Method and apparatus for updating a domain name server

• US 8,327,022 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ramalingam, Kavitha, Srihari, Prithvi, Vallabhaneni, Vasu, Venkatsubra, Venkat
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US11/539,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20080086556A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,247 Days
• Field of Search: 709/245, 709/203, 709/222, 709/226, 370/328
• US Class Current: 709/245
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• 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

A computer implemented method, apparatus, system, and computer usable program code for updating a domain name server. In response to detecting a failed network interface in a plurality of network interfaces on a content server, the content server identifies an IP address for the failed network interface. The content server notifies a domain name server that the IP address for the failed network interface is an unreachable IP address. The domain name server does not provide the unreachable IP address to a querying client.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for updating a domain name server, the computer implemented method comprising:

detecting, by a content server, a failure of a first network interface of a plurality of network interfaces of the content server, wherein detecting the failure comprises receiving an interrupt signal from the first network interface, the interrupt signal indicating a hardware failure;

determining, by the content server, an IP address associated with the first network interface, in response to detecting the failure;

sending, by the content server, a first domain name server update to a domain name server to notify the domain name server that the IP address is unreachable, in response to determining the IP address associated with the first network interface;

determining, by the content server, that the first network interface is repaired, wherein determining that the first network interface is repaired comprises determining that the first network interface is operable for connecting a client to the content server; and

sending, by the content server, a second domain name server update to the domain name server indicating that the IP address is reachable, in response to determining that the first network interface is repaired, wherein the second domain name server update includes the IP address.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first and the second domain name server updates are secure domain name server updates.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to detecting a new network interface added to the plurality of network interfaces, sending a third domain name server update that includes an IP address for the new network interface to form a new reachable IP address.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first network interface is a network interface that is down or a network interface that cannot be used to reach a gateway.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to a failure of the client to connect with the content server using an IP address for the content server, sending, from the client, a third domain name server update to the domain name server identifying the IP address for the content server.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a content server comprising;

a storage device connected to a bus, wherein the storage device contains a computer usable program product; and

a processor unit, wherein the processor unit executes computer usable program code to;

detect, by the content server, a failure of a first network interface of a plurality of network interfaces of the content server, wherein detecting the failure comprises receiving an interrupt signal from the first network interface, the interrupt signal indicating a hardware failure;

determine, by the content server, an IP address associated with the first network interface, in response to detecting the failure;

send, by the content server, a first domain name server update to a domain name server to notify the domain name server that the IP address is unreachable, in response to determining the IP address associated with the first network interface;

send a second domain name server update to the domain name server indicating that the IP address is reachable in response to determining, by the content server, that the first network interface is repaired, wherein determining that the first network interface is repaired comprises determining that the first network interface is operable for connecting a client to the content server, and wherein the second domain name server update includes the IP address.

7. A system for updating a domain name server, the system comprising:

a content server, wherein the content server determines an IP address for a first network interface of a plurality of network interfaces of the content server in response to detecting, by the content server, a failure of the first network interface, wherein the content server notifies a domain name server that the IP address is unreachable in response to determining the IP address for the first network interface, wherein detecting the failure comprises receiving an interrupt signal from the first network interface, the interrupt signal indicating a hardware failure,

wherein the content server sends a domain name server update to the domain name server indicating that the IP address is reachable in response to determining, by the content server, that the first network interface is repaired, wherein determining that the first network interface is repaired comprises determining that the first network interface is operable for connecting a client to the content server, wherein the domain name server update includes the IP address.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

the client computer, wherein the client computer notifies the domain name server that an IP address for the content server is unreachable in response to a failure to connect with the content server using the IP address for the content server.

9. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer storage medium including computer program code for updating a domain name server, said computer program product comprising;

computer program code for determining, by a content server, an IP address for a first network interface of a plurality of network interfaces of the content server in response to detecting, by the content server, a failure of the first network interface, wherein detecting the failure comprises receiving an interrupt signal from the first network interface, the interrupt signal indicating a hardware failure;

computer program code for sending, by the content server, a first domain name server update to a domain name server to notify the domain name server that the IP address is unreachable, in response to determining the IP address associated with the first network interface;

computer program code for sending, by the content server, a second domain name server update to the domain name server indicating that the IP address is reachable, in response to determining, by the content server, that the first network interface is repaired, wherein determining that the first network interface is repaired comprises determining that the first network interface is operable for connecting a client to the content server, and wherein the second domain name server update includes the IP address.