Updating IP address database based on transaction information

• US 8,316,114 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2010
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.
• Inventors: Peng, Xiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitiku, Berhanu
• Application Number:
  US12/928,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20110153681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 707 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/695 using masks or ranges of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/40 for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity, e.g. service redundancy protocols, protocol state redundancy or protocol service redirection management of faults, events, alarms or notifications in data switching networks H04L41/06

Abstract

Updating an Internet Protocol (IP) address database includes: obtaining transaction address data from a transaction information database, the transaction address data including IP address information and geographical address information received during user transactions; processing the transaction address data to identify specific transaction address data that have overlapping geographical address information and contiguous IP addresses; and updating the IP address database according to the overlapping geographical address information and the contiguous IP addresses.

Claims

1. A method of updating an Internet Protocol (IP) address database, comprising:

obtaining, using a processor, transaction address data from a transaction information database, the transaction address data including IP address information and geographical address information received during user transactions;

processing the transaction address data to identify specific transaction address data that have overlapping geographical address information and contiguous IP addresses; and

updating the IP address database according to the overlapping geographical address information and the contiguous IP addresses, wherein updating the IP address database includes determining whether the overlapping geographical address information determined from the transaction address data is more specific than initial geographical address information in the IP address database corresponding to the contiguous IP addresses associated with the overlapping geographical address information, in the event that the overlapping geographic address information determined from the transaction address data is more specific, then replacing the initial geographical address information in the IP database with the overlapping geographical address information determined from the transaction address data,

wherein overlapping geographical address information being more specific comprises overlapping geographical address information being associated with a lower geographical address hierarchy level than the initial geographical address information in the IP address database; and

wherein the processor is further configured to preprocess the transaction address data, and wherein the preprocessing includes;

locating address data from the IP address database that has the same IP addresses as the transaction address data;

comparing geographical addresses of transaction address data with geographical addresses of address data from the IP address database and determining whether there is inconsistency; and

discarding specific transaction address data whose geographical address information is inconsistent with geographical address information of corresponding address data from IP address database.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction address data stored in the transaction information database is obtained based on an electronic commerce transaction.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein processing the transaction address data further includes:

determining whether the number specific transaction address data that have overlapping geographical address information and contiguous IP addresses is greater than a predetermined threshold;

in the event that the number of specific transaction address data is greater than the predetermined threshold, merging IP addresses of the specific transaction address data into an IP address range, and setting the overlapping address information as geographical address corresponding to the IP address range.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, the geographical address information including at least one of the following:

state address, provincial address, municipal address and country address.

5. An IP address manager device comprising:

a processor;

the processor is configured to;

obtain transaction address data from a transaction information database, the transaction address data including IP address information and geographical address information received during user transactions;

process the transaction address data to identify specific transaction address data that have overlapping geographical address information and contiguous IP addresses; and

update the IP address database according to the overlapping geographical address information and the contiguous IP addresses, wherein updating the IP address database includes determining whether the overlapping geographical address information determined from the transaction address data is more specific than initial geographical address information in the IP address database corresponding to the contiguous IP addresses associated with the overlapping geographical address information, in the event that the overlapping geographic address information determined from the transaction address data is more specific, then replacing the initial geographical address information in the IP database with the overlapping geographical address information determined from the transaction address data,

wherein overlapping geographical address information being more specific comprises overlapping geographical address information being associated with a lower geographical address hierarchy level than the initial geographical address information in the IP address database; and

wherein the processor is further configured to preprocess the transaction address data, and wherein the preprocessing includes;

locating address data from the IP address database that has the same IP addresses as the transaction address data;

comparing geographical addresses of transaction address data with geographical addresses of address data from the IP address database and determining whether there is inconsistency; and

discarding specific transaction address data whose geographical address information is inconsistent with geographical address information of corresponding address data from IP address database; and

a memory coupled to the processor, configured to provide the processor with instructions.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the transaction address data stored in the transaction information database is obtained based on an electronic commerce transaction.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein processing the transaction address data further includes:

determining whether the number specific transaction address data that have overlapping geographical address information and contiguous IP addresses is greater than a predetermined threshold;

in the event that the number of specific transaction address data is greater than the predetermined threshold, merging IP addresses of the specific transaction address data into an IP address range, and setting the overlapping address information as geographical address corresponding to the IP address range.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein, the geographical address information including at least one of the following:

state address, provincial address, municipal address and country address.

9. A computer program product for updating an IP address database, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

obtaining transaction address data from a transaction information database, the transaction address data including IP address information and geographical address information received during user transactions;

processing the transaction address data to identify specific transaction address data that have overlapping geographical address information and contiguous IP addresses; and

updating the IP address database according to the overlapping geographical address information and the contiguous IP addresses, wherein updating the IP address database includes determining whether the overlapping geographical address information determined from the transaction address data is more specific than initial geographical address information in the IP address database corresponding to the contiguous IP addresses associated with the overlapping geographical address information, in the event that the overlapping geographic address information determined from the transaction address data is more specific then replacing the initial geographical address information in the IP database with the overlapping geographical address information determined from the transaction address data,

wherein overlapping geographical address information being more specific comprises overlapping geographical address information being associated with a lower geographical address hierarchy level than the initial geographical address information in the IP address database; and

wherein the processor is further configured to preprocess the transaction address data, and wherein the preprocessing includes;

locating address data from the IP address database that has the same IP addresses as the transaction address data;

comparing geographical addresses of transaction address data with geographical addresses of address data from the IP address database and determining whether there is inconsistency; and

discarding specific transaction address data whose geographical address information is inconsistent with geographical address information of corresponding address data from IP address database.