscribed to a domain name;

means for assigning, on receipt of the client request, an IP address to the client and updating an entry in an IP address table on the DNS server such that the domain name corresponds with the assigned IP address;

means for determining a client status of on-line or off-line; and

means for updating, responsive to off-line determination, the IP address table on the DNS server such that the domain name corresponds with a first web page, wherein the first web page is configured to provide information to the first client and configured to allow the first client to leave a message for the second client.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

means for connecting, on receipt of the client request, the client to a second web page associated with the client, wherein the second web page includes at least one of messages received while client was off-line, a time of last log-on by client, or a duration the client was off-line.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

means for determining, on receipt of the client request, if the client is authorized to administer the domain name.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the means for updating further comprises:

means for queuing the client request on a DNS update queue;

means for moving the request from the DNS update queue to a temporary queue; and

means for updating the IP address table of the DNS server with the request from the temporary queue.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

means for notifying the client that the request has been queued; and

means for notifying the client that the request has been processed.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the means for determining the client status further comprises:

means for monitoring arrival of a signal that is periodically transmitted by the client, the arrival of the signal indicating that the status of the client is on-line.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the means for determining client status further comprises:

means for determining that the status of the client is off-line if the signal is not received within a predetermined time interval.