Policy-based content delivery network selection

• US 8,645,517 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2010
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stolorz, Paul E., Salmon, John K., Warren, Michael S., Koller, Jeffrey G., Yevmenkin, Maksim, Brady, Mark, Pfitzner, David, Middleton, Ted, Hagberg, Aric
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, John B.
• Application Number:
  US12/978,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/045 for graphical visualisation of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0811 by checking connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/10 Active monitoring, e.g. heartbeat, ping or trace-route
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/12 Network monitoring probes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/20 Traffic policing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4511 using domain name system [DNS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1023 based on a hash applied to IP addresses or costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1029 using data related to the state of servers by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1031 : Controlling of the operation of servers by a load balancer, e.g. adding or removing servers that serve requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1034 : Reaction to server failures by a load balancer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 : Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 : Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

In a framework wherein resources of a content provider may be delivered to clients from different domains, a method distributes the requests based on content-provider policies. In some cases, the domains include at least two distinct content delivery network (CDN) domains. The domains may include a content provider domain. Responsive to a request, either the content provider domain or one of the two CDN domains is selected, the selection being based at least in part on one or more policies set by the content provider.

Claims

1. A method, operable in a framework in which an adaptive traffic control name server network implements policy-based traffic direction, the name server network comprising at least one domain name server comprising hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to provide adaptive policy-based domain name service, the method comprising:

(A) providing a graphical user interface (GUI);

(B) using said GUI to obtain at least one policy for direction of network traffic, wherein the GUI supports the setting of said at least one policy using a decision tree representing rules; and

(C) providing said at least one policy to the name server network, wherein the decision tree comprises one or more resource nodes, and one or more branch nodes, wherein the one or more resource nodes specify one or more answers to be provided in response to a Domain Name Service (DNS) request, and wherein the one or more branch nodes specify one or more decision criteria to be applied, and wherein the GUI supports the specification of;

(i) one or more answers for the one or more resource nodes, and

(ii) one or more decision criteria for the one or more branch nodes, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from criteria related to;

world zones, countries, states, time zones, and blocks of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and wherein the one or more resource nodes are selected from;

IP addresses, canonical name (CNAME) records, mail exchange (MX) records, name server (NS) records, and load sharing server sets; and

wherein the answers are selected from;

IP addresses and CNAMEs.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one policy relates to direction of network traffic based on sub-domains of a domain of a subscriber.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one policy that relates to direction of network traffic based on sub-domains of a domain of the subscriber relates to one or more of the sub-domains:

“

ftp”

, “

download”

, “

www”

, and “

images”

.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(D) generating reports based on information gathered from the name server network; and

(E) providing said reports.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the information gathered from the name server network comprises:

DNS log summaries from the at least one domain name server in the name server network.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the information includes a number of requests directed to particular servers in a given time period.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the reports are made available via a secure web-based GUI.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the act (C) comprises:

providing said at least one policy to the name server network as an XML file.

9. An administrative agent, operable in a framework in which an adaptive traffic control name server network implements policy-based traffic direction, the name server network comprising at least one domain name server comprising hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to provide adaptive policy-based domain name service, said administrative agent comprising hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to:

(a) provide a graphical user interface (GUI);

(b) use said GUI to obtain at least one policy for direction of network traffic, wherein the GUI supports the setting of said at least one policy using a decision tree representing rules; and

(c) provide said at least one policy to the name server network, wherein the decision tree comprises one or more resource nodes, and one or more branch nodes, wherein the one or more resource nodes specify one or more answers to be provided in response to a Domain Name Service (DNS) request, and wherein the one or more branch nodes specify one or more decision criteria to be applied, and wherein the GUI supports the specification of;

(i) one or more answers for the one or more resource nodes, and

(ii) one or more decision criteria for the one or more branch nodes,

wherein the one or more criteria are selected from criteria related to;

world zones, countries, states, time zones, and blocks of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and

wherein the one or more resource nodes are selected from;

IP addresses, canonical name (CNAME) records, mail exchange (MX) records, name server (NS) records, and load sharing server sets; and

wherein the answers are selected from;

IP addresses and CNAMEs.

10. The administrative agent of claim 9 wherein the at least one policy relates to direction of network traffic based on sub-domains of a domain of a subscriber.

11. The administrative agent of claim 10 wherein the at least one policy that relates to direction of network traffic based on sub-domains of a domain of the subscriber relates to one or more of the sub-domains:

“

ftp”

, “

download”

, “

www”

, and “

images”

.

12. The administrative agent of claim 9 wherein said administrative agent comprises hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to:

(d) generate reports based on information gathered from the name server network; and

(e) provide said reports.

13. The administrative agent of claim 12 wherein the information gathered from the name server network comprises:

DNS log summaries from the at least one domain name server in the name server network.

14. The administrative agent of claim 12 wherein the information includes a number of requests directed to particular servers in a given time period.

15. The administrative agent of claim 12 wherein the reports are made available via a secure web-based GUI.

16. The administrative agent of claim 9 wherein said at least one policy is provided to the name server network as an XML file.

17. A system comprising:

(A) an adaptive traffic control name server network comprising at least one domain name server comprising hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to provide adaptive policy-based domain name service, and

(B) an administrative agent comprising hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to;

(a) provide a graphical user interface (GUI);

(b) use said GUI to obtain at least one policy for direction of network traffic, wherein the GUI supports the setting of said at least one policy using a decision tree representing rules; and

(c) provide said at least one policy to the name server network,

wherein the decision tree comprises one or more resource nodes, and one or more branch nodes,

wherein the one or more resource nodes specify one or more answers to be provided in response to a Domain Name Service (DNS) request, and

wherein the one or more branch nodes specify one or more decision criteria to be applied, and

wherein the GUI supports the specification of;

(i) one or more answers for the one or more resource nodes, and

(ii) one or more decision criteria for the one or more branch nodes,

wherein the one or more criteria are selected from criteria related to;

world zones, countries, states, time zones, and blocks of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, and

wherein the one or more resource nodes are selected from;

IP addresses, canonical name (CNAME) records, mail exchange (MX) records, name server (NS) records, and load sharing server sets; and

wherein the answers are selected from;

IP addresses and CNAMEs.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said administrative agent comprises hardware in combination with software and constructed and adapted to:

(d) generate reports based on information gathered from the name server network; and

(e) provide said reports.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the information gathered from the name server network comprises:

DNS log summaries from the at least one domain name server in the name server network.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the information includes a number of requests directed to particular servers in a given time period.