System and method for resolving MTA domain names

• US 7,844,736 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: O'Neill, Clayton, Danforth, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): COX, NATISHA D
• Application Number:
  US11/873,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 709/220
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• 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 61/5053 Lease time; Renewal aspects

Abstract

A MAC-to-IP system receives IP and/or MAC lease information of network end-points from one or more DHCP servers providing services to a region of a multi-system subscriber access network. The lease information includes the MAC and IP addresses of devices that can be provisioned by a DHCP server serving the particular region as well as lease expiration information (i.e., time and date). The lease information can be extracted from issued leases and does not affect the issuance of leases by the DHCP server. A DNS-to-MAC-to-IP query interface receives a DNS lookup request for a network end-point from a network device and converts the DNS lookup request into a MAC-to-IP database query. Data is obtained from the MAC-to-IP database to fulfill the DNS lookup request and DNS lookup response is created and sent to the requesting network device.

Claims

1. A lookup request fulfillment system comprising:

a network;

a MAC-to-IP server device connected to the network;

a memory accessible to the MAC-to-IP server device via the network and wherein the memory comprises a MAC-to-IP datastore, and

wherein the MAC-to-IP server device comprises instructions for;

receiving lease information from a DHCP server device for a network end-point (NEP), wherein the lease information comprises a MAC address, an IP address, and lease expiration information;

creating a lease record comprising the lease information;

storing the lease record in the MAC-to-IP datastore;

deleting the lease record from the MAC-to-IP datastore upon lease expiration;

receiving a DNS lookup request from a network device via the network;

converting the DNS lookup request into a MAC-to-IP datastore query;

obtaining data from the MAC-to-IP datastore to fulfill the DNS lookup request;

creating a DNS lookup response from the data obtained from the MAC-to-IP datastore, wherein the DNS lookup response is presented in the form of a DNS message; and

sending the DNS lookup response to the network device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the MAC-to-IP server device further comprises instructions for:

determining that the data to fulfill the DNS lookup request are not available from the MAC-to-IP datastore;

querying the DHCP server device to determine if lease information for the NEP identified in the DNS lookup request is available; and

if the lease information for the NEP is available, obtaining the lease information from the DHCP server device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the DNS lookup request comprises providing an IP address of the NEP and requesting a MAC address of the NEP.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the DNS lookup request comprises providing the MAC address of the NEP and requesting the IP address of the NEP.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the DNS lookup request is presented in the form of a DNS message.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the NEP is selected from the group consisting of a media terminal adapter, a modem, and a home gateway.

7. A method for fulfilling a lookup request comprising:

receiving at a MAC-to-IP server device lease information from a DHCP server device for a network end-point (NEP) wherein the lease information comprises a MAC address, an IP address, and lease expiration information;

creating at the MAC-to-IP server device a lease record comprising the lease information;

storing the lease record in a MAC-to-IP datastore, wherein the MAC-to-IP datastore is stored in a memory;

deleting the lease record from the MAC-to-IP datastore upon reaching lease expiration;

receiving at the MAC-to-IP server device a DNS lookup request from a network device via a network;

converting at the MAC-to-IP server device the DNS lookup request into a MAC-to-IP datastore query;

obtaining data at the MAC-to-IP server device from the MAC-to-IP datastore to fulfill the DNS lookup request;

creating at the MAC-to-IP server device a DNS lookup response from the data obtained from the MAC-to-IP datastore, wherein the DNS lookup response is presented in the form of a DNS message; and

sending from the MAC-to-IP server device the DNS lookup response to the network device.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

determining that the data to fulfill the DNS lookup request are not available from the MAC-to-IP datastore;

querying the DHCP server device to determine if lease information for the NEP identified in the DNS lookup request is available; and

if the lease information for the NEP is available, obtaining the lease information from the DHCP server device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving a DNS lookup request comprises receiving an IP address of the NEP and requesting a MAC address of the NEP.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein a DNS lookup request comprises receiving the MAC address of the NEP and requesting the IP address of the NEP.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the DNS lookup request is presented in the form of a DNS message.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the NEP is selected from the group consisting of a media terminal adapter, a modem, and a home gateway.