System, method, and article of manufacture for maintaining and accessing a whois database

• US 8,090,693 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Monroe, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Susan
• Application Number:
  US12/237,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for maintaining and accessing a whois database. In one embodiment, modifications to a registrar database that includes information about domain names are tracked, and based on the tracked modifications, one or more records that include modified information about the domain names are identified. Unique identifiers for the identified one or more records are determined and are used to reflect the modifications in the whois database. The modifications are tracked on a real-time basis and are reflected in the whois database on an hourly or a real-time basis.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for maintaining a whois database, comprising:

extracting a plurality of unique identifiers from an audit file, each unique identifier corresponding to a modified or deleted domain name record within a registrar database; and

for each unique identifier;

determining whether a first domain name record that corresponds to the unique identifier exists within the registrar database;

if the first domain name record exists, retrieving the first domain name record from the registrar database;

determining whether a second domain name record that corresponds to the unique identifier exists within the whois database;

if the second domain name record exists, retrieving the second domain name record from the whois database;

comparing the first domain name record to the second domain name record; and

updating the second domain name record, within the whois database, based on the first domain name record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

if the first domain name record does not exist, deleting the second domain name record from the whois database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the second domain name record does not exist, adding the first domain name record to the whois database.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

discarding duplicate unique identifiers from the plurality of unique identifiers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified or deleted domain name record consists of an added domain name record, a deleted domain name record and a changed domain name record.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the audit file includes an indicator associated with each unique identifier, the indicator consisting of an added indicator, a deleted indicator and changed indicator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the audit file includes modified domain name information associated with each unique identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers is associated with a time period.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tagging the audit file to identify previously extracted unique identifiers.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the whois database is a copy of the registrar database.

11. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions for execution by a processor which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method for maintaining a whois database, the method comprising:

extracting a plurality of unique identifiers from an audit file, each unique identifier corresponding to a modified or deleted domain name record within a registrar database; and

for each unique identifier;

determining whether a first domain name record that corresponds to the unique identifier exists within the registrar database;

if the first domain name record exists, retrieving the first domain name record from the registrar database,

determining whether a second domain name record that corresponds to the unique identifier exists within the whois database;

if the second domain name record exists, retrieving the second domain name record from the whois database;

comparing the first domain name record to the second domain name record; and

updating the second domain name record, within the whois database, based on the first domain name record.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

if the first domain name record does not exist, deleting the second domain name record from the whois database.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

if the second domain name record does not exist, adding the first domain name record to the whois database.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

discarding duplicate unique identifiers from the plurality of unique identifiers.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the modified or deleted domain name record consists of an added domain name record, a deleted domain name record and a changed domain name record.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the audit file includes an indicator associated with each unique identifier, the indicator consisting of an added indicator, a deleted indicator and changed indicator.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the audit file includes modified domain name information associated with each unique identifier.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers is associated with a time period.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

tagging the audit file to identify previously extracted unique identifiers.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the whois database is a copy of the registrar database.

21. A system, comprising:

a registrar computer, including a registrar database having a plurality of domain name records and an audit file having a plurality of unique identifiers, each unique identifier corresponding to a modified or deleted domain name record within the registrar database; and

a whois computer in communication with the registrar computer, the whois computer including a processor, a whois database having a plurality of domain name records, and stored instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to perform a method, the method comprising;

extracting the plurality of unique identifiers from the audit file; and

for each unique identifier;

determining whether a first domain name record that corresponds to the unique identifier exists within the registrar database,

if the first domain name record exists, retrieving the first domain name record from the registrar database,

determining whether a second domain name record that corresponds to the unique identifier exists within the whois database,

if the second domain name record exists, retrieving the second domain name record from the whois database,

comparing the first domain name record to the second domain name record, and updating the second domain name record, within the whois database, based on the first domain name record.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

if the first domain name record does not exist, deleting the second domain name record from the whois database.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

if the second domain name record does not exist, adding the first domain name record to the whois database.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the method further comprises:

discarding duplicate unique identifiers from the plurality of unique identifiers.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the modified or deleted domain name record consists of an added domain name record, a deleted domain name record and a changed domain name record.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the audit file includes an indicator associated with each unique identifier, the indicator consisting of an added indicator, a deleted indicator and changed indicator.

27. The system of claim 21, wherein the audit file includes modified domain name information associated with each unique identifier.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of unique identifiers is associated with a time period.