Request routing using network computing components

• US 7,925,782 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richardson, David R., Scofield, Christopher L., Marshall, Bradley E., Sivasubramanian, Swaminathan
• Primary Examiner(s): WON, MICHAEL YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/165,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20090327517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/226, 709/231, 709/232, 709/238
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4552 Lookup mechanisms between a plurality of directories; Synchronisation of directories, e.g. metadirectories
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching

Abstract

A system, method and computer-readable medium for request routing. A DNS server at a content delivery network service provider obtains a DNS query corresponding to a resource requested from a client computing device and associated with a first resource identifier. The first resource identifier includes a first portion with DNS information and a second portion with path information. The DNS server selects a network computing component for processing the requested resource based on the DNS portion of the resource identifier and transmits information identifying the selected network computing component to the client computing device.

Claims

1. A method for request routing comprising:

obtaining a DNS query from a client computing device at a first DNS server, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with an original resource identifier provided by a content provider and wherein the first DNS server corresponds to a content delivery network service provider that is different from the content provider;

determining whether the first DNS server is authoritative to the DNS query;

obtaining an alternative resource identifier based on an application identifier included in the original resource identifier if the DNS server is determined not to be authoritative, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider and request routing information not included in the original resource identifier;

transmitting the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device;

obtaining a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device at a second DNS server, wherein the subsequent DNS query corresponds to the alternative resource identifier provided by the content delivery network service provider and wherein the second DNS server corresponds to the content delivery network service provider that is different from the content provider;

determining whether the second DNS server is authoritative to the subsequent DNS query; and

selecting a network computing component for processing content associated with the original resource request if the second DNS server is authoritative to the second DNS query; and

transmitting information identifying the selected network computing component if the second DNS server is determined to be authoritative.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the original resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator provided by the content provider such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the content delivery network service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the alternative resource identifier corresponds to a canonical name record identifier.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the original resource identifier and the alternative resource identifier include information identifying a same domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the original resource identifier includes information identifying a first domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a second domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network computing component comprises an application for processing the requested resource.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the application is a data streaming application.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the network computing component is operable to dynamically cause the creation of an instance of a virtual machine for processing the requested resource.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application identifier includes information associated with the file type of the requested resource.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application identifier includes information associated with a type of application for processing the requested resource.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application identifier includes information associated with an instance of an application for processing the requested resource.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the application identifier includes network computing component selection information associated with a type of an application or an instance of an application for processing the requested resource.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the selection information includes quality of service information.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining an alternative resource identifier is further based on information associated with a geographic location of the client computing device.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining an alternative resource identifier is further based on information associated with the content provider, wherein the information includes regional service information and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a regional service plan provided by the content delivery network service provider.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining an alternative resource identifier is further based on information associated with the content provider, wherein the information includes service level information and wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information identifying a service level plan provided by the content delivery network service provider.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining an alternative resource identifier is further based on information associated with network computing resources, wherein the information includes network computing component selection information.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the network computing component selection information includes performance metrics associated with one or more network computing components.

19. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a request from the client computing device for the requested content; and

processing and transmitting the requested content from the selected network computing component in response to the request from the client computing device.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information identifying the selected network computing component includes a network address corresponding to the selected network computing component.

21. A method for request routing comprising:

obtaining a DNS query from a client computing device at a first DNS server, wherein the DNS query corresponds to a requested resource associated with a first resource identifier and wherein the first DNS server corresponds to a content delivery network service provider;

determining that the first resource identifier is associated with an alternative resource identifier by;

obtaining resource routing information corresponding to an application identifier included in the first resource identifier; and

selecting an alternative resource identifier as a function of the resource routing information corresponding to the application identifier;

transmitting the alternative resource identifier to the client computing device, wherein the alternative resource identifier includes information for causing a DNS query to resolve to a domain corresponding to the content delivery service provider and supplemental request routing information not included in the first resource identifier;

obtaining a subsequent DNS query from the client computing device at a second DNS server, wherein the subsequent DNS query corresponds to the alternative resource identifier provided by the content delivery network service provider and wherein the second DNS server corresponds to the content delivery network service provider;

resolving the subsequent DNS query, at the second DNS server, to identify a network computing component for processing and providing content associated with the original resource request; and

transmitting information identifying the identified network computing component to the client computing device.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein first resource identifier corresponds to a uniform resource locator such that the DNS query resolves to a domain corresponding to the content delivery network service provider.

23. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the alternative resource identifier corresponds to a canonical name record identifier.

24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the network computing component comprises an application for processing the requested resource.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the application is a data streaming application.

26. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the network computing component is operable to dynamically cause the creation of an instance of a virtual machine for processing the requested resource.

27. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application identifier includes information associated with the file type of the requested resource and wherein the alternative resource identifier is selected as a function of the file type of the requested resource.

28. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application identifier includes information associated with a type of application for processing the requested resource and wherein the alternative resource identifier is selected as a function of the application type.

29. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application identifier includes information identifying an instance of an application for processing the requested resource and wherein the alternative resource identifier is selected as a function of the application instance.

30. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application identifier includes network computing component selection information associated with a type of an application or an instance of an application for processing the requested resource.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the selection information includes quality of service information.

32. The method as recited in claim 21 further comprising obtaining resource routing information corresponding to the client computing device associated with the DNS query, wherein the information corresponding to the client computing device is associated with a geographic location of the client computing device and wherein selecting an alternative resource identifier is further based on information associated with a geographic location of the client computing device.